BRIAN O’Driscoll and Amy Huberman rubbed shoulders with royalty while savouring a day out at Ascot’s famed horse racing festival.
The five-day showpiece began on Tuesday with temperatures in Berkshire adding the cherry on top of what’s always a meet bursting with glamour.
Amy joked that her spouse looked like ‘The Artful Dodger’[/caption]
They met up with Royal Zara Tindall and husband Mike who won the 2003 Rugby World Cup with England[/caption]
Each day’s racing begins at 2.30pm whilst the last one starts at 6.10[/caption]
Amy thanked Hyperion Insurance CEO David Howden and his wife Fiona for having them over[/caption]
Ireland’s golden couple added a splash of their own as Brian went all out in an outfit that Amy likened to a beloved Charles Dickens character.
Recapping their day as a whole on Instagram, she quipped: “Well that was something different.
“A lovely date with The Artful Dodger AND won four quid which is at least four euro sixty eight (minus currency converter charge).
“Thank you Howden for inviting us over I honestly felt like I was in Bridgerton for the day.
“Dear gentle reader I don’t think I’d been to the races since 1987 up in Leopardstown with my Dad where I almost passed out on too much Scór cola and Postman Pat sweets.
“Had to leg it straight to the airport, no time to change, so headed home in FULL kit.
“Good thing my hat wasn’t bigger/wasn’t a Ryanair flight or I might have had to dunk my head into the carry on measurement bin.”
It’s no wonder they dressed to the nines for the occasion, as each year the Royal Family flocks to Ascot to witness the action.
It was announced yesterday, however, that the Princess of Wales has pulled out of this year’s edition as she continues her cancer recovery.
It is understood the Princess of Wales “was disappointed” not to go but “has to find the right balance” on returning to full time duty.
Kate, 43, was previously listed by Royal Ascot as arriving in the carriage procession with Prince William – who is still attending.
She attended Trooping the Colour and Order of the Garter in recent days plus a visit to V&A East Storehouse last week.
While Kate has skipped Ascot, her mum Carole Middleton is in attendance, with daughter-in-law Alizée Thevenet, who is married to Kate’s brother James.
OTHER FAMOUS FACES
A number of celebrities have been seen at the Berkshire racecourse, including Made In Chelsea alum Georgia Toffolo, who was back for a second day.
Meanwhile, Lucy Mecklenburgh looked elegant in a blue dress as she enjoyed a date day with husband Ryan Thomas.
The Royal Ascot dress code varies across different enclosures, with the Royal Enclosure asking guests to stick to top hats and tails for the men.
Women must wear a dress or skirt falling just above the knee or longer, with shoulder straps a minimum width of 1 inch and hats are compulsory.
The Queen Anne Enclosure offers a more relaxed dress code, while the Windsor Enclosure is the most relaxed, with no formal dress code but smart attire is encouraged.
Royal Ascot was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne who, when riding out from Windsor Castle, came across a piece of land “ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch” and thus Ascot Racecourse was born.
The first Royal Meeting took place at Ascot in 1768 and it is now Britain’s most popular race meeting, welcoming in excess of 250,000 racegoers across five days.
