Beaming Queen arrives at Royal Ascot
Beaming Queen, 95, arrives at Royal Ascot without her beloved Prince Philip – after she missed the event for the first time in her 68-year reign last summer because of the coronavirus pandemic
- The 95-year-old Queen looked in great spirits as she arrived at Royal Ascot for the first time since 2019
- Her Majesty missed last year’s race meeting as it was held behind closed doors due to the pandemic
- But today the Queen braved the grey weather to cheer on the four horses running in her colours
The Queen looked in great spirits as she arrived at Royal Ascot today, after being forced to miss the event for the first time in her then 68-year reign last summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Usually a regular at the famous Berkshire meet, the Queen has been a no-show since it began on Tuesday – despite other members of the Royal Family – including the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex – attending the festivities.
The monarch, whose husband Prince Philip died on April 9, aged 99, also missed last year’s event as it was held behind closed doors due to the pandemic. It’s thought the Queen and her beloved husband last attended the royal race meeting together in 2017.
But today the Queen, dressed in a glamorous mint coat with a matching hat, braved the grey weather to cheer on the four horses running in her colours of purple and gold.
The Queen (pictured) looked in great spirits as she arrived at Royal Ascot today, after being forced to miss the event for the first time in her then 68-year reign last summer, due to the coronavirus pandemic
The monarch, whose husband Prince Philip died on April 9, aged 99, also missed last year’s event as it was held behind closed doors due to the pandemic.
The Queen is pictured with her racing manager John Warren watching from the royal box
Usually a regular at the famous Berkshire meet, the Queen (pictured) has been a no-show since it began on Tuesday – despite other members of the Royal Family – including the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex – attending the event
Crowds cheer and applause as the monarch arrives by car on day five of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire
The monarch (pictured), whose husband Prince Philip died on April 9, aged 99, missed last year’s festival as it was held behind closed doors due to the pandemic
It’s thought the Queen and her beloved husband last attended the royal race meeting together in 2017, pictured together
Stepping out to cheers and applause from the crowd, the Queen arrived at the Parade Ring in a beige car at 2pm wearing an eye-catching head piece featuring a bright pink floral design, teamed with her standard pearl accessories and a diamond brooch.
Her horses Reach For The Moon, Tactical, Light Refrain and King’s Lynn are all set to run during the afternoon.
Punters like to bet on the colour of the Queen’s hat and this year bookmakers had said the most popular predictions were blue and green due to the change in weather.
Nicola McGeady, of Ladbrokes, said: ‘Green has been chalked up as the favourite, but red is the mover after money came earlier today.’
Today the Queen (pictured), dressed in a glamorous mint coat with a matching hat, braved the grey weather to cheer on the four horses running in her colours of purple and gold
The Queen (pictured) arrived at the Parade Ring in a beige car at 2pm wearing lime green clothing and a matching hat to cheers and applause from the crowd
All smiles: The 95-year-old Queen couldn’t stop grinning as she stepped out of her car to attend the races this afternoon
Heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla attended earlier in the week with Princess Anne also deputising for her mother (pictured)
The Queen’s eldest grandson Peter Phillips was also seen arriving earlier in the day. The carriage procession that usually proceeds each day’s racing did not take place.
Upon Her Majesty’s arrival at the races, an army band belted out a rendition of the national anthem and the crowd roared its approval as she stepped from the car at the meeting she is so closely associated with.
Heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla attended earlier in the week with Princess Anne also deputising for her mother.
The monarch has watched the racing through the week from nearby Windsor Castle. Her racing manager John Warren says she begins each day reading the Racing Post and paying keen attention to the breeding of all the winners.
The Queen (pictured) donned an eye-catching head piece featuring a bright pink floral design, teamed with her standard pearl accessories
Punters like to bet on the colour of the Queen’s hat and this year bookmakers had said the most popular predictions were blue and green due to the change in weather
The Queen’s horses Reach For The Moon, Tactical, Light Refrain and King’s Lynn are all set to run during the afternoon. Pictured, Her Majesty arriving in her car
The Queen (pictured right) smiles as she is greeted by Sir Francis Brooke after arriving for day five of Royal Ascot, pictured right
Upon Her Majesty’s arrival at the races (pictured), an army band belted out a rendition of the national anthem and the crowd roared its approval as she stepped from the car at the meeting she is so closely associated with
Her Majesty could leave the racetrack very content as she has several runners. She has enjoyed plenty of success at the meeting through the decades, most notably in 2013 when Estimate won the flagship race, the Ascot Gold Cup.
