Charles and Camilla broke down in tears this afternoon as they clinched their first-ever Ascot win – before the King knocked over his trophy in an emotional moment on the podium.
The royal couple was overcome with emotion as they watched from the royal box as their horse Desert Hero won the King George V race.
After two defeats yesterday, Charles and Camilla celebrated their first win at Royal Ascot, the first since the Queen’s death last September.
Over the course of her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth claimed over 24 Ascot victories – and Zara Tindall said the moment was “bittersweet” for King Charles and Camilla.
Speaking to ITV, Princess Anne’s daughter said: “It’s bittersweet to think how proud and excited the Queen would have been.”
King Charles appeared emotional as he won his first Ascot race with Queen Camilla this afternoon
Pictured: King Charles and Camilla were so excited when their horse Desert Hero won the King George V race
King Charles accidentally knocked over the trophy at the awards ceremony this afternoon
The late Queen (pictured at Ascot in 2018) attended the annual racing event for almost 70 consecutive years
‘To have a winner for Charles and Camilla and to keep that dream alive.’ And besides, what a race!’
The couple’s coach, William Haggas, added: “They absolutely love it.”
“They’ve been looking forward to Ascot for a long time, it’s very important for horse racing, important for the king and queen to enjoy.”
During the award ceremony, King Charles accidentally knocked over the trophy and couldn’t hide his joy.
The late Queen had a lifelong love of horses – when she was four, her grandfather George V gave her a Shetland pony named Peggy.
According to her racing adviser, the late monarch, who passed away last September at the age of 96, “spoke to the end about her love for her horses”.
Mr Warren said he spent the weekend before the Queen’s death in Scotland talking about her horses as they had done so many times before.
“We sat for hours over the weekend strategizing and making plans for the future,” he said.
King Charles and Queen Camilla broke down in tears this afternoon as they secured their first-ever Ascot victory
King Charles couldn’t hide his delight when he was presented with the King George V Stakes trophy
Queen Camilla giggled when King Charles accidentally knocked over her trophy during the presentation
Charles and Camilla beamed as they were presented with the trophy at Ascot racecourse today
Tom Marquand riding Desert Hero and posing with the trophy after winning the King George V Stakes on day three of Royal Ascot 2023
Charles posed for a photo with Desert Hero and Tom Marquand after winning the King George V Stakes at 3:05 p.m
Pictured: King Charles and Queen Camilla spoke to their jockey after his win this afternoon
King Charles and Queen Camilla went to the racecourse to congratulate the jockey and desert hero
This year, Royal Ascot paid a heartwarming tribute to the Queen with a photo exhibition of her racing highlights.
After her coronation in 1953, the Queen traveled to Berkshire racecourses at least once a year to attend the event – only missing out in 2020 due to Covid lockdowns.
To mark the first festival of Ascot since her death, organizers have shared a heartwarming collection of photos from the Queen’s visits to Ascot over the years.
This includes a black and white photo of the royal horsewoman on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34.
The mother-of-four was pictured wearing a headscarf and riding boots as her horse galloped around the track.
The Queen took part in an unofficial race along with other members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth.
In addition, the organizers also selected a photo of the beaming Queen at Ladies Day 2013.
The event proved to be one of the Queen’s most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup – making her the first monarch to win the award in 200 years.
King Charles led the procession for a third day today as he arrived at Royal Ascot with Queen Camilla.
The 74-year-old monarch opted for a traditional charcoal morning suit and pink tie, which he paired with a black top hat.
Queen Camilla, 75, looked appropriately elegant in a pale green V-neck coat dress by British designer Anna Valentine, which she also owns in pink.
The King appeared to have been congratulated by others in the Royal Box after his victory this afternoon
Charles and Camilla appeared to be in tears today as they responded to the crowd’s cheers
King Charles cheered with delight from the Royal Boxe at Ascot as his horse Desert Hero competed in the King George V race
King Charles roared as his horse raced in excitement – while Camilla also looked mesmerized
The royal couple turned to each other after claiming their maiden Royal Ascot victory this afternoon
The royal couple was overcome with emotion as they watched from the royal box as their horse Desert Hero won the King George V race
King Charles looked tearful as he made his way to the awards ceremony to collect his trophy
Camilla seemed completely overcome with emotion at that moment and tears filled her eyes
The royal couple appeared delighted as they beamed at each other after their horse’s victory
The royal couple seemed completely fascinated by the race as it started at Ascot on Ladies Day
Before the race, Charles was seen examining the booklet in the Royal Box at Berkshire Racecourse
The stylish queen paired it with a matching feather-trimmed hat by Phillip Treacy – who also designed her wedding headpieces.
Camilla also wore a diamond brooch from the late Queen, a five strand pearl necklace, a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet and a pair of pristine white gloves.
The Earl of Snowdon, King Charles’ cousin, and his horse trainer Mark Prescott were also in the carriage with the royal couple.
As their horse-drawn carriage pulled into the royal grounds, the group was greeted with great cheers from the crowd.
Princess Anne – dressed in a chic green lace dress and white hat – and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence followed in the second carriage.
Meanwhile, the royal princess’ daughter Zara Tindall and her son-in-law Mike skipped the royal procession and headed straight to the races.
Also present was Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family and also a horse owner.
David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linely, also known as Earl Snowdon, is the son of the late Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon.
His sister, Lady Sarah Chatto, and her husband, Daniel Chatto, also attended the procession, along with Lord Nicolas Soames, a former Conservative MP and grandson of Winston Churchill.
Camilla’s friends, Colin Chisholm and Baroness Chisholm von Owlpen, as well as horse trainers Rachel and John Gosden, Lady Carolyn Warren and John Warren also attended the procession.
