The best of Royal Ascot style: From the Duchess of Cambridge to Princess Diana

Royal Ascot 2018 is soon underway.

Each year, Britain’s most valuable racecourse holds a special week of races, attracting the top of British society – and of course, the royal family.

But dressing for Ascot is no joke.

The namesake races, located in Ascot, are attended by the Queen and her royal relatives, who set a standard for the strict formal dress code of fine dresses, suits and hats.

Additions to the official dress code in 2018 make socks a requirement for gentlemen, while jumpsuits and trouser suits are were an update to the style guide in 2017.

However, there are still plenty of rules for both men and women looking to attend: Morning suits must be worn in the Royal Enclosure and women must wear skirts that are no shorter than just above the knee, while any midriff-baring, sheer dresses and strappy tops are completely banned.

The top tier enclosure, aptly named the Royal Enclosure, is where you can expect to find the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Queen in their finest dress.

Past attendees of the races have included Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, Sophie Countess of Wessex, Princess Anne, Zara Phillips and of course, the best dressed of all, the late Princess Diana.

From the Duchess of Cambridge to Princess Di, we browse the best ever Royal Ascot looks through the years…

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Read more from Yahoo Style UK:

Every look the Duchess of Cambridge has worn in 2018

Princess Diana’s fashion evolution in pictures, from her wedding to her death

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