The Queen at Royal Ascot: why her winners give the greatest thrill

Madeleine Silver's avatar
By
Published In Features
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Cutting a dash: The Queen with Princess Anne, followed by The Queen Mother in 1970
(Image credit: Popperfoto/Getty Images)

You don’t need to have backed The Queen’s horses to get a thrill from seeing her colours surge past the winning post first at Royal Ascot. Her Majesty, clad in her signature array of vibrant outfits is at the heart of this meeting, and we’ve dug into the archives to celebrate some of her most-loved winners. Don’t miss our full report from next week’s Royal Ascot in 29 June 2017 issue of Horse & Hound magazine

1951
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1951

Princess Elizabeth arrives at Royal Ascot with her mother in 1951

1953
(Image credit: Getty Images)

1953

Just a few weeks after her Coronation, The Queen's horse Choir Boy, ridden by Doug Smith, wins the Royal Hunt Cup

1954
(Image credit: Reg Speller/Fox Photos/Getty Images)

1954

Her Majesty strokes the much-loved Aureole after winning the Hardwicke Stakes in 1954

1956
(Image credit: Getty Images)

1956

The Queen's racehorse Alexander, ridden by Harry Carr, passes the royal box at Ascot, to win the Royal Hunt Cup in 1956

1958
(Image credit: Getty Images)

1958

The Queen and Princess Margaret with The Queen's Restoration after winning the King Edwards VII Stakes

1961
(Image credit: PA Archive/PA Images)

1961

The Queen's Aiming High (left) with jockey Lester Piggott wins The Coronation Stakes in 1961

1970
(Image credit: Popperfoto/Getty Images)

1970

Cutting a dash: The Queen with Princess Anne, followed by The Queen Mother in 1970

1970
(Image credit: Popperfoto/Getty Images)

1970

The Queen with Princess Anne and The Queen Mother in 1970, awaiting the arrival of Magna Carta, after winning the Ascot Stakes

1992
(Image credit: Getty Images)

1992

The Queen's horse Colour Sergeant leads the field in the Royal Hunt Cup in 1992

2008
(Image credit: Getty Images)

2008

The Queen greets her horse Free Agent after it lands The Chesham Stakes in 2008, ending a drought of Royal Ascot winner that had extended back to 1999

2013
(Image credit: Getty Images)

2013

The Queen congratulates her horse Estimate, after taking the Gold Cup on Ladies Day in 2013

2015 Ascot Duke of Edinburgh Queen
(Image credit: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

2015 Ascot Duke of Edinburgh Queen

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Madeleine Silver
Madeleine Silver
Former features editor

A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.