Even The Royal Family Have to Wear Name Tags at the Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot is known for its strict dress code. In the royal enclosure, ladies' shoulders need to be covered, and hats are a must. Full morning dress, including a top hat, is required of men regardless of the heat. But the royals, aside from the reigning monarchs, are often seen wearing another rather peculiar accessory at the horse-racing event: a name tag.
For example, here are Kate Middleton and Prince William at Royal Ascot in 2017:
If you zoom in, those badges on their chests read "HRH The Duke of Cambridge" and "HRH The Duchess of Cambridge"—the couple's titles at the time.
Here's a similar photo of Princess Anne in 2023. Her name tag reads "HRH The Princess Royal."
Given that members of the royal family are some of the most recognizable people in the U.K., it's kind of hilarious to see them wearing name tags, but they indicate access levels at the event. For example, William, Kate, and Anne's badges all say "Royal Box" whereas Lady Gabriella Windsor, in the photo below from 20203, is seen with a badge that reads "Royal Enclosure," rather than Royal Box. It's also a different color:
Interestingly, while most of the other members of the royal family, including the senior working royals like Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, have continued to wear badges, over the last few years William and Kate have appeared sans name tag. Though there hasn't been any formal announcement about the missing tags, there appears to have been some loosening of that protocol in recent years. As recently as 2018, then-Prince Charles was seen wearing a name tag at the event, though his wife Camilla typically didn't wear one. Since then, both appear to have eschewed the accessory—around the same time that William and Kate also stopped wearing them.
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