With a heatwave gripping the UK this week, all eyes are on Royal Ascot – not just for the racing, but for how the Royal Family are handling the soaring temperatures.
Here at BoyleSports, where you can find the latest horse racing odds for Royal Ascot, we spoke with King Charles’ former butler, Grant Harrold, to find out why protocol still rules the day – even when the mercury rises. From dress code decisions to subtle royal gestures, Harrold lifted the lid on what really happens behind the scenes at Ascot.
Find out why King Charles will never break the strict dress code rules, and the consequences if he did. Queen Camilla will also be carrying something with her to deal with the heat, although you’ll never see her with it. Plus, Harrold reveals the one gesture that Zara has to follow up with after kissing the King due to etiquette.
Prepared But Out of Sight: How Royals Keep Cool Discreetly
I can guarantee you, yes, there will be bottles of water in there out of sight, 100%, because they have them in all the cars - but they won’t drink from them when any of the journey is being made in public.
And those little electric fans that you see, Camilla will have one of those fans. She's somebody who would have one of those things if she could, but when they are in view, never in a million years would she use it and let the media see it.
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Ascot Calls the Shots on Style – And the King Follows
The rules on the dress code are Ascot’s, not the King’s.
It's a really interesting point that if the King took his hat or his jacket, what would they do? I guarantee you, Ascot are not going to ban him, because Royal Ascot needs the Royals.
But the King won't remove his jacket. This is the double-edged sword, because he follows rules and traditions and protocols literally by the book. So if it states that he has to keep his morning jacket on, it doesn't matter how hot it gets, he will keep that jacket on.
However, if he did remove it, then it would create a new etiquette that would rewrite the rules. It was done before by Edward VII when he couldn’t do up the bottom button of his waistcoat. And after that, it became etiquette for everyone not to do that button up.
So if the King removed his jacket, you would probably find that it would rewrite the rulebook, and Ascot would probably say that if the temperature is above a set temperature, then you can remove an item of clothing.
The Royal Box is air-conditioned, so they're all comfortable. It's not really a problem for them when they are on the course, other than when they go out onto the terrace. But everybody else down below, they are less fortunate and just have to deal with it.
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Kisses for the King? Only If Followed By This Gesture
Zara kissing King Charles in public is completely normal, and it happens all the time when lower Royals greet the Monarch. But what they always do after that first greeting is to bow or curtsy.
That's how it is done behind the scenes and in public with the Royals; it's completely normal to see public displays of affection like that, especially with the nieces and the in-laws.
Even the late Queen, quite often all her children, you'd normally see them kiss on the cheek and then they would bow their heads to her.
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