With the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, many changes occurred in the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth’s son, Prince Charles, became the King of the Monarchy. Among the Queen’s leisure interests, all her Race Horses were passed on to her Son, King Charles III and the Queen’s Consort, his wife Camilla, has become the official spokesperson for the Late Queen’s Mother’s Horse Racing interests.
Does King Charles have Racehorses – With the passing of Queen Elizabeth, all her Racehorses were inherited into the portfolio of her son, King Charles. The Queen owned approximately 100 horses and is said to have won over Seven Million Pounds in prize money. Her horses won a total of £560,000 in prize money in 2016, a sum that was surpassed in 2021 with a £584,000 payout. According to the Sandringham website, the late Prince Phillips used the prize money from his winning horses to improve the Estate’s Gardens.
The Queen’s Consort – the Spokesperson
The Queen Consort is ready to take over as the Royal Family’s spokeswoman for horse racing as the Sport mourns the death of its most famous patron. King Charles III was a novice rider who worked with Camilla at racetracks such as Cheltenham and Ascot. The monarch’s racing colors and the Sandringham stud were handed down to the King, who donned a purple body with a gold braid, red sleeves, and a velvet black riding cap with gold trim.
Despite this, Camilla has a “clear plan” to take over as royal figurehead due to her passion for the Sport. Camilla’s job will entail maintaining relationships with trainers after the Queen’s most profitable season last year, which garnered £584,000. The Queen’s bloodstock advisor, John Warren, was close to her and spent her final weekend with her.
“He’s always seen it, but it’s his mother’s fixation, so he’s kept it at arm’s length,” he said of Charles. The Queen’s love of bloodstock breeding resulted in a lengthy line of thoroughbred horses. Her horses are born at Sandringham Royal Stud and trained by various trainers. The Queen has owned numerous racehorses since her introduction to the Sport of Kings, and these horses have won over a thousand six hundred races and are continuing to rise to this day.
King Charles III – First Winner in the Royal Silks
King Charles III was “overjoyed” to celebrate his first win of the prestigious royal silks. Horses formerly owned by the late Queen now compete under the King’s purple, red, and gold colors, and Just Fine won at Leicester Racecourse.
“Their Majesties are thrilled with Just Fine’s success,” the King and Queen Consort’s envoy said. Just Fine, like the Queen’s most famous victory, Estimate in the Gold Cup at Ascot, was trained and ridden by Sir Michael Stoute.
King Charles – His Stable’s More Famous Inmates across the Years
- Carrozza won the Epsom Oaks and the Princess Elizabeth Stakes (named after her!) in 1957, becoming her first major champion. The Queen became Champion Owner for the second time in her life thanks to Carrozza’s Oaks triumph, making her the first monarch to do so.
- A year later, Pall Mall won the 2000 Guineas, giving the Queen her second classic. In 1942, George VI won the contest with Big Game.
- Highclere won the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in 1974, becoming the Queen’s third fillies classic winner after Carrozza and Pall Mall. Highclere retired to stud after winning the Prix de Diane.
- Dunfermline rose to prominence three years later, winning the Epsom Oaks and St Leger Stakes in a single season to become maybe the Queen’s most successful horse
- The Queen may have had a well-known and respected stable, but she had been unable to win the Ascot Gold Cup for decades. That is, until 2013 when Estimate and rider Ryan Moore blasted home to win the Ascot Gold Cup for the first time in the race’s 207-year history. Estimate had then become the Queen’s most famous horse in modern times.
Queen Elizabeth II – Horseracing was her Passion
The Queen Mother loved attending Royal Ascot. Her appearance was one of the highlights of the Week of Racing to watch her horses racing because she loved the Sport. She always arrived at Ascot with all the pomp and splendor Ascot Racecourse could muster.
From an early age when she lost herself when working in the stables to now owning some of the Worlds best thoroughbreds being trained by the best Horse Racing trainers in the World, she had come full circle in the World of horseracing, horses being the passion that saw her coming back to Ascot year after year.
King Charles III and the Queen’s Consort – Horseracing is their Passion
After the Queen’s Passing, there was a momentary pause in the United Kingdom as citizens paid their respect to the Queen. Her Horseracing interests also paused, but as we all know, life continues. The colors of King Charles III replaced the Queen’s, and he and his wife celebrated their first winner.
Undoubtedly, many more successful horses will be foaled at Sandringham Royal Stud. Of course, when these new foals eventually start racing, they will move to the Yards of the best trainers in the World and be ridden by the best jockeys in the World. The horses will be given every advantage to become some of the best racehorses in the World and every advantage to follow in the illustrious hoofprints of the Ascot Gold Cup Winner Estimate.
King Charles III’s stable of thoroughbreds will go from strength to strength, and with the Queens Consort at his side, being the Royal Family’s Horseracing Spokesperson. She will be encouraging and supporting one of the Queen’s most passionate leisure interests to ensure that the Horseracing interests of the Royal Family continue to flourish.