Queen Elizabeth Misses First Day of Royal Ascot as Family Members Arrive at Glam Horse Race

The royal family is back to the races as day one of Royal Ascot kicked off on Tuesday.

While Queen Elizabeth was missing from the opening day of Britain's most popular horse racing event, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall will lead the royal processional around the track.

Charles' nephew, Peter Phillips, will also ride in the carriage with the couple. His mother Princess Anne will ride in another carriage. Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi also attended the glam event.

It is thought that the Queen, 96, could step out at another point during the five-day event. As with all of the monarch's public outings, palace sources aren't able to say if she will be able to attend until the hours beforehand due to her ongoing mobility issues.

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Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

The Queen also missed the Derby race at Epsom during the recent Platinum Jubilee celebrations as she tried to pace herself during the busy week. The longtime racing fan has a horse — aptly named King's Lynn, after the nearest big town to her Sandringham estate in Norfolk — running in the race on Tuesday and almost a dozen more racing throughout the week.

Despite her absence, she issued a statement on Tuesday in the event's program. She welcomed the full-capacity crowds back to the course for the first time since 2019 and added, "I have been most grateful for the continued kindness shown to me by the racing community. In my Platinum Jubilee year, I was interested to learn that in support of The Queen's Green Canopy initiative, Ascot Racecourse and the Crown Estate have planted seventy oak trees in Windsor Great Park, each of which is linked to a local school."

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She continued, "I hope you all have an enjoyable and memorable time, and I wish connections of the horses running this week the very best of luck."

PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi arriving ahead of day one of Royal Ascot

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The Queen carried out an important duty on Monday when she invested Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in the prestigious and exclusive Order of the Garter, the oldest order of chivalry in the world.

Alastair Grant/AP/Shutterstock Princess Beatrice, center left, and Zara Tindall, center right, chat on day one of Royal Ascot

The appointment, which was initially announced in December, was seen by royal insiders as another significant step in Camilla's journey to becoming Queen Consort when her husband Prince Charles accedes to the throne.

Beaumont Creative/Buckingham Palace Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles

There are still strict rules in place when it comes to what to wear at Royal Ascot, especially if you are lucky enough to be invited inside the Royal Enclosure.

For women, dresses and skirts must be of "modest length" falling just above the knee or longer and straps on tops or dresses must be at least one inch wide. Strapless, halter neck, spaghetti straps and sheer sleeves are not permitted.

Samir Hussein/WireImage Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall attend Royal Ascot 2022

Men have been recently allowed to wear navy morning suits (rather than the traditional grey or black) in addition to "playful" ties and waistcoats in the royal enclosure, although "novelty waistcoats and ties are not permitted."