The King’s first Royal Ascot as sovereign gets underway in the glorious sunshine

The summer season is now well and truly underway with the start of Royal Ascot – the highlight of the British social calendar.

The five day horse racing meeting is always attended by members of The Royal Family, with the late Queen Elizabeth II very rarely missing the occasion.

This year, for the first time in over 70 years, a new cypher is printed on the front of the racecards. No longer is Elizabeth II’s monogram emblazoned across the front of the document – now it is the joint cypher of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

The King & Queen were in attendance on the first day of the meeting, much to the delight of the crowd who took every possible vantage point to get a glimpse of the couple.

Arriving at the racecourse in a carriage being drawn by Windsor Greys, Their Majesties waved to the racegoers who descended to the Berkshire track in their tens of thousands.

The King and Queen, who now jointly own the royal racehorses, have a number of runners across the five day meeting.

First up is Saga who runs in the Listed Wolferton Stakes.

Trained by John & Thady Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori, the four-year-old gelding was unlucky last year when he finished 2nd at the Royal Meeting for the late Queen Elizabeth.

He will likely start this year as favourite to win the race for Their Majesties.