Royal Ascot.

merlotgran

The Queen looks lovely today. She always looks better in pale outfits. I didn’t like Wednesday’s bright green. Too ‘Kermit’!

Ha Ha, I can add looking like kermit to rich nob my three favourite summer dresses are the exact shade of green the Queen wore on Wednesday 🐸👗

NotSpaghetti

I think you are wrong Silverbrooks
I think the duty on the champagne is about £2.77 a bottle so 65,000 bottles is about £180,000

Duty is paid according to alcohol content;

Duty Rate per Litre of Pure Alcohol: For wines of between 8.5% and 22% ABV, - from February 1, 2025, - is £29.54 per litre of pure alcohol^ as the champagne is in this 8.5% to 22% ABV range and bottles tend to be a standard size I can't see how you got your tax estimate.

Still worth having of course!

Plus VAT at 20% which would be approx £42 a bottle if the retail price is £250

I'm with you Usedtobeblonde (me too). There's nothing wrong with having a social conscience. I do worry though, about the poor horses having to race in this heat.

At least the race-goers have a (possibly) new outfit to show for it. Oasis tickets don’t even come with a free T-shirt.

I'm not sure that people struggling financially can't understand, usedtoneblonde - maybe they can't envisage spending a lot on an event for themselves - because clearly they, like most people, don't have the money to swig away on overpriced champers!...

I'm sure we have all "pushed the boat out" for something.
... even if it was only an ice-cream.

Before anybody jumps on me, I am not feeling sorry for myself. I certainly don't envy the RF, not one bit.

However, I have one pair of sandals ( bought in a sale), 2 handbags, no raincoat at present, eeking out dental visits, haircuts and so on, no meals out. This is how many people live.
No concerts, theatre tickets, spa days and similar treats.
If something goes wrong my heart sinks.

I don't care what the Queen wears to be honest.

Ha ha!
Yes. Totally forgot the VAT.
Apologies.
half the cost still seems unlikely to me but definitely worth it in the government coffers.

Thanks for reminding me.

lafergar

Before anybody jumps on me, I am not feeling sorry for myself. I certainly don't envy the RF, not one bit.

However, I have one pair of sandals ( bought in a sale), 2 handbags, no raincoat at present, eeking out dental visits, haircuts and so on, no meals out. This is how many people live.
No concerts, theatre tickets, spa days and similar treats.
If something goes wrong my heart sinks.

I don't care what the Queen wears to be honest.

Coincidence or what? I’ve just won at 25/1 with a horse called Time for Sandals…

Coincidence or what? I’ve just won at 25/1 with a horse called Time for Sandals

I’m kicking myself. I changed my mind at the last minute to Shisospicy 😩

MayBee70

lafergar

Before anybody jumps on me, I am not feeling sorry for myself. I certainly don't envy the RF, not one bit.

However, I have one pair of sandals ( bought in a sale), 2 handbags, no raincoat at present, eeking out dental visits, haircuts and so on, no meals out. This is how many people live.
No concerts, theatre tickets, spa days and similar treats.
If something goes wrong my heart sinks.

I don't care what the Queen wears to be honest.

Coincidence or what? I’ve just won at 25/1 with a horse called Time for Sandals…

Spooky!

Ken Pittersons paddock pick …

Cold

Allira

If I ever go (which is unlikely) I'll make sure to wear the hat I had for DD's wedding 20 years ago! I'm more frugal than ostentatious.
👒

You'd fit right in with Princess Anne who wore an outfit to Ascot this week that she previously wore to Trooping the Colour in 1987.

When I saw Princess Anne (not at the Races I should add!) she was wearing an outfit which I recognised because it had been on many outings
I wore the jacket I'd bought for another DC's wedding so we were both second-hand roses.

As many have said, fundraising through this event is valuable, and taxes raised are not to be sniffed at.

But if you sold all of the very expensive Ascot land, all of the horses, and the clothes, hats, shoes etc, it might make a square meal each for the needy. The milliners, dressmakers, and course staff would join the ranks of the unemployed. And then there would be no more.

Great reply.

I think you’re right and applaud Catherine P of Wales for not attending. What a fuss for nothing laudable. Just showing off and horse racing which has always been tainted by cruelty. And is it three days! It’s part of the Season; that and Henley and Wimbledon - time we moved on. It’s embarrassing. It used to be a time when aristos put their fillies out to show to catch a fine stallion, marriage market. Catherine knew she would be the target of endless paps if she went but would be ignored at a welsh charity do for dying children. At least if captured there it would be for a good cause.

Gosh she will not attend Wimbledon?

We don’t know why Catherine pulled out of Ascot. I doubt she would have agreed to go in the first place if she didn’t like it.

How bitter and twisted to criticise people for enjoying themselves just because they have money.
It’s five days actually!

Well I hate horse racing whether rich or poor I m very anti
I think the horses should sit on the riders backs for a change

For goodness sake I never criticised anyone for enjoying themselves.
I pointed out that the Royal Family and their guests turned up each and every day in different clothes which cost thousands and thousands of pounds.
The “ordinary mortals” going one day, probably saving to go, I have no problem with , and I hope they enjoyed their day out, even if they didn’t enjoy champagne at at a few hundred pounds.
I am so tired of having my posts misread and jumped on.
It isn’t the first time.
I shall now get on with my sad, twisted life so full of envy and bitterness I don’t know how I can cope.

I have just reread my OP just to remind myself what I said and what has raised such ire and saying folks shouldn’t enjoy themselves never came into it.

merlotgran

We don’t know why Catherine pulled out of Ascot. I doubt she would have agreed to go in the first place if she didn’t like it.

How bitter and twisted to criticise people for enjoying themselves just because they have money.
It’s five days actually!

Just a quick - maybe subversive- thought.
Might it have been a “diplomatic” illness?
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Salman joined the King and Queen that day, perhaps the Princess of Wales has strong views on eg the position of women (and immigrant workers) in Saudi.
Just throwing out the thought - a diplomatic way to distance herself?

Quote merlotgran Sat 21-Jun-25 09:22:31
We don’t know why Catherine pulled out of Ascot. I doubt she would have agreed to go in the first place if she didn’t like it.

How bitter and twisted to criticise people for enjoying themselves just because they have money.
It’s five days actually!

I fear there is a repeat of gossip from last year, yesterday
‘William didn’t look relaxed without his wife’

No point being bitter about these things. One size does not fit all and never will and as others have said, people do benefit, as they do from these occasions. I love Royal Ascot, especiallly the fashions. I cannot go for health reasons so I watch it every year on t.v. Looking forward to Wimbledon next. Each to his own.

Usedtobeblonde

I have just reread my OP just to remind myself what I said and what has raised such ire and saying folks shouldn’t enjoy themselves never came into it.

They're enjoying themselves getting dressed up.

Have you not read the posts pointing out all the jobs that would be lost, businesses fail, if these events did not take place?

I think if the Royal family didn't turn up in different clothes every day it would soon be picked up. In fact I think it's fair to say, in this weather for sure, most of us will be wearing different clothes every day, just cheaper, quite a bit cheaper! minus the hats and quite possibly a bit, according to the other thread about men's summer gear, more crumpled, Although today my other half is wearing a nicely ironed short sleeved white linen shirt, it'll be crumpled by the end of the day tho'.

The Royal family have to observe a certain amount of protocol in their dress. The King will be buttoned up, for all we know he might wish to be in a short sleeved shirt on such a day. Quite honestly their lives are so pre ordained it goes with the territory I don't envy them, expensive clothes or not.