Paddy Power offers odds on Queen’s Ascot Ladies Day hat

Bookmaker Paddy Power is turning a few heads at Sandown Racecourse this week with a marketing stunt designed to encourage punters to bet on the colour of the Queen’s Hat for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot.

The bookmaker has hired royal impersonator Elizabeth Richard, who has placed a bet on the real Queen to wear a cream hat.

With World Cup fever mounting, speculation has been mounting that the Queen will support England with headgear in a patriotic red, and Paddy Power is offering odds of 7-1.

The stunt is the latest from the controversial bookmaker, which has made a name for itself with unusual marketing campaigns and bets.

Last year it caused controversy in Britain and Ireland with an ad featuring a spoof of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Last Supper, which depicted Jesus and his disciples sitting at a gambling table.