After skipping Royal Ascot in 2024 and 2025, Kate Middleton made a glamorous return to the event today, joining her husband Prince William in the royal procession.

    For the occasion, she wore a bright yellow Roksanda dress with a coordinating yellow hat, and accessorized with diamond chandelier earrings and a three-strand pearl bracelet.

    RACING-ENG-ASCOT-ROYALSJUSTIN TALLIS//Getty Images

    The Waleses in the Royal Procession.

    Royal Ascot 2026: Day 2 - RoyaltySamir Hussein//Getty Images

    The couple smiles at the crowd.

    Royal Ascot 2026 - Day Two - Ascot RacecourseJonathan Brady – PA Images//Getty Images

    Kate in the Royal Enclosure.

    She has worn the dress twice before, first during a royal visit to Jamaica in 2022 and then again at Wimbledon that same year:

    The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Visit Belize, Jamaica And The Bahamas - Day FourSamir Hussein//Getty Images

    Kate in Jamaica, 2022.

    The Duchess Of Cambridge Attends The Wimbledon Women's Singles FinalKarwai Tang//Getty Images

    Kate at Wimbledon, also 2022.

    Today marks Kate’s just sixth time attending Royal Ascot. She made her debut a decade ago, in a white lace Dolce & Gabbana dress, and last appeared in 2023, wearing a fiery red Alexander McQueen outfit. Spectators, including royals, are required to follow a strict fashion policy at Ascot, which includes the fact women must wear hats and dresses that cover their shoulders. Additionally, all attendees need to wear name tags—including the the royal family despite their famous titles. In her past few years at Royal Ascot, however, Kate has ditched the nametag. She did today as well.

    See Kate’s Past Ascot Fashion:royal ascot 2023 day four

    2023

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    2022

    Chris Jackson//Getty Imagesroyal ascot 2019 day one

    2019

    Karwai Tang//Getty Imagesroyal ascot kate middleton

    2017

    Chris Jackson//Getty Imageskate middleton royal ascot

    2016

    Samir Hussein//Getty Images

    At Royal Ascot today, Prince William will present the trophy in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, a Group 1 event in which horses ages four years or older at a distance of 2,004 meters. BloodHorse described as a “blockbuster” race. The race, first established in 1862, was named for the then-Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. Unlike his father and other relatives, Prince William has never show a strong interest in horse racing.

    It’s been a busy couple of days for the Prince and Princess of Wales. On Monday, they were in Windsor for Garter Day celebrating the Order of the Garter, and on Saturday, the couple and their three children were at Trooping the Colour, King Charles’s birthday parade.

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    Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

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