King Charles only has eyes for one horse, and it’s not one of his late mother’s famous racehorses. QEII spent decades loving and breeding horses. She always attended the biggest races in the UK, and she was gifted many prize horses throughout her reign. She spent a lot of time and money developing her horse-breeding program. When QEII died, King Charles immediately began briefing the press about his plans to dismantle his mother’s operation and sell all of her horses. I think Queen Camilla talked him out of that position, although he did sell off some of his mother’s stable. In the past year, Charles has been trying to rebrand himself as someone who shares his mother’s obsession with horses. He even made a surprise appearance at Epsom a few weeks ago to watch one of his horses come in last place (lmao). Well, ahead of Royal Ascot, we’re once again talking about Charles and horses. Buckingham Palace is really laying it on thick, giving Roya Nikkhah at the Times a full briefing about how Charles is a late-in-life horse enthusiast.
After the death of the most ardent, longstanding patron of horse racing in history — Elizabeth II — the industry feared that the royal seal of approval for the sport would be lost. Charles, they noted, had never shared her fervour for the turf. Some say she would have preferred to be a stud manager than Queen. But the King has quietly been building his own passion for the sport that his late mother adored, despite the challenges of his new role and a cancer diagnosis.
Those close to Charles say he watches the birth of his foals on an iPad via a live feed from the Sandringham royal stud, eagerly anticipates receiving photographs of how they are developing and tunes in to see all his runners on television.
When Royal Ascot starts on Tuesday, Charles, 75, who is still receiving cancer treatment, is expected to attend every day except Wednesday, with the Queen, 76, attending every day. They will “potentially” have runners on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Last year both were visibly emotional when their horse, Desert Hero, bred by the late Queen, took the George V stakes to become their first Ascot winner. Many punters were surprised to see the King and Queen follow Desert Hero to Doncaster last September, where they watched him finish third in the St Leger.
Nick Smith, the director of racing and public affairs at Royal Ascot, said: “Racing has never had and will never have a patron who was as passionate for such a long time as Queen Elizabeth II, and so there was anxiety about the transition. But to see the King and the Queen’s genuine engagement is fantastic.”
A source said: “Desert Hero was a big kick for the King, once he started having winners he became much more engaged, not only in his runners but in the breeding programme at the royal stud. But he’ll never be like his mother, who would have preferred to have been a stud manager than Queen.”
LMAO, this is such a turn-around from the palace briefings in October 2022, I have to think that Buckingham Palace did some polling on it and there were high-level discussions about how to position Charles. England is a horse-loving nation, and it rubbed people the wrong way that Charles’s first instinct, as king, was to dismantle something his mother had built for decades. I do not believe Charles watches the foals, nor do I believe he gives a sh-t about what’s happening in his stables. Now, sure, he probably enjoys the races. But they’re positioning him as super-involved in the hopes that people will say “oh, he’s just like his mother.”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
EGLWYSWRW, WALES – JULY 3: Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales greet horses as they visit Dyfed Shire Horse Farm in Eglwyswrw on July 3, 2018 in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Dyfed Shire Horse Farm is a family run enterprise that has been breeding the Dyfed bloodline of Shire Horses for almost 40 years, on a farm that has been in the family since 1849.,Image: 515558765, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon 
Britain’s Prince Charles pets a horse as he visits the Royal Parks in Hyde Park, London, Britain, June 23, 2021.,Image: 617429646, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon 
The Prince of Wales, known as the Duke of Rothesay while in Scotland, and Patron of the Clydesdale Horse Society, with police horses after viewing a statue of a Clydesdale horse situated by Lanark Auction Market, Lanark Agricultural Centre,Image: 720290012, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Milligan / Avalon
Horse racing Doncaster Races St Leger Festival HM The King Charles and HM The Queen Camilla in the Parade Ring prior to their horse DESERT HERO running in The Group 1 Betfred St Leger Stakes British Champions Series over 1m 6f Â743,000 during Day 3 of the St Leger Festival horse race meeting at Doncaster Racecourse, Doncaster, United Kingdom on 16 September 2023. Doncaster Doncaster Racecourse Yorkshire United Kingdom Editorial use only , Copyright: xMickxAtkinsx PSI-18014-0068,Image: 805777583, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Mick Atkins / Avalon 
Queen Camilla meets Khadijah Mellah winner of the 2019 Magnolia Cup during a visit to The British Racing School in Newmarket, Suffolk, to mark their 40th anniversary. Over the past four decades it has trained thousands of people and equipped them with the skills to excel in Britain’s second biggest spectator sport, horse racing. Featuring: Queen Camilla Where: Newmarket, United Kingdom When: 01 Jun 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the Derby Festival at Epsom racecourse in Surrey. Featuring: King Charles III and Queen Camilla Where: Epsom, United Kingdom When: 31 May 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
King Charles III attends the Derby Festival at Epsom racecourse in Surrey. Featuring: King Charles III Where: Epsom, United Kingdom When: 31 May 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
King Charles III watches as horse Treasure races in The Oaks during the Derby Festival at Epsom racecourse in Surrey. Featuring: King Charles III Where: Epsom, United Kingdom When: 31 May 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
King Charles III and Queen Camilla watch as horse Treasure races in The Oaks during the Derby Festival at Epsom racecourse in Surrey. Featuring: King Charles III and Queen Camilla Where: Epsom, United Kingdom When: 31 May 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcW9ma4N2e8qipaCXk52us7jErJaiq4%2Bpv7q1zaCWraePp7KjvsCnm5igmaLAprjFmJisl5GUuaLAxGagp2WcnrOmq8eoqaydj5q7tbTUrKCaq6Rk