Hats off to a stylish Zara

GALLERY: Ascot Hats

Royal Ascot may be one of the smartest events on the social calendar, but that hasn't stopped many women breaking with tradition and donning casual mirrored shades to shield them from the glare of the sun.

Thankfully, Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Phillips - rarely pictured without hers - left her shades at home for the occasion.

Minutes after the royal procession had come down the course, she arrived squinting in the sunshine under a purple satin perched hat with pink netting. The 40s-style hat, designed by Tara O'Callaghan, was commissioned especially for Ascot by Zara herself. She wore it with a smart lilac-embroidered suit by British designer Elspeth Gibson.

The Queen wore a putty-coloured suit with a faint stripe, and a matching chimney-style hat by Frederick Fox. Sophie Wessex and the Princess Royal both chose mint green ensembles.

Sophie topped hers off with a tall Philip Treacy straw hat while the Princess Royal accessorised hers with a white Chanel handbag.

Fears that World Cup fever would keep racegoers away proved unfounded, as more than 60,000 turned out for the first day of the meeting, which will run until Saturday in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

Even the football mad were catered for. Course spokesman Nick Smith said: "For those who want to keep up with the football as well as the horses, we have installed several screens in all the enclosures so people can have the best of both worlds."

As if to back up the World Cup theme, the big race of the day went to Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's Rock Of Gibraltar.

GALLERY: Ascot Hats