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Embark on a royal adventure, with daily ceremonies and annual events that leave the skies dazzling with fireworks and bring our cities alive with military parades. With a jam-packed calendar of events, some of them free, there’s something for royal enthusiasts on every budget to get stuck in to.

Photo by: VisitBritain/Andrew Pickett

Marching band and light show projecting onto the castle

Royal ceremonies to watch out for

Don’t miss the chance to see Britain’s royally ceremonial spectacles for a memorable day out filled with pomp and pageantry.

The Changing of the Guard

  • The Guards, recognisable by their parade uniform of red jackets and bearskin hats, are mainly infantry soldiers protecting the Royal Family, Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace.

  • The guard on duty at St James’s Palace is inspected at 11am and then marches, accompanied by drummers or a military band, to Buckingham Palace. There, the guard on duty is also inspected, before a new guard regiment arrives from Wellington Barracks to take over. Symbolically, the key to the palace is handed over from the Old Guard to the New Guard.

  • The Changing of the Guard takes place daily at 11am from April to July, but only every other day in autumn and winter. It lasts for 45 minutes.

Royal Ascot – everything you need to know

Royal Ascot is five glorious June days of flat horse racing in the Berkshire countryside, usually attended by royalty each year. Here are our tips on everything from tickets to top hats.

Photo by: VisitBritain/Ben Selway

Royal Ascot Race Meeting at the prestigious Ascot racecourse in Berkshire. Young woman wearing a large white hat with feather and floral detail. Chatting to a friend.

When is Royal Ascot?  

Royal Ascot takes place between 17 – 21 June 2025.  

The Royal Procession

See the arrival of The Royal Family at 2pm on each day of Royal Ascot. The horse-drawn royal carriages can be seen from all the enclosures as they arrive and circle the parade ring, before they enter the Royal Box at the top of the Grandstand.

Tickets

Saturday and Thursday’s Ladies’ Day are the hottest tickets in town, so book early to avoid disappointment. Enclosure upgrades and add-ons include access to private bars and fine dining packages.

Dress codes

Dress codes differ depending on your chosen enclosure. In the Royal Enclosure, men are required to wear a waistcoat and tie, a top hat and black shoes. Dresses worn by ladies must fall just above the knee or longer. Hats should be worn, but if a fascinator (a headpiece) is worn it must have a base greater than four inches. The Queen Anne Enclosure requires suits to be worn by men, and women to wear hats, while no formal dress code exists for the Windsor Enclosure.

Dining options

Pack a picnic or book one of the many restaurant packages, ranging from dishes from Michelin-starred chefs in the Royal Enclosure to The Restaurant in the Village, at the heart of the Village Enclosure, featuring a three-course luncheon and live bands. 

Travelling to Ascot Racecourse

Royal Ascot is less than a 10-minute walk from Ascot station. London Waterloo is under an hour away by train and Reading station is under 30 minutes away. By car, the village of Ascot is within 10 miles of the M4, M3 and M25 motorways.

Explore more of royal Britain

Britain is bursting to the battlements with places full of royal importance, all waiting to be discovered by you.

Photo by: @pumpkin_the_pompom

Balmoral Castle and Estate

Retrace the steps of British royalty across the capital. Wander past iconic palaces and through its leafy Royal Parks.

Photo by: Visit Britain/George Johnson

Beefeater walking by the, Tower of London on a sunny day

Learn about royal life firsthand and visit the UK's grand palaces, historic castles and beautiful country retreats. These royal buildings are awe-inspiring.

Photo by: VisitBritain/Tom Weightman

Aerial display flying over crowds above palace

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