Is the Queen going to Royal Ascot this year?
15 June 2021, 15:52
As Royal Ascot 2021 begins this week, royal fans are questioning whether the Queen and other members of the Royal Family will be attending the special event.
Royal Ascot has returned this year after last year's event was moved behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But now, the special horse-racing event has returned as part of the Government's Events Research Programme.
Royal Ascot is known to be one of The Queen's favourite events of the year, only missing one year since 1946.
Her Majesty has had a busy June already, most recently hosting Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden at Windsor Castle, all while grieving Prince Philip, who passed away in April this year.
With such a busy month already, royal fans have been left questioning whether the Queen will attend the event this year.
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Will the Queen attend Royal Ascot this year?
For day one of Royal Ascot 2021, the Queen was a no-show.
However, this does not ultimately rule out a potential appearance at the races later in the week.
John Warren, the Queen's racing manager, confirmed on Tuesday the monarch would be missing out on the first day of Royal Ascot.
He told the Today programme: "Obviously the Queen would love to attend, as you know she's fanatic about racing, watching racing and breeding horses, and has been going to Ascot all of her adult life.
"So, it's a shame to miss an event. The plan at the moment is to see how it goes towards the latter part of the week and if the Queen's able to come because she's got runners, then, fingers crossed, it will happen."
Which members of the Royal Family will attend Royal Ascot this year?
On Tuesday, the first day of the event, a number of members of the Royal Family were pictured attending the races.
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, were in attendance, alongside Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Wessex.
It has not been confirmed whether Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will be attending this year.
Royal Ascot runs until June 19, so fingers crossed for some more royals and some iconic fashion.
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