Touching portrait of just how far Prince William and Camilla's relationship has come: Charming moment Wills and the Queen share carriage to Ascot in rare day out together without King Charles

Prince William was accompanied by Queen Camilla in the traditional carriage procession at Royal Ascot today in what was a rare joint appearance by the pair.  

The Prince of Wales, who once had a deeply strained relationship with his stepmother, looked at ease as he sat with her and the Earl and Countess of Halifax in front of adoring crowds.

It was the first time that Camilla and William have teamed up since they led senior royals at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March.

But whilst that was an official engagement, Ascot is not on the roster of duties and so William's appearance alongside Camilla today will be seen by royal watchers as a sign of how well they now get on.

William's relationship with Camilla stretches back to the trauma of his childhood.

King Charles embarked on an affair with her in the late 1980s, when he was still married to Princess Diana. 

The couple's romance remained low-key until after Diana's death in a car crash in Paris in 1997 - the year after she and Charles had divorced. 

Prince Harry claimed in his bombshell memoir Spare that he and William had 'begged' their father not to marry Camilla.

Harry likened her to a 'wicked stepmother' and even accused Camilla of leaking stories about him through a palace spin doctor.

However, when Charles and Camilla did get married in April 2005, both William and Harry were present at the ceremony. 

In march, William and Camilla shared a giggle when they were joined by Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh for Commonwealth Day.

It was a far cry from their strained appearances in previous years.

At Ascot today, the Princess of Wales' parents were also in attendance in what was their first public appearance since their daughter's cancer diagnosis.

Carole and Michael Middleton beamed as they arrived side-by-side for the prestigious event at the Berkshire racecourse. 

Kate, who is continuing her cancer treatment, was not present despite making a welcome appearance at Trooping the Colour at the weekend. 

Kate revealed in a statement on Friday she is making 'good progress' in her treatment but candidly said she has 'good days and bad days' and although there has been some limited working from home, she stressed 'I am not out of the woods yet'. 

Zara and Mike Tindall were also there to soak up the atmosphere. 

Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank were in another carriage, and when the procession reached the parade ring, Zara was waiting to greet them all.

Other guests included Andrew Lloyd Webber who was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter during a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Monday, attended by the King and Queen and other senior royals.

Theatre impresario Lord Lloyd-Webber, whose hit musicals include The Phantom Of The Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, was joined by his wife.

The Middletons also made their way into the ring to mingle with other guess from the royal box, but missing was the king, who wax pictured earlier performing duties of state.

In March, Carole was pictured driving a 4x4 Audi, with Kate in the passenger seat, near Windsor Castle. The images were published by US gossip website TMZ.

Then in April, William was spotted on a 'low key' pub outing in Norfolk with his mother-in-law, while his wife stayed at home, The Daily Mail's Richard Eden reported. Carole was said to be staying with the couple over Easter.

For today's appearance, Carole looked effortlessly elegant in her all blue ensemble as she joined her equally sophisticated husband at Ascot.

Her floral dress appeared reminiscent of Kate's £1,275 blue lace creation by Elie Saab, which she first wore to Royal Ascot in 2019. It also featured a dainty bow and pleated detailing.

Royal Ascot, the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, started yesterday with the Queen Anne Stakes and will run until Saturday. 

Yesterday, the King and Queen joined punters at the famous racing meet.

Lady Gabriella Windsor, who lost her husband earlier this year, was also present. 

Charles and Camilla took on the late Queen's thoroughbreds and have entered a string of horses over the next five days.

The late Queen was a passionate owner and breeder of thoroughbreds, and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign.