Early June
They say that the Derby and Royal Ascot are the first, and immovable, entries into the Queen’s diary each year. Everything else fits around them. But although this royal patronage is part of the Derby’s DNA, the race has always been the people’s race and ‘London’s day out’. Open-topped buses, bookies, fortune tellers and tens of thousands of people from all walks of life cluster into the centre of the course for one of racing’s five ‘classics’ of the season.
Dress code: In the Queen’s Stand, top hat and tails for men, and hats for women.