A source told the Mail on Sunday that the racing festival is “the perfect event for his current ‘bubble-style’ distancing preferences,” adding: “There will be lots of fresh air and plenty of chances to be seen by Royal fans who will be desperate to get a glimpse. I would bet that he attends on Tuesday, the day of the King Charles III stakes.”
The King Charles III Stakes was named last year in honour of the monarch’s first racing week since he ascended to the throne in September 2022. He attended all five days.
The late Queen had opted to watch her beloved horses compete on TV at Windsor Castle rather than attend Ascot in person in 2022, leaving the Duke of Kent with the task of leading the royal carriage procession.
She was rarely seen as happy as when one of her horses was victorious at the event, and last year her dream was “kept alive” as her son watched Desert Hero, an 18-1 shot bred by Elizabeth II, win the King George V Stakes.
The new King appeared visibly moved as he watched the victory while Queen Camilla was seen beside him in the Royal Box wiping a tear from her eye.
His niece Zara Tindall noted that it was a “bittersweet” moment for the family because their minds would have been on “how proud and excited our grandmother, the Queen, would have been”.
While all the King’s plans remain in flux and subject to medical guidance, there is “great hope and optimism” from Charles and his doctors about a tentative return to public life.
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