William's notable gesture to Catherine in royal box at Royal Ascot - Royal Insider

Prince William and his wife Catherine made a lovely gesture as they made a surprise appearance on day four of Royal Ascot on Friday, the famous British horse riding event. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge led the royal family in the carriage processional at the iconic horse race. William dressed in a top hat and tail coat and Catherine who wore a brown and white polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich, paired with a hat featuring floral details on top by Sally Ann Proven. They rode in the first carriage that appeared at the top of the course and travelled along the famous track. Catherine also accessorised with the South Sea pearl earrings that once belonged to her mother-in-law Diana, the late princess wore the jewels on many occasions during the 1990s. Meanwhile, William appeared dashing in a morning suit with a top hat and light blue patterned tie as he arrived alongside her in the carriage. It marked a first for the royal couple who have never been in a first carriage as part of the Ascot Royal Procession. This was also the Duke and Duchess' first appearance at the event this year. Members of the royal family usually make appearances in the first three days of the five-day event. Prince Charles and Camilla attended the first two days of the event. On both days, they arrived at the event leading the royal procession in the first carriage. They left an empty space in the carriage as part of a sign of respect for the Queen who was absent from the races. For Friday's event, William 39 and Catherine 40 decided to invite two special guests to share the carriage with them. The Honourable Arthur George Vestey, whose elder brother is a close friend of the Duke and a fellow Old Etonian, and his wife Martha. His late father, Lord Vestey, served as master of the horse to the Queen and would often ride in Her Majesty's carriage. And immediately, William and Catherine were praised for their kind gesture to his grandmother the Queen as they decided to ride in the carriage with the Vestey's. The royal commentator Richard Eden describing it as a gesture lovely. He wrote on Twitter, Arthur lost both his parents during the pandemic. His father, Lord Vestey, would often ride in the Queen's carriage. On their way to the racecourse, William and Catherine were spotted chatting and in deep conversation with their guests. The couple had to deal with the blustery weather as Catherine and William were forced to make sure their hats remained in place as they nearly became displaced. As their carriage entered the racecourse and passed in front of the enclosures, Catherine smiled widely and waved to the crowds of fans who had been gathering over the past few hours. The only other member of the royal family to take part in the procession today is Princess Anne's son, Peter Phillips, 44. He was in the company of his new girlfriend, Lindsay Wallace, 40. The couple shared the carriage with the Duke and Duchess of Bedford. Until the Duke and Duchess appeared in the racecourse's royal box, Catherine was seen catching the loving gaze of Prince William as the couple were spotted sharing an adorable moment. Needless to say, eagle-eyed royal fans were quick to take to social media to express their excitement at the moment. One fan wrote, Thank God for William and Catherine! What a heart-warming sight of the beautiful couple! Posting lots of hearts. He's showing some love too. To the other working royals at the ascot, Charles Camilla, Sophie Wessex, Princess Anne, Zara Tindall, and Peter Phillips, heart, heart, heart. Username Carmen Ruby added. I just love them, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. They seem to enjoy themselves. God bless them! The third one said. I think it's nice to see a couple who truly seem to be happy just to be in each other's company. Good for them! William and Catherine's appearance on the penultimate day of the royal ascot comes as the couple are gearing up for a busy summer. On June 21st, William celebrates his milestone 40th birthday. The Cambridge family is also planning a big move this summer. The couple is planning to relocate from their London home at Kensington Palace to a new residence some 30 miles away west in Berkshire, the county that houses the Queen's primary residence, Windsor Castle. Prince George and Princess Charlotte will leave their London prep school, Thomas's Battersea, at the end of the current term and will enrol in a school in the Windsor area. It has been widely reported that the family will occupy Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor estate. One notable absentee from the royal ascot on Friday was the Queen, who has yet to head to the racecourse this year. It was the fourth day in a row that the 96-year-old monarch was absent from the festival, which is one of her favourite events of the year. As with all Her Majesty'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. The Queen, who has a well-known love of horses, has attended every single royal ascot for the last seven decades and often has her own horses competing. The only exception was in 2020 when the famous event was held behind closed doors for the first time in history amid the Covid-19 pandemic. At the start of the race event on Tuesday, the Queen issued a statement in the events programme, welcoming the full-capacity crowds back to the course for the first time since 2019. She praised the planting of new trees close to the course in tribute to her jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. She said, 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, Royal Ascot and the Crown Estate have planted 70 oak trees in Windsor Great Park, each of which is linked to a local school.