Zara Tindall Wears Lilac Rebecca Vallance Dress on the First Day of Royal Ascot 2026

2 min read

Zara Tindall and her husband, Mike Tindall, were among the first royals to arrive on the opening day of Royal Ascot on Tuesday, kicking off one of the most anticipated events on the royal family’s summer calendar. The former Olympic equestrian looked lovely in a lilac belted midi dress by one of her favorite designers, Rebecca Vallance, paired with Emmy London heels in misty rose suede, Kiki McDonough earrings, and a pair of rose-hued Bulgari sunglasses she wore last year to Royal Ascot.

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Zara also wore misty rose suede Emmy London heels and carried a Anya Hindmarch handbag.

Also adhering to the strict dress code of Royal Ascot, which requires hats or fascinators for all guests, Zara wore a bow-detail boater hat by Juliette Millinery. Her husband, former England rugby player Mike Tindall, coordinated with a sprig of purple flowers on his jacket pocket and a pink tie. Zara has worn Rebecca Vallance at special occasions several times over the last year. Most recently, she arrived in a lavender midi dress by the same designer at the wedding of her brother Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling earlier this month. She also stepped out in a blue puff-sleeved Vallance dress on the first day of Ascot last year.

Zara and Mike arrived separately from the royal procession. Peter and Harriet, making their Ascot debut as a married couple, joined Princess Anne in the second carriage of the Royal Procession, just behind King Charles and Queen Camilla, who rode in the first carriage alongside the Duke and Duchess of Wellington.

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Zara and Mike Tindall at the Ascot Racecourse.

Also in the second carriage was Sir Ben Elliot, the nephew of Queen Camilla and founder of luxury concierge company Quintessentially. Elliot, who served as co-chairman of the Conservative Party between 2019 and 2022, has appeared in the Royal Procession for the last few years on the first day of Ascot going back to 2023. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were also among the royals in attendance on Tuesday, joining in the third carriage.

Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.