One’s learnt from the best! Queen Camilla’s VERY animated reactions at Royal Ascot echo her mother-in-law’s passionate displays – with both sharing a love of horses

• The Queen at Royal Ascot today may have reminded many of the late Elizabeth II
• READ MORE: The Queen is animated as she watches the horse races at Ascot

Queen Camilla’s animated display on the first day of Royal Ascot may have reminded many of one beloved late monarch absent from the annual event today – her mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II.

Her Majesty, who passed away last September, was well known for her love of equestrian events and always lit up on sight of the animals, with her fondness for horses well documented.

One of the most known TV clips of Queen Elizabeth II shows her clapping her hands and beaming as her horse Estimate claimed victory in Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup in 2013 – the first time in the race’s 207-year history that it had been won by a reigning monarch.

And today, King Charles III’s wife appeared to pay homage to his mother as she looked excited, stressed, relieved and delighted at today’s festivities.

Queen Camilla appeared on the edge of her seat as she attended her first Royal Ascot since the Coronation this afternoon. The scene was reminiscent of her late mother-in-law’s animated displays. 

Queen Camilla’s animated display on the first day of the Ascot may have reminded many of one beloved Royal absent from the annual event for the first time today – her late mother-in-law

The royal, 75, looked effortlessly elegant in a cream coat dress, matching hat and gloves for her day at the Berkshire races.

Camilla arrived in a horse-drawn carriage with her husband King Charles and their friends the Duke and Duchess of Wellington.

After warmly greeting other members of the Royal Family, the King and Queen made their way to the Royal box – where they had a prime view of the races.

As a life-long fan of horseracing, Camilla seemed particularly invested in what was unfolding on the tracks. 

Grasping onto her binoculars, the Queen was seen grimacing as she watched from the sidelines.

The scene was reminiscent of the late Elizabeth, who was discussing ‘her love for her horses right to the very end’, according to her trusted bloodstock and racing adviser.

In September last year, John Warren said he spent the weekend before Queen Elizabeth II died in Scotland, discussing her horses, as they had done so many times before.

Her Majesty, who passed away last September, was well known for her love of equestrian events and always lit up on sight of the animals. Pictured at Ascot in 2013

Queen Camilla (left) appeared on the edge of her seat as she attended her first Royal Ascot since the Coronation this afternoon. Pictured right, Queen Elizabeth II at the 2008 Derby Festival at Epsom

As a life-long fan of horseracing, Camilla (left) seemed particularly invested in what was unfolding on the tracks. Her enthusiasm channelled that of the late Elizabeth’s (pictured at Ascot in 1955)

King Charles III’s wife appeared to pay homage to his mother as she looked excited, stressed, relieved and delighted – all at once – at today’s festivities. Camilla and Elizabeth pictured at Ascot in 2009

Her Majesty’s fondness of horses began when she was just four after her grandfather, King George V, gave her a little Shetland pony. Pictured at Ascot in 2021

‘We sat there for hours over the weekend strategising and making plans going forward’, he recalled. ‘And I think the nicest thing for me is to know that she was surrounded by her family members.

‘She was in such a healthy state of mind and in tremendous form. It’s very important to know that she was absolutely, wonderfully switched on.’

Mr Warren also recalled that day at Ascot in 2013, saying her display of emotion was the culmination of a seven-year journey with Estimate, from before her birth.

‘The footage you can see doesn’t actually show you the final two furlongs,’ he said.

‘This was a really hard-fought battle. It just seemed like forever and ever and ever before it was going to happen. Was it going to happen? Wasn’t it going to happen?

The royal, 75, looked effortlessly elegant in cream coat dress, matching hat and gloves for her day at the Berkshire races

The mother-of-two arrived in a horse-drawn carriage with her husband King Charles and their friends the Duke and Duchess of Wellington

After warmly greeting other members of the Royal Family, the King and Queen made their way to the Royal box – where they had a prime view of the races

Grasping onto her binoculars, the Queen was seen grimacing as she watched from the sidelines

Camilla was alert as she observed the races at Ascot today – channelling the late Queen Elizabeth II

‘And, as the filly passed the post, the elation from the Queen was absolutely wonderful. She had a really huge tear in her eye, in both her eyes. I could see she was brimming with emotion, which was a wonderful thing.’

