Royal Ascot’s most memorable moments: From Edward VIII’s indiscretion to the Queen winning the Gold Cup… historian IAN LLOYD reveals all

They name it the Sport of Kings and with some justification. 

Horse racing has attracted British monarchs for hundreds of years and King Charles III is prone to proceed the pattern this week – if his well being permits him to attend Royal Ascot.

If he once more leads the well-known Royal Procession, he can be following within the footsteps of the best racing fan of all of them – his late mom Queen Elizabeth II.

In her 70-year reign, the Queen missed the annual jamboree on solely a handful of events.

And, as I reveal beneath, there have been some very particular moments in Royal Ascot’s 300-year historical past.   

1. Underneath starter’s orders

Ascot racecourse was based initially of the 18th Century by one other equine loving monarch – Queen Anne. 

Whereas out using close to Windsor Fort she came across an space of open heath and determined it will be a perfect place for ‘horses to gallop at full stretch.’

The inaugural occasion was Her Majesty’s Plate, which was value 100 guineas. Seven horses took half, however the winner’s title has been misplaced to historical past. 

In keeping with a up to date supply: ‘The Queen, with an excellent suite, drove over from Windsor Fort to Ascot Widespread on 11 August 1711, to inaugurate Ascot races and attend Ascot once more on the next Monday. 

‘Her Majesty proceeded alongside the widespread along with her practice of courtiers and different attendants.’

Anne’s half within the historical past of the racecourse is commemorated in the present day with the Queen Anne Stakes, which is run in her reminiscence on the opening day of the assembly.

2. The Royal Procession is born

It was George IV who instituted certainly one of Ascot’s best-loved traditions – the Royal Procession. 

The primary formal one happened in 1825, when the King led a procession of carriages alongside the Straight Mile.

The diarist Thomas Creevey recorded in a letter to a pal: ‘Opposite to his former follow [the King] drove up the course to his stand, within the presence of everyone – himself within the first coach and 4, the Duke of Wellington sitting by his aspect. 

‘There have been three different carriages and 4, and a phaeton after him, and I s’d [sic – short for should] assume 20 servants in scarlet on horseback.

As Prince of Wales, George had taken a eager curiosity within the turf and had his first winner on the course in 1785, when his four-year-old bay filly Rosetta received a two-mile race. 

In 1822 he requested his favorite architect John Nash, (who reworked Buckingham Home right into a palace and constructed Clarence Home), to design a brand new Royal Stand for Ascot. 

It was in-built simply 5 weeks and The Instances described it as ‘a lightweight tasteful constructing, with fluted pilasters of composition supporting the roof, in imitation of a Greek portico.’ 

Like in the present day’s Royal Enclosure, admittance was strictly restricted with invites topic to the King’s settlement, even for his family.

3. Victoria has a smashing time 

In 1854, a 35-year-old Queen Victoria was so excited by the neck and neck end of the New Stakes that she leapt ahead instantly on the window, clearly forgetting it had been closed as a result of rain. 

Though she smashed the glass along with her head, she was unharmed, and The Instances reported the damage ‘produced an excessive amount of merriment within the royal occasion.’

Victoria’s first look at Ascot was as a fifteen-year-old princess and she or he cherished it from the off. 

She rode within the carriage procession along with her half-sister Feodora and famous in her journal: ‘The races have been excellent and there was an immense concourse of individuals there.’

In June 1838, to mark her first Ascot as monarch, Victoria inaugurated a brand new race run over one and a half miles, with a gold vase value £200.

It’s now often known as the Queen’s Vase.

Regardless of her clear affection for Ascot, the royal assembly was one other casualty of Victoria’s overwhelming grief following the demise of Prince Albert.

After he died aged simply 42 in 1861, Victoria by no means returned.

4. Black Ascot

One of the memorable royal conferences was in June 1910, held a month after the demise of King Edward VII. 

Whereas the race course administration felt that the King would have wished the Royal assembly to go forward, racegoers have been instructed to put on both full black or a combination of black and white. 

There was no royal procession, no member of the royal household attended, and the royal pavilion was shuttered and remoted. 

In keeping with one press report: ‘All people wore deep mourning and the impact of lots of of individuals all in unrelieved black within the Royal stand and on the garden was reasonably miserable.’ 

There was one shiny observe half a century later. Royal photographer and designer Cecil Beaton used this unforgettable scene because the inspiration for the black and white costumes he created for the Ascot scene within the 1964 Audrey Hepburn movie My Honest Woman.

