Underwear required

Queen Elizabeth II and her grandaughter, Zara Phillips

The Royal Ascot horse race in England is the social and racing highlight of summer, so invitations carried a reminder that formal dress is required. And that includes knickers — er, underwear.

The five-day event continues through Saturday, and with the Queen in attendance, organizers didn’t want any slip-ups.

 The Royal Enclosure, the most sought after part of the course, has strict dress codes for men and women, with morning suits and top hats for men, and conservative dresses and hats to be worn by women.

Off-the-shoulder dresses, halter necks, spaghetti straps and mini skirts are all forbidden, as are streaky fake tans. Showing too much skin, it seems, is not very classy for a such a prestigious event that started 300 years ago.  Neither is leaving home without your knickers.

A racegoer at the Royal Ascot.