AP Photos: At Royal Ascot, the hats are almost as important as the horses

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Racegoer Lystra Adam poses for photographers during Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Racegoer Maria Tutus poses for photographers during Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Racegoers arrive for Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Racegoers watch horse racing during Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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A racegoer arrives for Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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A racegoer poses for photographers during Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Racegoers enjoy a picnic in the car park before Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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A racegoer wears a wide hat with a brim comprised of figures of horses as she arrives for day one of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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A racegoer arrives for day two of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Racegoers queue at the entrance for Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Visitor Edite Ligere poses for photographers as she arrives for day two of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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People react to horse racing on day two of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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A racegoer uses binoculars on day one of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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A racegoer queues at the entrance for Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Racegoer Gasrie Renucci poses for photographers during Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Racegoers arrive for day one of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Racegoers pose for photographers as they arrive for day two of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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A racegoer shows her hat to photographers during Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Racegoer Ines Hernandez arrives for day one of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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Racegoers wearing hats arrive for day one of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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A racegoer arrives for Ladies Day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

LONDON (AP) — Every summer, British royals and thousands of others get dressed to the nines for Royal Ascot, a glamorous annual horse racing event that dates back to 1711, when Queen Anne founded Ascot Racecourse in southern England.

The outfits are fancy but the hats are the main fashion attraction — extravagant, elaborate and sometimes gravity-defying. This year’s standouts included a giant sunflower, several feathered numbers, and an “Alice in Wonderland”-themed hat with playing cards, a clock and a ribbon that read “We’re all mad here.”

Some 300,000 visitors usually attend the Royal Ascot over five days.

This year, King Charles III and Queen Camilla were among them, and some attendees at Ladies Day Thursday said they had designed their hats specifically to pay tribute to the new monarch.

Viv Jenner, a milliner, wore a hat made for the wearer to look through the flowered brim at the center, made from feathers.

“I designed this with the king in mind, it’s new beginnings,” she said. “That’s why I decided to use the king’s silks, his racing colours of scarlet and purple with the gold represented by my accessories like my gold handbag.”

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Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive by carriage into the Parade Ring on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting at Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

No win for King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their return to Royal Ascot

Charles and Camilla are carrying on the tradition of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September. She was an avid horse lover, owner and breeder. She was not able to attend last year’s Ascot, reportedly the first time she had missed it in 70 years.

Charles and Camilla looked delighted Thursday when their horse — Desert Hero, an 18-1 longshot — won one of Thursday’s races.

The king’s niece, Zara Tindall, said Queen Elizabeth II would have been “proud and excited” to see the royal horse win.

“To have a winner for Charles and Camilla and to keep that dream alive was incredible, and what a race — asides all of that, what a race,” she said.