One of the most exciting parts of a day at Royal Ascot is the Royal Procession, a parade of carriages and horses arriving at the famed race course and coming into the parade ring. Usually the carriages are reserved for actual royalty, but Hollywood royalty made an appearance on Day 3 of Royal Ascot 2026 as Stanley Tucci and his wife, Felicity Blunt, joined Lord and Lady Cavendish in the fourth carriage.
With the King and Queen leading the parade in the first carriage, Princess Anne, Duchess Sophie, and Zara Tindall were among the other royal members of the Royal Procession. Stanley Tucci may come as a surprise to join the royals and aristocrats usually riding in the carriage, but the actor most affectionately remembered as Nigel from The Devil Wears Prada is reportedly a very good friend of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
King Charles first crossed paths with Stanley Tucci during several events in support of The Prince’s Trust—now known as The King’s Trust. Their friendship became even more apparent in February 2025, when Tucci was tasked with creating and co-hosting a special Anglo-Italian "Slow Food and Fashion” dinner at Highgrove House. The event lead up to King Charles and Queen Camilla’s official visit to Italy, and celebrated the unique relationship between Italy and the United Kingdom.
Stanley Tucci and his wife, Felicity, looked right at home in the Royal Box at Ascot, alongside close friends and family of The King and Queen. While Stanley has a friendly relationship with King Charles, the invitation may have actually come from Queen Camilla for Felicity Blunt, Tucci’s wife.
Blunt acted as agent for Queen Camilla’s dear friend, Jilly Cooper, and is an executive producer on Rivals, a show close to Queen Camilla’s heart (for many reasons). Dominic Treadwell-Collins, the leading writer and producer on Rivals, was also in attendance, leading us to believe this was Queen Camilla’s doing—perhaps she is also dying to know what happens between Taggie and Rupert during the rest of Season 2.