Mr Warren said: ‘I think it was everything that she’d put into breeding horses and racing horses – achieving an ambition which is no different to any parent wanting their child to win at the Olympics. This felt the same elation as that.’

Mr Warren recalled how the Queen ‘practically galloped’ from the Royal Box to the unsaddling enclosure, despite being in her 80s, ‘carried’ by the Ascot crowd.

‘And in typical style of a horsewoman, although everyone was giving the Queen their congratulations, the Queen was absolutely steadfast to get to Estimate herself and give her a wonderful and well deserved pat,’ he said.

‘That was a hugely touching thing to witness, the Queen just focusing purely on this creature that had delivered for her. That was remarkable.’

Mr Warren said Estimate’s victory was one of the real highlights of the Queen’s long association with horseracing, along with her victory with Highclere, in the Prix de Diane, at Chantilly, in 1974.

King Charles and Queen Camilla seen after leaving the carriage and making their way to the royal box

Heir they are! Charles and Camilla pictured in the Royal Box at Ascot this afternoon 

King Charles and Queen Camilla pictured arriving at their first Royal Ascot since the Coronation

He added: ‘The Queen has definitely been excited and emotionally charged about having some other winners – particularly at Ascot, where the eyes are on – but I think this one was one that was so satisfying because it is such an iconic race.’

But he said her interest in racing was as much about planning the journey of a horse over years as it was winning with legendary mounts.

Her Majesty’s fondness of horses began when she was just four after her grandfather, King George V, gave her a little Shetland pony. 

By the age of six she had fallen in love with riding, becoming an accomplished equestrian in her teenage years and has continued to ride for pleasure throughout her life.

From her first appearance at the annual Trooping the Colour to 1986, the monarch would attend the ceremony on horseback. 

She first attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show as a horse-mad teenager in 1943.  Together with Princess Margaret, the 17-year-old showed off her equestrian prowess by winning the Pony & Dogcart class.

The Queen owned several thoroughbreds for racing after she initially inherited King George’s breeding and racing stock following his death in February 1952.

King Charles pictured greeting his niece Zara Tindall with an affectionate kiss on the cheek as he arrived at Ascot

Queen Camilla greeted Mike Tindall with a kiss on the cheek as the first day of Royal Ascot got underway

Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli pictured at the Royal Ascot this afternoon

In 1974, the monarch’s interest in horses was the subject of a documentary title, The Queen’s Race Horses: a Private View, which she herself narrated.

In May 2022, the Queen attended the Windsor Horse Show and was also the guest of honour at the equestrian extravaganza A Gallop Through History, the first major event of the Jubilee festivities. 

Camilla, meanwhile, is also known for her love of horses. She has even reportedly taken over the day-to-day running of the late Queen’s stables rather than the King. 

The new role sees Camilla tasked with maintaining the relationships with the late Queen’s trainers and overseeing the stables.

John Warren, the late Queen’s Royal bloodstock and racing advisor, has previously said that it is Camilla, rather than her husband, who has the greatest passion for horses.

He said: ‘He has always followed it, but it has been his mother’s interest so it has been at arm’s length. He owns a few horses himself, in particular with the [then] Duchess of Cornwall. She is absolutely besotted by racing.’

She also has a life-long association with equestrian charities. As the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla supported the Ebony Horse Club, the British Equestrian Federation and the Brooke Hospital for Animals.

In 2013, she joined Queen Elizabeth II on a joint visit to the Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, south London, where children learn to ride in an urban setting.

Camilla has also often spoken about her childhood spent riding ponies along with her other great passion – reading.

In a recent interview with Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, Camilla said: ‘I think I have to admit, in the end, I ended up probably being a sort of pony-mad child with Black Beauty, which I howled over, night after night after night.’

Source: Read Full Article