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The Princess Royal wore the standout face covering – a multi-coloured mask of riders’ colours in support of the Injured Jockeys Fund, which also co-ordinated with her emerald green dress. While Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, had a mask that matched an elegant champagne chiffon outfit by Fiona Clare with a Philip Treacy hat.

Husband Prince Charles proved a dab hand at helping her put the face covering back on after she removed it for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes prize giving, but he seemed to encounter a few problems when adjusting his own.

It’s a fiddly etiquette the nation has become all too familiar with over the past year.

But both Royals and racegoers seemed unfazed as they enjoyed taking another step on the road back to normality on a stunning hot day of 82F (27C).

Royal Ascot is one of the events testing the return of big crowds to sporting venues. Some 12,000 racegoers are attending each day after providing negative COVID-19 tests.

On the second day of the festival, Charles, Camilla and Anne were joined in the royal box by the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Sophie attracted more fashion plaudits in a purple floral Suzannah skirt, white Soler blouse and matching feathered Jane Taylor hat.

They saw the monarch’s horse Pied Piper finish sixth in the Queen’s Vase and her second runner, Spring is Sprung, was unplaced in the Windsor Castle Stakes.

It is hoped the Queen will attend later in the five-day meeting with her big hope Tactical racing on Saturday.

In her absence, Camilla has stepped up to share her love of horse racing, as well as its highs and lows, in a series of interviews.

She told ITV Racing she has two horses in training currently, but knows all too well the hopes of a good runner can soon be dashed.

The Duchess said: “We all know horses don’t we. We start off thinking this is the one – this is the one that’s going to go on. If it’s the flat it’s going to win the Derby, if it’s jumping it’s going to win the Gold Cup. So you all start with great hope, but as it goes on hope is shattered bit by bit.”

Camilla, 73, referred to one of her previous horses Carntop, who showed initial promise, saying: “I remember the excitement of getting him to Ascot and then he finished very nearly last and went backwards and backwards.

“And then I think we sent him jumping and he started off with great aplomb and won his first two races.

“But if anything got near him, he panicked and didn’t want to know and dug in his toes and gave up.”

Stars from showbiz were also lapping up the action in the stands.

Music mogul Simon Cowell showed he is clearly as much of a fan of “the sport of kings” as the monarch, attending for the second day running with partner Lauren Silverman.

While TV host Charlotte Hawkins of ITV’s Good Morning Britain was spotted in a chic satin shirt dress and salmon pink hat.

Punters also pulled out the stops in a dazzling array of frocks and fascinators and smart suits.

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