Queen Elizabeth II: A Royal Love of Horses

Remembering Queen Elizabeth II and her lifelong love of horses

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June 19, 2026 6:04pm EDT

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Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Late Highness The Duke of Edinburgh arrive at Royal Ascot, 1962. (Credit AP)

A Royal Love of Horses

As Royal Ascot reaches its final day, we reflect on one of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's greatest passions: her lifelong love of horses.

From an early age, horses occupied a special place in Her Majesty's life. A gifted rider, dedicated breeder and enthusiastic racehorse owner, she possessed an extraordinary knowledge of bloodlines and racing that earned admiration throughout the sporting world. Horses remained a constant source of enjoyment throughout her seventy-year reign, bringing moments of both personal pleasure and public celebration.

Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Late Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at Trooping the Colour, 1965.
(Credit Mirrorpix via Getty Images))

The image of Queen Elizabeth II on horseback became one of the defining symbols of her reign. For many years, Her Majesty personally rode as Sovereign for the Trooping the Colour, demonstrating both her confidence as a horsewoman and her commitment to one

of Britain's most cherished royal traditions.

Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II - alongside HRH Princess Anne - with her Gold Cup winning horse Estimate on Ladies Day of Royal Ascot, 2013. (Credit Getty Images)

Nowhere, however, was Her Majesty's passion for horses more visible than at Royal Ascot. For decades, racegoers and television audiences alike looked forward to the sight of The Queen arriving in the Royal Procession, a tradition that became synonymous with the occasion itself.

Throughout her life, Queen Elizabeth II bred and owned hundreds of thoroughbreds, achieving more than twenty Royal Ascot winners in the royal colours and helping to sustain one of Britain's most cherished sporting traditions. Today, her legacy continues to be honoured through the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, one of the meeting's most prestigious races, named in recognition of her remarkable contribution to British racing.

As Royal Ascot draws to a close once again, we remember a monarch whose devotion to horses was known and admired around the world, and whose presence remains an enduring part of the event's remarkable history.

Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II rides her horse Surprise along the racecourse before the festival opens it doors at Royal Ascot, 1961. (Credit PA Images)

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Queen Elizabeth II: A Royal Love of Horses

Remembering Queen Elizabeth II and her lifelong love of horses

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