THE Royal Dublin Society had a real touch of royalty for the first, time in many years yesterday, when Her Royal Highness, Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan, met the media.
She breezed into the battered pressroom with its many layers of paint covering the century old facade and sat down among the sandwich wrappers and empty, coffee cups fielding inane press, queries about her life.
She flew above all that and talked of her love of Ireland where she intends to spend three more years learning horsecraft at Paul Darragh's Waterside Stud in, Co Meath.
It was just a little bit ironic that the real princess arrived to meet the media in her riding gear while out on the lawns the plebs were playing princesses and princes in some of the most outlandish gear imaginable.
In new politically correct language of today, Ladies Day has (been banished and replaced by Rover Fashion Day where the winner is adjudged the most stylish person at the show.
Runaway horses were not the trouble yesterday - it was run away hats and small people were in grave danger of being run down by them as the ladies strutted up and down displaying their finery.
Some of the outfits were so exotic that one farmer was heard to remark that he thought he was in Dublin Zoo and not the RDS.
And of course, the men are getting involved too. Some of them were even more gaudy than the ladies with blazers and bell bottoms in a rainbow of colours.
In the end, the prize went to Ms Suzanne Deegan, from Ballsbridge, who was presented with her stylish brand new Rover 214i, worth over £12,000.
The second prize went to Celia Holman Lee, from Ballysheedy, Limerick, and the popular runner up was Mr Robert Harkin from Blarney in Co Cork.
For the record, and the curious, Robert was wearing a classic, 1950s style three button, double, breasted suit with matching navy and amber silk tie.
He looked a little bit like the old guys from the country who used to attend the Spring Show here many years ago before it folded and died.
The photographers here were wondering if they were being excluded from all the competitions, because they were advised by an RDS circular some days ago on a proper mode of dress in the show and jumping rings.
"To prevent distractions to horses we would respectfully request that photographers refrain from wearing bright, colourful or flowing garments," said the circular.
With that kind of advice they would be non starters in the Rover Competition where the criteria for winning is that "you should stand out in a crowd".
And by the same token, the princess should have walked away with the Rover yesterday in her riding gear.