MAIN Recreation Sports Horse Racing Ascot Week 2012

Situated about 45 minutes from London is the annual display of royal pageantry, high stakes horse racing and a convenient excuse to don outrageous hats (especially on Ladies Day) better known as Ascot Week.

The history of the Royal Ascot races date back to the days of Queen Anne, when the first royal Ascot racecourse was laid out by decree for "horses to gallop at a stretch."

This was for the first ever royal race, which took place on Saturday, August 11, 1711 when jockeys vied for The Queen’s Plate - worth a staggering £100.

Ascot Week 2011 Dates & Tickets

Today, the royal romp continues as Queen Elizabeth II and her family attend the week-long race each year. In 2012, the races and festivities take place from Tuesday, June 19th to Saturday, June 23rd with Ladies Day scheduled for Thursday, June 21, 2012.

Group and priority admission tickets for Ascot Week are on sale in early autumn of the previous year, with general admission tickets open to the public later in November. Tickets go fast for the hottest horse racing event of the year, as do London and Windsor area hotel bookings.

Visitors to London can watch the Royal retinue leave Windsor Castle each day during the festive week by standing in the Long Walk (access via Park Street) at approximately 1:30 pm each day. Catch a glimpse as the fleet of cars carrying the Royals emerge from the castle to regally join the traffic on the way to Ascot.

Those Spectacular Hats

Despite the royal connections, the gathering is perhaps more known for designer outfits and spectacular hats with rabid press coverage of who wore what on Ladies Day.

Also noteworthy are the Ascot "tailgate" picnics in the parking area, which have nothing to do with sandwiches or barbecue - but more likely champagne and lobster consumed from the back of a limousine.

Lest anyone forget, the Royal Ascot remains a high stakes championship with a total purse of more than 2 million pounds - in such royal-sounding races as the Coventry Stakes, King's Stand Stakes, St. James's Palace Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, Prince of Wales's Stakes, Queen Mary Stakes and the Ascot Gold Cup.

More about Ascot Week around the Web:

On the Web, discover more history and hats, pictures, results & updates on the annual rite of conspicuous hobnobbing, heraldry & horse racing during Ascot Week ....

The BBC at Royal Ascot - Watch for lively reports from Ascot as race week draws near including special features on Ladies Day, multimedia coverage of the races & related photo galleries, complete TV and radio schedule.

Welcome to Ascot Racecourse - The official site of the horse racing track with current news & information, pictures, feature stories, ticket info & complete fixture schedule.

Royal Ascot - Featuring a purported secret route map to the Ascot racecourse, with driving directions to help avoid the traditional traffic jams on race days - plus lots of interesting pictures, history and factoids, weather info and recommended nearby hotels.

Royal Ascot horse racing event photo guide - Take the virtual tour, courtesy of UKStudentLife.com with a full picture gallery of racing action, Ascot fashions, and the royal family in attendance.

Royal Ascot History & Cartoon Fun - Interesting & detailed history of the famous race with a picture of the Gold Cup, facts on the extravagant hats worn on Ladies Day, the Royal Enclosure, and related Royal Ascot customs and traditions.

Royal Ascot Fashion Dos and Don'ts - Hats for the ladies, morning coats for the gentlemen, and no gum chewing, thank you. Plus more on social etiquette observed at Ascot week from this archived report from BBC...

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