Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Had Such a Grand Old Time at the Horse Race

Meghan and Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are continuing their busy social calendar this month.

Their latest: attending the Royal Ascot for opening day— and presenting the winning trophy for the St. James’ Palace Stakes this afternoon, won by Italian jockey Frankie Dettori and champion horse Without Parole. Dettori was jubilant in his triumph, kissing Meghan Markle’s hand and hoisting the trophy for photos.

In fact, Dettori was in excellent spirits before even reaching the trophy stage, literally jumping out of the stirrups following his win and defying gravity in the process.

But the royals also seemed to have a grand old time at the races, with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry joined by Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Princess Anne and many more members of the royal family. Royal Ascot is a tradition going back centuries — and has its roots with the royal family. It was apparently Queen Anne who first decided that the grounds on which the course is now set were perfect for a horse race, around 1711. It is now tradition for the royal family to proceed in carriages before the start of the races, which this year kicked off June 19 and concludes June 23.

The other big part of Royal Ascot is the strict dress code: elaborate hats are a must (at least 4 inches must be covered for the ladies, while men must don top hats) as is “morning dress” for the men and “formal daywear” for the ladies. So perhaps it’s fitting that Markle’s most eye-catching topper was on display for this day.