Carole Middleton cheerfully proved that she’s firmly part of the Royal inner circle yesterday when joining Princess Anne, Queen Camilla and Zara Tindall for a fun-filled day at Cheltenham.
And not surprisingly, Kate’s 71-year-old mother made sure her fashion choices were fit for a princess as she joined her daughter’s relatives for Ladies Day at the Gloucestershire course.
Arriving arm-in-arm with Zara Tindall, Carole carried a chic Hermes ostrich skin Birkin bag with an eye-watering price tag of approximately £20,000, and sported the same £115 Hicks & Brown fedora the Princess of Wales once wore at Sandringham in 2020.
Leaning on more royal favourites, she donned a navy coat from Really Wild Clothing (Kate’s fondness for the British brand has spanned 20 years) and a pair of Russell & Bromley boots (another of the princess’s much-loved labels).
Flying the flag for British designers, she completed her chic – and rather expensive – look with a £395 chocolate suede clutch bag from Emmy London.
Although Kate wasn’t present at yesterday’s occasion, Carole was still clearly comfortable in the company of her daughter’s in-laws and was even seen throwing her arms around no-nonsense Princess Anne – who is not usually one for public displays of affection.
But Carole’s appearance on Zara’s arm only further highlighted Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s apparent exile from royal life amid the ongoing fallout surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The York sisters were once the ones proudly displayed by the King’s niece, who is a Cheltenham racecourse director. Beatrice joined her cousin in 2024, while Eugenie last joined the royal fold at Cheltenham in 2025.
Carole Middleton, 71, and Zara Tindall, 44, were twinning in nearly-identical grey coats as they arrived for Ladies Day at Cheltenham
Carole is firmly part of the royal inner circle as the Princess of Wales’s mother was spotted hugging Princess Anne and cheering alongside Queen Camilla at Cheltenham Festival
But it’s unlikely the princesses will be attending the annual four-day festival this year – after they were reportedly banned from joining the Royal Family at their much-loved Royal Ascot in the summer.
For Zara, she instead appeared to rely on the glamour of Kate’s mother for Ladies Day, with the duo seemingly coordinating their outfits for the occasion.
The pair sported near-identical coats, with Zara finishing her outfit with a burgundy blouse, dark brown skirt and black suede boots from Fairfax & Favor.
Meanwhile, the Queen arrived for Ladies Day wearing a camel coat with a brown suede skirt and matching boots as she added a touch of flair with a feather hat by Philip Treacy.
Not long after, the Princess Royal was seen making her way to the course in a forest green ensemble that she paired with a brightly coloured silk scarf.
The senior royals joined thousands of revellers to celebrate the return of Ladies Day after a seven-year break from the cherished festival tradition.
During the event, Carole looked animated as she chatted to TV star James Nesbitt, while Camilla watched the action on track with Clare Balding.
In a nod to Ladies Day, Camilla celebrated ‘trailblazing’ women in sport at the Festival, hailing the first black woman to win a jump race as ‘just brilliant’.
Arriving arm-in-arm with Zara Tindall, Carole carried a chic Hermes ostrich skin Birkin bag with an eye-watering price tag of approximately £20,000, and sported the same £115 Hicks & Brown fedora the Princess of Wales once wore at Sandringham in 2020 (pictured right)
Zara and Mike Tindall put on a very loved-up display as they arrived at the Gloucestershire racecourse on Wednesday – even as Carole crashed their date
Carole was spotted sharing a laugh with a friend and consultant surgeon Brendan Moran on Ladies Day
Princess Anne can be seen holding the Ladies Day programme as Carole and Camilla share a laugh with James Nesbitt
After arriving at the racecourse by helicopter at noon, she chatted to jockey Aamilah Aswat, who last month became the first black woman to win a jump race in the UK, winning at Kempton Park on Guchen, a horse owned by the Friends of Ebony Horse Club.
Camilla is president of the London-based charity and community riding centre which uses horse riding to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people. ‘Just brilliant,’ Camilla told her, asking: ‘When’s your next race?’
In the parade ring she was also introduced to Rachael Blackmore.
Blackmore, 36, was the first female jockey to win both the Grand National in 2021 on Minella Times and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2022 on A Plus Tard. She retired from racing last year and is expecting her first child with her husband, the jockey Brian Hayes.
‘Oh, wow, congratulations Rachael,’ Camilla told her, spotting Blackmore’s baby bump. ‘I know, it’s a bit different to before and the career,’ Blackmore laughed.
The Queen also met with the Rugby World Cup-winning Red Roses team members Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt and the captain, Zoe Aldcroft, who both also play for Gloucester.
‘Make sure you both have some bubbles today,’ Camilla said.
Zara then joined Camilla for a group photo and a chat. ‘See you up there,’ Camilla said, before heading to the royal box, where she was joined by her son Tom Parker-Bowles, daughter Laura Lopes and her husband, Harry Lopes.
Zara Tindall and Princess Eugenie attend ‘Style Wednesday’ at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024
Princess Beatrice (left) with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, alongside Mike Tindall and Zara Tindall (right) on day three of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival
In 2020, Ladies Day was renamed ‘Festival Wednesday’ and was further rebranded as ‘Style Wednesday’ in 2025.
But now the decades-old title has made a triumphant comeback, inviting female attendees to show up in their finest ensembles.
The Queen also presented the trophy to the winning owner, jockey, and trainer of The Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase, the feature race of day two and the most prestigious race for two-mile chasers in the jump racing calendar.
Cheltenham Festival kicked off in style on Tuesday as glamorous racegoers clad in tweed and fur arrived in Gloucestershire for the four-day racing event.
