How I Got into the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse is a racetrack in the British town of Ascot, about an hour outside of London. It has a soaring central atrium crisscrossed by escalators and encircled with various bars, cafes and discrete sets of double doors on the mezzanine leading to the private boxes.
The application for Royal Enclosure membership is simple and available online. The application is accompanied by letters of recommendation from two existing Royal enclosure members. For those who can't apply for membership, there is a back door: booking a luncheon reservation at one of the few designated Royal ENclosure restaurants. It's expensive but comes with a daily badge. The Royal Ascot is best experienced in a more freestyle way. Get there early enough to place a bet on the color of Her Majesty’s hat and snag a park bench on a shaded lawn in front of grandstand. At precisely 1:45 p.m., rush up to the rail to see the queen”s carriage procession pass by.