The Queen very nearly got a winner in the first race on her visit to the final day of Royal Ascot. But try as Frankie Dettori might on Reach For The Moon in the Chesham Stakes, he could not quite hold off Ryan Moore aboard Aidan O’Brien’s 10-11 favourite Point Lonsdale.
The Queen is known for her love of horses, her equestrian knowledge and her breeding of racehorses, and she traditionally attends Ascot each year – apart from last summer due to the pandemic.
Her Majesty talks to jocky Frankie Dettori (left) and trainer John Gosden (top left) ahead of her horse’s race during day five of Royal Ascot
The Queen very nearly got a winner in the first race on her visit to the final day of Royal Ascot. But try as Frankie Dettori (speaking with the monarch ahead of the race) might on Reach For The Moon in the Chesham Stakes, he could not quite hold off Ryan Moore aboard Aidan O’Brien’s 10-11 favourite Point Lonsdale
In 1955, the event was postponed because of the national rail strike and held in July instead, but the Queen still attended with her sister Princess Margaret.
In 2017, the Queen had to dash from the State Opening of Parliament to Ascot when her speech in the House of Lords fell on the second day of the meeting.
The Queen is believed to have won around £7million in prize money from horse racing over the past three decades.
The Queen (pictured) is known for her love of horses, her equestrian knowledge and her breeding of racehorses, and she traditionally attends Ascot each year – apart from last summer due to the pandemic
The Queen and her racing manager John Warren (centre left) speak with jockey Oisin Murphy during day five of Royal Ascot
The monarch and her racing manager John Warren can’t help but smile as they watch the races together this afternoon
The Queen (pictured with her racing manager John Warren) is believed to have won around £7million in prize money from horse racing over the past three decades
Point Lonsdale and Ryan Moore just beats the Queen owned Reach For The Moon and Frankie Dettori in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot (pictured)
Earlier in the week, the Royal Family turned out in force for the first day of the five-day meet.
One notable exception to the royal line-up was the Queen, but Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were spotted taking a keen interest in the races as her horse King’s Lynn took part in the King’s Stand Stakes -finishing in seventh place.
Camilla looked animated as she clutched her racing programme in the royal box, while discussing the action with her husband.
They were joined by Mike and Zara Tindall making their first public appearance since the birth of their son Lucas in March, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex at the Berkshire racecourse for the annual family event.
Hats off to Ascot! Glamorous racegoers pull out all the stops on the last day of the royal race festival in elaborate headgear and colourful outfits
It’s one of the most lavish occasions in the British social calendar, and Royal Ascot racegoers certainly lived up to expectations today – arriving in a host of glamorous ensembles.
Dusting off their finery, guests pulled out all the stops as they attended the fifth and final day of the Berkshire horse racing event after 18 months of Covid restrictions, opting to wear a dazzling array of dresses, colourful face masks and over-the-top headgear.
Famous faces arriving at the meet today included Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins, dressed in an elegant white lace-embellished number, and the Queen’s eldest grandson Peter Phillips, 43, who finalised his divorce from wife Autumn, 42, earlier this week.
A total of 12,000 revellers have been granted tickets to each day of Royal Ascot as part of a list of pilot events taking place before the possible lifting of all lockdown restrictions next month.
On Monday Boris Johnson announced a four-week delay to ‘Freedom Day’ – and to the ending of all social distancing measures – but any disappointment looked far from the minds of racegoers as they kicked off the festivities this morning.
