Oops! Why People Mistakenly Believed Queen Elizabeth Had Arrived at Royal Ascot

The raising of a flag led many to speculate that Queen Elizabeth had made it to one of her favorite events of the year.

On day three of Royal Ascot on Thursday, a flag was raised above the Royal Enclosure at the horse racing track, leading many to report that the monarch, 96, had arrived. After all, the Queen is known for her love of horses — and even has a few of her own competing in Thursday's races — so it is not unlikely that she would try to attend the annual event despite her ongoing mobility issues.

However, the flag that as raised was actually the Royal Standard of the Princess Royal, the Queen's daughter Princess Anne, who was in attendance for the horse racing event. The two flags are quite similar, so it's easy to understand why there was some confusion.

Likewise, Prince Charles' Royal Standard flew at the racecourse on Tuesday and Wednesday when he attended.

The Royal Standard is flown at royal residences — but only when the monarch is present. So if you are visiting Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or Sandringham House and see the Royal Standard is raised, that means that the Queen is home! If the Union Flag is flying, that means that the monarch is not currently in residence.

At Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this month, the first sign of her surprise appearance at its finale came when Buckingham Palace raised the Royal Standard during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. Shortly after, the Queen appeared on the palace balcony with her immediate heirs (Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George) and their families.

Thursday marked Gold Cup Day at Royal Ascot, with Princess Anne leading the carriage ride of royals around the track. Accompanying her were Anne's husband Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Anne's daughter Zara and Zara's husband Mike Tindall.

In the next carriage were lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of the Queen's late sister Princess Margaret, and her husband Daniel. The Queen's passion for horses was reflected in the inclusion of her racing manager John Warren and his wife Lady Carolyn, who were in the fourth carriage.

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Also in attendance on Thursday was the Queen's daughter-in-law Sophie, Countess of Wessex in an eye-catching floral dress and colorful hat.

Gold Cup Day traditionally sees the most eye-catching attire from attendees (so expect more bold and beautiful hats!).