Dubbed ‘Edward the Caresser’ for his fixed womanising, ‘Bertie’ had been a massively common determine at Royal Ascot. 

He made his first go to to the course in 1863 on the age of twenty-one, a yr after a brand new race on the assembly had been named the Prince of Wales Stakes in his honour.

Bertie and his spouse, Princess Alexandra, revived the Royal Procession and in 1877 have been even accompanied by their 12-year-old son, the long run George V, and his elder brother Prince Albert Victor.

5. Edward VIII’s indiscretion 

Whereas most Britons didn’t know of Wallis Simpson till the Abdication Disaster thrust her into the general public eye – she and King Edward VIII had been courting for not less than two years earlier than December 1936.   

However solely the good and good have been conscious of the scandalous romance which appalled the royal household and enthralled modern excessive society.

On the Royal Assembly in June 1935, the then Prince of Wales carelessly allowed himself to be photographed with Mrs Simpson and her mates on the course. 

Together with his father King George V unable to attend Ascot on physician’s orders, Edward accompanied his mom Queen Mary and the Duke and Duchess of York (who would go on to be George VI and Queen Elizabeth) within the first carriage within the conventional procession. 

The eyes of all racegoers have been on the charismatic and common prince, however few realised the importance of the girl he was seen chatting to.

6. The khaki Ascot 

The long run Queen Elizabeth II attended her first Royal Ascot only a month after the tip of the Second World Struggle. 

There was no royal procession, and few individuals have been conscious that Princess Elizabeth was even there as she mingled with the crowds carrying her khaki ATS uniform and holding a pair of leather-based gloves.

A eager race fan even then, the princess requested if she may see contained in the weighing room, the place the jockeys are weighed after the race. 

It is without doubt one of the most unique locations within the racecourse and, on the time, 19-year-old Elizabeth was one of many few girls to have been allowed inside.

7. The personal royal ‘race’

Through the Nineteen Fifties and Sixties the Queen would have a non-public race at Ascot along with her household earlier than official proceedings started.

Arriving on horseback from Windsor Fort within the morning, earlier than the crowds have been admitted, they lined up below starters orders close to the Golden Gates and galloped alongside the Straight Mile in the direction of the ending line in entrance of the stands.

8. Fergie finds a royal boyfriend at Ascot 

In June 1985, 25-year-old Sarah Ferguson was invited by the Queen to remain at Windsor Fort as a member of the home occasion for the four-day royal assembly. 

It was match-maker Princess Diana who had recommended the bubbly redhead to brighten up proceedings.

Fergie, the daughter of Prince Charles’ polo supervisor, obtained on very nicely with Prince Andrew. 

She had been dropped off on the fort by her then accomplice Paddy McNally, who quickly discovered himself sidelined. 

‘We each knew the identical fool jokes, we each cherished an excellent prank,’ Fergie later recalled.

When profiteroles have been served for dessert the weight-reduction plan Sarah tried to withstand however Andrew advised her that refusing them can be improper etiquette. 

Fergie stated: ‘Then when it was his flip to take his portion, he refused – “No thanks very a lot!”. I indignantly swatted him on the shoulder with the again of my hand.’ 

The pair have been engaged by March 1986 and married in a wonderful ceremony at Westminster Abbey 4 months later. 

Their union ended with divorce in 1996, however the former couple nonetheless stay collectively at Royal Lodge – whilst Andrew now exists as a royal outcast. 

9. Queen Wins Gold Cup

In 2013, a clearly thrilled Elizabeth II made royal racing historical past by changing into the primary reigning monarch to have a horse win the celebrated Gold Cup.

When her horse Estimate crossed the ending line, cameras picked up the euphoric monarch trying ecstatic within the Royal Field. 

Her grandson Peter Phillips advised reporters: ‘It is superb, that is her ardour and her life and she or he’s right here yearly and she or he strives to have winners. 

‘To win the large one at Royal Ascot means a lot to her.’

10. Kate delays her Ascot debut 

The late Queen invited Prince William and his spouse to hitch her within the Royal Procession yearly from their wedding ceremony in 2011 – nevertheless it was a full 5 years earlier than Kate made her Ascot debut. 

Her look in 2016 was outlined by her beautiful Dolce and Gabbana white lace costume. She teamed the outfit with a woven gold Jane Taylor hat. 

Since then, Kate has been again one other 4 occasions. 

Nevertheless, she and Prince William are but to purchase or practice a horse – maybe an indication that they don’t share a loyal curiosity within the Sport of Kings.