Who among us did not look up to Audrey Hepburn’s Eliza Doolittle as the epitome of glamour and elegance in that Royal Ascot Race scene in “My Fair Lady”?

 

She was a visual delight as the ingenue star of that fancy stiff upper-lipped crowd—never mind if everything fell apart when cockney audacity got the better of her as the horses thundered to the finish line.

 

This summer in England was my third time at a Royal Ascot meeting, the last one being over 10 years ago when my daughters were in a boarding school nearby. And even though I had not thought about it for years, this time I found myself caught up in its preparation as excitedly as when I prepared for my parts as a flower girl at Covent Garden once, and as a member of the Ascot elite in a Cultural Center of the Philippines remake of the Broadway hit many decades ago.

 

This year, with an invitation from the Philippine Ambassador  to the Court of St. James, Antonio Lagdameo, and his wife, Linda, I felt extra privileged to be at the Royal Ascot as it celebrated its 306th anniversary.

Britain’s Best Dressed

 

In 1711, Queen Anne saw the potential of the land near Windsor Castle as an ideal spot for horses to gallop at a long stretch, and declared the area as her racecourse.

 

Today, the Royal Ascot event is the hands-down highlight of Britain’s social calendar, beginning in mid-June and ending just a week before the start of the Wimbledon championships.

 

The third day of the Royal Ascot meeting is known as Ladies’ Day, coincidental with the Gold Cup Race where Her Majesty’s horses compete. The monarchs are in full attendance, and regulatory formalities are strictly enforced.

Ascot is where the high-heeled and well-dressed ladies show up in their most fashionable hats. I had two months to prepare my outfit, and took time reading the dress code over and over again to avoid violating the rules. I modeled several hats to match my blue dress created by a British designer.

 

I took an online poll as well as a live one, to help determine which of the two bespoke milliners’ choices I should use.

 

In the end, I chose the one I could comfortably wear the whole day, because as soon as you entered the enclosure, you could no longer remove the hat.

 

Up-close with royalty

 

Following tradition, the royal family arrives from close-by Windsor Castle in their horse-drawn carriages up the Straight Mile and past the grandstands, in the kind of pageantry England is good at.

 

The first carriage carries Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh; the second, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; and the third and last carriage, Prince William and Princess Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Then, the race begins. But I was not there to bet on a horse and lose my money. I was there as a royal fan, so I devoted myself to taking pleasure in royalty-gazing and admiring the truly beautiful and unique hats, each matching the dress that each lady wore.

 

There are very specific rules in the dress code if one is to remain within the Royal Enclosure. The gentlemen are required to wear either gray or black morning clothes that include waistcoat and tie, black or gray top hats, and shoes of classic high fashion, black and mostly made of expensive sealskin.

 

Ladies must be in formal daywear, defined as dresses and skirts of modest length, falling just above the knee or longer. Tops and dresses should have straps of not less than one inch. Halter necks are not allowed. Trouser suits are allowed but should be full length, matching in color and material.

 

Hats should be worn, with a slight concession that a headpiece is acceptable if it has a base of 4 inches or greater in diameter. On no occasion should ladies ever remove their hats. Gentlemen are allowed to take the top hats off while inside a covered enclosure.

 

Once in a while, as people-watching was the inevitable norm, strange-looking hats bordering on the absurd materialized, the wearers hopeful of being featured perhaps in the Daily Mail.

Private affair

 

On opening day last June, the weather was a sweltering 33 degrees, and yet there was no letup by the Marshals. Men were told to keep their coats and top hats on their heads while walking around the Royal Enclosure.

 

Lunch for the diplomatic corps and other important people is served at several marquees set up on the grounds. The Philippine Embassy arranged for a reservation. The buffet and choices of entrée were cold meats and shellfish and salads. Our slot, like everyone else, was only for two hours, to accommodate the number of people in the enclosure on opening day.

 

The next shift would be tea for Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and their guests. Instructions to us who acted like eager tourists were not to take photos because teatime will be a private affair. Very typically upper-lipped British, but nothing will stop undaunted Asians from taking photos of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be so up-close with royalty! It was rather fun being a gawking flower girl on the opposite side of fancy.

 

Greater picture

 

Sobered up after such an elaborate production, I look back and realize how much I will treasure my attendance at Ascot. Privilege is such a good thing, not so much for its obviously delightful perks but for the greater picture it carries.

 

The British penchant for tradition prevails despite Brexit and Theresa May’s dismal showing at the polls. Somehow, the rituals of the monarchy remain a routine that is deeply enshrined in national life. The royal appearances at weddings of family members and at the Ascot ceremonies are top national events that take major press coverage, so that their details permeate down to British citizens on home ground and everywhere in the world, and therefore, for all the world to see.

 

Such events are as much a tribute to great business acumen as they are an expression of classic pomp and circumstance. And both coexist perfectly well with the younger royals’ easy, down-to-earth, work-oriented, compassionate and pragmatic grip on life. So many important life elements come to the fore with such timeless rituals: discipline, forbearance, grit, ambition, humor, joie de vivre, empathy, respect.

Let us hope this equilibrium brought about by the sublimely fine, the utterly sensible and even the downright ridiculous remains in our midst for a long time.

 

Which brings me to conclude this piece on a left-handed note of hope from Alfred Doolittle, Eliza’s father: “Oh, you can walk the straight and narrow… but with a little bit of luck you’ll run amuck!”