The
Queen and the crowds will not be there for the first time but people are urged to dress up as if the virus did not exist
After “clap for carers” comes “glam-up for gee-gees”. There will be no aristocrats and only a tightly controlled handful of commoners present when Royal Ascot takes place next week but, rather than let the occasion be a bunting-free damp squib, the organisers hope to take their event into homes around the country by getting viewers to dress up as if the
Coronavirus did not exist and going racing with royalty were still an option.
“Royal Ascot at home” is the name of the project and a charitable fund-raising element has been bolted on, to encourage people to take part who might otherwise settle for another day in their sweatpants. The hope is instead they can be persuaded to wear something stylish, share a selfie on
Social Media and donate £5 to Ascot’s fund for frontline charities, including NHS Charities Together, and for those affected by Covid-19. There will be prizes for most elegant, most original and most uplifting.