Sophie Countess of Wessex becomes the first royal to do this at Ascot

Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, appears to be just as much a fan of horse racing as the Queen herself - joining the monarch for every day of the current Royal Ascot meetings.

And Prince Edward's wife usually follows suit with the rest of the royal ladies at the annual festival - opting for long demure dresses suitable for the occasion.

However, on day three of Royal Ascot, Sophie actually chose to break away from royal tradition with her fashion choice, deciding on a jumpsuit instead of a gown.

The royal dressed up in a stunning powder blue Emilia Wickstead creation for the day at the races, becoming the first member of the family to try out Royal Ascot's latest dress code amendment, allowing women in the Royal Enclosure to wear jumpsuits rather than dresses.

Authorities at Royal Ascot made the change to the rules just last year, but since then, no members of 'The Firm' have veered away from their tradition of wearing skirts or dresses to the event.

But Sophie looked as elegant as ever in the flowing, wide-leg jumpsuit, complete with a matching bespoke Jane Taylor hat.

The Countess of Wessex also opted for a simple black clutch and matching black heels, to finish off her outfit.

For the rest of her attendance at Ascot, Sophie has however followed suit, deciding on a range of elegant gowns perfect for the annual meeting.

On Tuesday, she joined the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the first day of Ascot, in a blush pink outfit. And on the Thursday, the Countess of Wessex wore a stunning eucalyptus Suzannah Crabb dress, complete with feathered hat, putting on an animated display whilst watching the final race of the day!

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, who have become known for their more eclectic fashion decisions, also won widespread praise in the industry for their gorgeous Royal Ascot outfit picks.

On the first day of the festival, the York sisters kept it simple with Beatrice in a powder blue outfit, and Eugenie keeping it classic in an all-white ensemble.

However, on the Thursday, the Princesses decided to amp up the drama with their outfits. Eugenie opted for her favourite statement florals, from one of her most-loved designers, Erdem.

Princess Beatrice also looked striking in black, complete with a subtle purple and green skirt.

Whose Royal Ascot fashion have you been loving this year?

Amy Hunt

Amy Hunt is an experienced digital journalist specialising in homes, interiors and hobbies. She began her career working as the features assistant at woman&home magazine, before moving over to the digital side of the brand where she eventually became the Lifestyle Editor up until January 2022. Amy won the Digital Journalist of the Year award at the AOP Awards in 2019 for her work on womanandhome.com.