King Charles and Queen Camilla looked in high spirits as they arrived at Royal Ascot this afternoon
The 75-year-old Queen looked dapper at the races in a lime green coat dress and matching plumed hat
Queen Camilla pictured wearing a green coat dress by Anna Valentine and a hat by Phillip Treacy for Ascot
King Charles wore a gray suit, black top hat and pink printed tie on the third day of Royal Ascot
The newly crowned King and Queen were greeted with great cheers upon their arrival at Royal Ascot today
It looks set to be a busy day for King Charles – after he attended a Windrush service at St George’s Chapel to mark the 75th anniversary of the historic migration of Caribbean and Commonwealth citizens to Britain.
The British royal family attended the event in large numbers this week, including King Charles, Camilla, Princess Anne, 71, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as well as Princess Beatrice, 33, and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, 38.
Zara and Mike Tindall are leading the royal arrivals today and more from The Firm is expected to be seen today.
Sabrina Elba, the actress and wife of superstar Idris Elba, led the glamor today in a Kate Middleton-inspired white selfie suit and beret costing £710.
Zara stunned in a short-sleeved French lace dress by Scanlan Theodore, which she paired with an Emily London hat with pretty floral details.
Princess Anne’s daughter – who was styled by Annie Miall – wore nude heels by Julia Mays and jewelry by Lauren Coste, Sif Jakobs and Astley Clarke.
Many of the female dressmakers made the most of the relaxed new rules – which allow people to dress to male and female dress codes regardless of gender – and women in trousers and three-piece suits.
Pictured: King Charles beams at the crowds as he arrives at Royal Ascot with his wife Queen Camilla
The Earl of Snowdon, King Charles’ cousin, and his horse trainer Mark Prescott were also in the carriage with the royal couple
Princess Anne seen arriving at Ascot with husband Sir Timothy Laurence in a carriage behind Charles and Camilla
Zara and Mike Tindall led the Ladies Day arrival of the royal family as they arrived for the third day of Royal Ascot
Zara opted for a summery white lace dress for the occasion, while her rugby ace husband Mike paired them in neutral tones
Others, however, opted for plunging necklines and rocking heels, which will no doubt be revealed as the celebrations unfold.
Yesterday was a hot day as the champagne flowed freely and the guests were very merry well into the night.
As the drinks increased and the revelers began to celebrate their victories, they began to relax and fool around with each other, in good spirits on a sunny day.
Among the scenes of revelers heading home after a day of partying were smart women who had ditched their heels in favor of sensible flats to travel home, and a gentleman grabbing some snacks had to bridge it the evening.
The stylish contestants made for a colorful and glamorous spectacle as they arrived at the track early for another day of exciting racing and plenty of partying.
Many opted for wild and wonderful outfits for the occasion, some taking advantage of this year’s updated dress code that allows women to wear pants.
Pictured: The Queen appeared in high spirits when she arrived at Royal Ascot in June 2021 in what was to be her final visit to the races
Pictured: The Queen’s Racing Highlights exhibition, shown at Ascot this year
The glamorous scenes at the start of day two, where white seemed to be the color of the moment for early visitors, follow hilarious antics captured last night as the festival’s opening day drew to a close.
Before the queen’s vase went off, the queen was seen swaying nervously with anticipation.
Frankie Dettori was celebrated as he won the Queen’s Vase and celebrated his trademark by jumping out of the saddle onto the ground.
Despite their losses at the racecourse, the royal couple appeared in high spirits as they met up with other family members.
King Charles and Queen Camilla abandoned Zara Tindall earlier in the afternoon.
As Royal Ascot opened in 2023, royalty flocked to the racecourse to celebrate King Charles’ first event as monarch.
The royal roster included King Charles and Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall, and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The two appeared to be enjoying the sunshine of the event as they arrived ahead of the royal procession
Sir Clive Alderton and his wife Lady Alderton, private secretary to King Charles III. and Queen Camilla, also joined in the racing fun
Glamorous racegoers flaunted their splendor as they arrived for Day 3 of Royal Ascot today – many donned sky-high headpieces and form-fitting dresses for the event
Guests were photographed in stunning outfits in a rainbow of colors today while making the most of the sun on Ladies Day
This year, race organizers paid tribute to Royal Ascot’s “biggest fan”, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away last September.
During her 70-year reign, Her late Majesty attended almost every single Royal Ascot festival save for last year.
This year organizers have shared a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen having visited Ascot over the years.
Below is a black-and-white photo of the royal woman riding a horse on the tracks in 1960, when she was 34.
The mother-of-four was pictured wearing a headscarf and riding boots as her horse galloped around the track.
The Queen took part in an unofficial race along with other members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth.
In addition, the organizers also selected a photo of the beaming Queen at Ladies Day 2013.
In the pink! A woman opted for a stunning, colorful dress as she arrived at the Berkshire event ahead of Ladies Day
Strike a pose! A couple of friends appeared in good spirits as they arrived at the event in Berkshire this morning ahead of the big day
A flowery feeling! A woman presented an incredible hat with a huge flower on her arrival at the event in Berkshire
Yesterday, day two of Royal Ascot 2023 got hot as the winnings rolled in and the champagne was on hold
The event proved to be one of the Queen’s most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup – making her the first monarch to win the award in 200 years.
In the picture, the late Queen was seen beaming over her trophy, presented to her by her son Prince Andrew.
The Queen wore one of her signature coat dresses in a pretty shade of purple.
Under her jacket, the monarch wore a pretty floral dress – which matched the flowers on her hat perfectly.
Pictured is the Queen with a three strand pearl necklace – which she also wore to her last Ascot race in June 2021.