Queen Consort Camilla has been tipped to continue one of the former monarch's favourite hobbies.
Plans for her to take over the Queen's racehorses are likely to be confirmed in the coming weeks, reports suggest.
Camilla and King Charles have had a number of their own thoroughbreds in training over the years, competing at tracks including Cheltenham and Ascot. But the Queen has always headed the royal family's interest in what is known as the 'sport of kings.' Sources say her daughter-in-law Camilla is expected to take the reins as racing mourns the loss of its biggest supporter.
Frankie Dettori led the tributes at Doncaster's St Leger meeting yesterday, rescheduled from the previous day as a mark of respect.
A senior racing source told the Mail on Sunday : “I think now it will be Camilla – she will be the figurehead. The plan has always been that Charles and Camilla would take on the legacy.
“Camilla obviously adores horses and is hugely passionate about racing. She really loves it, particularly Cheltenham – the jumps. I think there’s a pretty clear plan, given the Queen’s passion and love for racehorses.”
Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Tindall have also had a number of runners in recent seasons. Their focus has been on the jumps – and both are regulars at Cheltenham Racecourse, where Zara was appointed to the committee in 2019.
The Queen has seen her horses compete both over obstacles and on the Flat, a code under which they earned more than £300,000 in prize money this season.
King Charles is due to inherit the Sandringham stud and ownership of Ascot racecourse, where his mother's horse Estimate won the Gold Cup in 2013.
Footage of the special moment was widely shared on social media in the days after the Queen's death.
Over the years, more than 1,600 winners carried her famous racing silks – a purple body with gold braid, scarlet sleeves and black velvet cap.
The Queen enjoyed victories in four of the five British Classic races – and only the Derby at Epsom was missing from the full set. Without a runner in this year's race, in June, the event still formed part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
When The Queen could not attend race meetings, she was known to follow the sporting action live on television. Until she experienced mobility problems, she would always attend Royal Ascot, one of her favourite events of the summer.
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