Cream of the crop! Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins turned heads when arriving at Royal Ascot in a white ensemble teamed with a floral hat
Summer is here! This beaming group of women sported the same lemon dress with cream heels when arriving at the event – but teamed with various attention-grabbing head pieces
Double trouble! Two friends wear similar striped cream outfits when arriving at the racecourse, paired with comfy heeled sandals and elegant hats (pictured left), while another duo (pictured right) sport clashing colours
Many of the glamorous racegoers in attendance opted to wear matching face masks with their vibrant ensembles – a new trend showcased by royals such as the Duchess of Cornwall earlier in the week.
Unsurprisingly, hats were the focus of many racegoers’ outfits, with flowers, feathers and beading all on display at the racecourse today.
The event comes under the Government’s Events Research Programme, and involves the expanded trialling of the NHS App and lateral flow tests to demonstrate a person’s Covid status.
Looking good! Guests don all their finery to attend the glamorous races. A total of 12,000 revellers have been granted tickets to each day of Royal Ascot as part of a list of pilot events taking place before the possible lifting of all lockdown restrictions next month
Girl power! Groups of women attend the race meeting dressed in all their finery, sporting floral frocks and colourful gowns paired with matching accessories
Strike a pose! Friends, dressed in fashionable outfits and eye-catching hats, stand in front of a floral board as they get their photograph taken
Their finest fashions! Flamboyant fascinators took centre stage on the last day of Royal Ascot, with one woman sporting light blue, circular headgear featuring flowers (pictured left), while another donned a bright pink and blue head piece (right)
Smile! A group of women sport their best grins as they snap a group photograph, while sporting the same floral outfit and various glamorous headgear
Bright and dandy! The dreary racecourse was a sea of brightly coloured outfits on day five of Royal Ascot (pictured left)
Elaborate headwear was the order of the day for many, with oversized hats and flamboyant fascinators adorned with feathers, flowers and frills spotted in the enclosure
Famous faces arriving at the event this morning included Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins (pictured left), dressed in an elegant white lace-embellished number, and the Queen’s eldest grandson Peter Phillips (pictured right), 43, who finalised his divorce from wife Autumn, 42, earlier this week
Earlier in the week, members of the Royal Family – including Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall – attended the five-day occasion. However, the Queen was notably absent.
Her Majesty’s racing manager confirmed the monarch would not be attending on the first day but has been hoping that she would make it later in the week depending on ‘how things go’.
The Queen’s racing manager John Warren told Radio 4: ‘Obviously the Queen would love to attend.. and has been going to Ascot all of her adult life. So, it’s a shame to miss an event.
Former cricketer Michael Holding was all smiles as he attended the last day of Royal Ascot, dressed in a sharp suit with a pink striped tie
Say ‘cheese’! Excited racegoers pose for a photograph on Day Five of the Royal Ascot Meeting at Ascot Racecourse, in Berkshire
All smiles! A group of men and women strike a pose when at the races, with the ladies wearing stunning lemon dresses and the men in uniform
Ready for the races! Beaming racegoers have a ball as they put their best foot forward ahead of a group snap upon their arrival at the course today
Lined up and ready to go! Racegoers pose for a photo before enjoying their day at the races. Royal Ascot reopened its doors to 12,000 racing fans a day but the coronavirus will still take a significant financial toll on the event, it has been reported
Ray of sunshine! Racegoers, pictured having their photograph taken, put their best fashion foot forward as they turned out for Royal Ascot
Police line up at the racecourse, wearing face masks. The event comes under the Government’s Events Research Programme, and involves the expanded trialling of the NHS App and lateral flow tests to demonstrate a person’s Covid status
A steward and military personnel during Royal Ascot 2021 at Ascot Racecourse, in Berkshire, today, on the last day of the glamorous event
‘The plan at the moment is to see how it goes towards the latter part of the week and if the Queen’s able to come because she’s got runners, then, fingers crossed, it will happen.’
He added that the monarch was ‘fanatic’ about horse racing, and called her energy levels ‘incredible’ despite her age.
He said: ‘It’s remarkable. The Queen’s energy levels are incredible. She’s 95. She went down to the G7 this week, and trundled back on the train in the middle of the night and the energy will be raised higher again for a week like Ascot.’
An Extinction Rebellion protester is escorted from the racecourse during the races. Today is the fifth and final day of the event
An Extinction Rebellion protester is escorted from the racecourse during the Berkshire races this afternoon
