The Princess of Wales made a radiant return to Royal Ascot today, ending a two-year absence with a standout appearance in a vivid yellow dress.
Catherine, 44, took part in the royal family’s traditional carriage procession with the Prince of Wales, travelling just behind the King and Queen.
Her daffodil-toned outfit, designed by Roksanda, was matched with a coordinating hat, while Prince William echoed the look by wearing yellow flowers on his lapel.
It marked the third outing for the dress, which Catherine previously wore during a State Visit to Jamaica and again at Wimbledon in 2022.
Her mother, Carole Middleton, also embraced repeat dressing at Ascot, arriving in the same outfit she wore to Pippa Middleton’s wedding nine years ago.
Carole, 71, wore a blush pink Catherine Walker coat dress, styled with matching Emmy London shoes and hat, and smiled for photographs alongside her daughter-in-law, Alizee Thevenet.
Racegoers were delighted to see the Princess riding in the second royal carriage alongside Prince William, 43, after she was forced to skip the event in 2025 while trying to ‘find the right balance’ after her cancer treatment.
The last time Catherine attended Ascot was in 2023, when the future Queen famously wore a ‘tomato red’ Alexander McQueen dress – proving Kate is always one step ahead of fashion trends.
The Princess of Wales brought the sunshine to Royal Ascot after a two-year absence as she arrived at the races wearing a bright yellow dress today
The fiery hue of Kate’s frock is Ascot’s inaugural colour of the year, as the official lookbook reads: ‘Bright tomato is the kind of colour that doesn’t just join the party at Royal Ascot – it leads it.’
Catherine looked elated to be back in the Windsor Enclosure, enjoying the company of other royals, including Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto, as well as her mother, Carole Middleton.
Last year, royal fans were left disappointed after Kensington Palace confirmed Catherine would skip Ascot to focus on her recovery after completing a preventative course of chemotherapy.
Catherine announced she is in remission from cancer last January as she embarked on a gradual and measured return to public duties.
Royal fans will undoubtedly feel a sense of relief about the princess’s recovery after she attended both Trooping the Colour and the Order of the Garter Service this week.
She was joined in Berkshire today by King Charles, 77, and Queen Camilla, 78, who looked typically elegant in a cream coat dress.
The King and Queen during the Royal Procession at Ascot today
Catherine chatting with her mother Carole
Catherine looked elated to be back in the Windsor Enclosure at the Berkshire race course
Middleton matriarch Carole pictured in conversation with James Middleton’s wife Alizee
Prince William pinned yellow flowers to his lapel in a sweet, matching moment.
Catherine accessorised her dress with a three-strand pearl bracelet, diamond earrings and an ivory clutch
The future King and Queen as they arrived at Ascot for the races
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh also attended Ascot today, as a gust of wind threatened to blow Sophie’s hat off her head
Like mother, like daughter! Carole also rewore a dress from seven years ago as she arrived at Royal Ascot alongside Alizee Thevenet – before Catherine stepped out in a frock she first debuted in 2022
Prince William giving fans a thumbs up as he rode the royal carriage with Catherine
William and Catherine in a royal carriage on day two of Royal Ascot 2026
The mother-of-three was beaming as she arrived at St George’s Chapel for the annual service on Monday alongside Prince William, Princess Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.
Catherine sported a beautiful lemon coat dress, made in London by Patrick McDowell – the designer she gave the Queen Elizabeth Award for Design to last year.
The fabric was woven for Her Royal Highness by Stephen Walters & Sons in Suffolk. She also sported a hat by Jane Taylor, trimmed with fabric from Mr Walters. Her earrings were by Robinson & Pelham.
The Princess of Wales was seen smiling and waving at several of the members of the order – and gazing proudly at her husband, Prince William, as well as curtseying to her father-in-law, the King.
After the service, Prince William and Catherine were whisked back to Windsor Castle by a royal carriage as fans gushed the princess looked ‘absolutely stunning’.
Catherine previously wore the dress from Roksanda in Jamaica when she and Prince William embarked on a Royal Tour of the Caribbean in 2022
She also wore the canary yellow dress when she attended the Wimbledon Women’s Singles Final in July 2022
Carole Middleton has made a glamorous arrival at Royal Ascot, accompanied by her daughter-in-law, Alizee Thevenet (right)
Writing on X, one person said: ‘She looks perfectly lovely. The hat is perfection.’
Another person noted Catherine’s ‘close friendship’ with the Duchess of Edinburgh was on full display at the ceremony, writing: ‘Lovely to see her and Sophie having a laugh.’
As Royal Ascot, which will run until June 20, gets underway, the royals in attendance on day one included the King and Queen, Mike and Zara Tindall, as well as Princess Anne.
But all eyes were on Harriet Sperling yesterday as she made her official debut as a member of the Royal Family following her ‘intimate’ Cotswolds wedding to Peter Phillips less than two weeks ago.
The new Mrs Peter Phillips joined the traditional carriage procession as she arrived at the racecourse in the second landau alongside her husband and mother-in-law, the Princess Royal.
Royal Ascot, the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, started yesterday with the Queen Anne Stakes and the King Charles III Stakes, and will run until Saturday.
The prestigious festival is just as famous for its fashion as it is for its races – and this year, statement hats were the focal point of revellers’ eye-popping looks as day one of the annual race meeting got underway.
Dressed to impress, guests wore a variety of show-stopping headpieces as they descended on Ascot for a day of equestrian fun.
The festival was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 after she declared Ascot ideal for ‘horses fit for kings’ and has today become a major social event as well as a sporting attraction.
