This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada, which closed in 2021.

Meghan Markle Was The Picture Of Elegance At Royal Ascot Debut With Prince Harry

That hat, though!

The Royal Ascot has been described as Britain's poshest sporting event, so when we heard Meghan Markle would make her official debut at the event on Tuesday, we imagined something like this:

Our imagination wasn't far off, as the Duchess of Sussex arrived at the horseracing event with her new husband, Prince Harry, dressed to impress.

To mark the occasion (and coincidentally, her one-month wedding anniversary), the 36-year-old royal gave us pure "My Fair Lady" vibes wearing gold and diamond stud earrings by Birks, an elegant white-and-black hat by Philip Treacy and an all-white ensemble by Givenchy.

A post shared by Meghan Markle (@hrhofsussex) on

The French fashion house appears to be one Markle keeps coming back to to mark her most high-profile events as an official member of the Royal Family. Not only did she choose Givenchy's artistic director to create her wedding gown, but Markle also wore Givenchy during her first solo outing with the Queen earlier this month.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend Royal Ascot Day 1 at Ascot Racecourse on June 19.
WireImage
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend Royal Ascot Day 1 at Ascot Racecourse on June 19.

The Duchess of Sussex arrived to the racehorse track by carriage, accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Sussex, as well as Prince Edward (the youngest son of the Queen and Prince Philip) and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

Meghan Markle arrives at the Royal Ascot with Prince Harry and Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward (not pictured).
AFP/Getty Images
Meghan Markle arrives at the Royal Ascot with Prince Harry and Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward (not pictured).

According to the Ascot programme, Markle presented the winning trophy for the St. James' Palace Stakes, which came with a prize worth more than $874,000.

The Queen β€” who is known for her love of horses and first learned to ride at the age of three β€” was also in attendance. According to Hello magazine, Her Majesty made her debut at the sporting event in 1945 at age 19.

Queen Elizabeth II attends Royal Ascot Day 1.
WireImage
Queen Elizabeth II attends Royal Ascot Day 1.

Since its creation in 1768, it's become tradition for a British monarch to attend every Royal Ascot, CNBC reports. On each of the five days of the sporting event, Her Majesty arrives by carriage with members of her family at precisely 2 p.m.

Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Andrew's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, rode in a separate carriage.

Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall arrive with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice (who is not pictured).
Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse
Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall arrive with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice (who is not pictured).

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were noticeably absent from the Queen's favourite horse-racing event.

In the past, Catherine has only attended the Royal Ascot on two occasions and did not make her official debut at the event until five years after tying the knot with Prince William in 2011, The Mirror reports.

According to Hello magazine's royal correspondent Emily Nash, William and Catherine have been invited to the event every year since their wedding, but the couple politely declined because they were busy raising their family.

The Duchess of Cambridge on day two of the 2016 Royal Ascot wearing a lace dress by Dolce & Gabbana.
Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment
The Duchess of Cambridge on day two of the 2016 Royal Ascot wearing a lace dress by Dolce & Gabbana.

"William and Kate's focus was on [William's] job and the children for a while, but they've stepped up their royal duties in the past couple of years," Nash explained to the site.

When Catherine finally accepted the invitation to attend her first Royal Ascot in 2016, it coincided with the Queen's 90 birthday.

Currently, the Duchess of Cambridge is on maternity leave, which could explain her absence. Catherine and Prince William welcomed their third child, Prince Louis, in April. While they did not attend the first day of the Royal Ascot, they could still attend one of the other days of the sporting event.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.