Gold Cup Day is also known informally as "Ladies' Day." An anonymous poet characterized the Thursday of the Royal Meeting in 1823 as "Ladies' Day... when the women, like angels, seem wonderfully lovely." Today, a dress code underlines the occasion's sartorial grandeur. The Gold Cup itself is the most important prize on the card and often carries a prize fund in excess of $1 million. The origins of this tradition are not entirely clear but may date back to the early years of the Royal Meeting. It was probably designed to give female members of the royal family and other close friends an opportunity to attend the race without being singled out for attention by the male jockeys. There are reports that it was also used to provide them with an opportunity to view the horses without being observed by male spectators. Whatever its original purpose, by the mid-19th century, it was accepted practice at Ascot Racecourse. A notice appearing in the Sporting Chronicle on August 16, 1847, described how Lady Jersey would be presenting the prizes for the best two fillies and mares at a ceremony on that day. This indicates that even at this early stage, the festival included a parade of ladies' cars carrying the gold cup and silver bowls. By the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901, the number of attendees was so large that a second Ladies' Day was introduced.