Latest news with #Queen
Times
an hour ago
- General
- Times
The Queen did carry cash for a flutter
Despite having her likeness plastered all over the stuff, the late Queen appeared to display a certain aversion to cash. During her reign it was widely assumed that Her Majesty invariably travelled light, relying on equerries and sundry flunkies to stump up the odd bob should she be confronted with a sudden urge, or obligation, to purchase an item, like a Women's Institute jar of homemade lemon curd or a tartan pin cushion from a Highland Games charity stall. The only exception to this pleasingly penniless existence was recorded in a ground-breaking documentary on the royal family in 1969, during which the monarch was witnessed buying an ice lolly for a five-year-old Prince Edward in a village shop near Balmoral. However, it now turns out that the Queen was anything but averse to splashing the cash. Speaking on The Times podcast The Royals, Ailsa Anderson, the Queen's press secretary, has revealed that her employer would now and then indulge in a flutter at the races, dispatching an equerry to the course bookmaker armed with a wad of her mint's finest. The result on one occasion was a £16 win, which provoked an outburst of royal delight out of all proportion to the sum involved. In a sense, we are all queens now. Cash is becoming a niche form of exchange, increasingly supplanted by cards and smartphones. A NatWest survey last year suggested that only 8 per cent of British adults use cash exclusively. Nevertheless, the end of the folding stuff (moolah, wonga, lolly, bread and dough) is far from assured. Cash use ticks up in periods of uncertainty, especially among people who don't have much of it. Studies suggest that the brain registers more pain when parting with hard currency than when tapping a card. And, as Her Majesty understood, there is certain pleasure in handling the pound sterling, especially when one's face is staring right back at one.
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Charles shares affectionate moment with Duchess of York as race win hopes dashed
The King has known Sarah for decades but she appeared out of the royal fold until invited to spend Christmas Day with the King and Queen at Sandringham in 2023. King Charles kisses the hand of Sarah, Duchess of York (Andrew Matthews/PA) Among the famous racegoers was Harry Potter author JK Rowling who was spotted in a box at the grounds with her husband Neil Murray, former defence secretary Ben Wallace and the King's niece Zara Tindall. On the track the King and Queen's racing pot of gold failed to materialise when their horse Purple Rainbow was well beaten in the aptly named Sandringham Stakes. The royal couple watched the fast-paced race from the royal box and were glued to monitors, with the King animated in the closing stages of the mile-long sprint. He bobbed on the spot as if willing on his jockey Warren Fentiman but Purple Rainbow, who was not fancied by the bookies, did not challenge the front runners. The couple looked up in the closing stages to watch the race as it came past the stands but Never Let Go crossed the line first and the King and his wife were left opened-mouthed. The King and Queen watch their horse being beaten in the Sandringham Stakes (James Manning/PA) The touching greeting between the King and his former sister-in-law, who still remains close to ex-husband the Duke of York, may be in part due to their cancer journeys. The head of state is receiving ongoing cancer care while Sarah has spoken publicly about her own treatment for skin and breast cancer, undergoing a mastectomy. At the start of the day racegoers were given a respite from this week's sweltering conditions but the hazy cloud over the Berkshire racecourse burned away by late afternoon pushing up temperatures. Staff were handing out free bottles of water and Will Aitkenhead, head of corporate and industry affairs at the track, said they had worked hard overnight to provide more shaded areas. The King and Queen were joined in the royal box by Camilla's old school friend Lady Cavendish and her husband Lord Cavendish, the former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad, the Queen's Companion the Marchioness of Lansdowne and musical maestro Lord Lloyd-Webber. JK Rowling in the stands at Royal Ascot (Andrew Matthews/PA) Charles and Camilla will have another chance at racing success – after two of their horses were well beaten earlier this week – when The King's Falcon runs in the Golden Gate Stakes, during Royal Ascot's final day on Saturday. The late Queen was a passionate owner and breeder of thoroughbreds and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign. Charles and Camilla have taken on her stable of horses and enjoyed their first Royal Ascot winner in 2023 when their horse Desert Hero triumphed in the King George V Stakes. Royal Ascot is as much a social occasion as a sporting event and towards the end of the day an online video emerged of two men apparently fighting at the grounds where tens of thousands had enjoyed the day without incident.
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Jack Draper becomes highest Wimbledon seed since Andy Murray but two-time champ ‘refuses to answer questions about him'
JACK DRAPER can shower with the big boys now as he secured a top-four seeding spot at Wimbledon. England's top hope fought off American Brandon Nakashima 6-4 5-7 6-4 to reach the Queen's semi-finals for the first time. Advertisement 5 Jack Draper has secured a top four seeding at Wimbledon Credit: Alamy 5 He is on a crash course with Carlos Alcaraz if he makes the Queens final this Sunday Credit: Alamy The Sutton star is on a collision course with Arthur Rinderknech 7-5 6-4 – his record 16th win in a row. Yet Court . And he can enjoy the comforts of washing in the exclusive Gentlemen's Members' Dressing Room , one of the perks of being an elite player. Draper – Britain's highest Wimbledon seed since defending champion Andy Murray was top guy in 2017 – said: 'This means the world to me. Advertisement READ MORE IN TENNIS 'This is a definite huge step for me. I remember last year going into the grass ranked around 40. 'To be inside the top-four come Wimbledon one year around, that's massive progress. 'A testament to my team, the dedication I have had for tennis, the work I have put in on a daily basis. 'You know, I live and breathe the sport and I'm obsessed with progressing. Advertisement Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 'I'm obsessed with becoming the player that I want to become all the time and achieve the things I want to. 'The top-16 seeds get, you know, a better changing room. There's some tournaments where it's top-eight seeds, in the Masters 1000s I've had this year. Andy Murray starts new career as agony aunt as he reveals details of 'terrible' first date with wife Kim 'Nothing is different apart from the fact that maybe, potentially, I won't see Alcaraz or Sinner in the quarters – if I make it there.' Advertisement Meanwhile, Murray won't be stepping into TV punditry work just yet – as he does not want to annoy Jack Draper with his words. Muzza, 38, hated it when he was playing and former British tennis stars, who had nowhere near his same level of ability or talent, gave him advice. Now retired and at a loose end following the dissolution of his coaching gig with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, the Scotsman could earn decent money working for the BBC. But the two-time Wimbledon singles champion is conscious of appearing in front of millions and saying something that current British No 1 Draper, 23, disagrees with. Advertisement Asked by GQ magazine if he feels the need to stay in the public eye, Murray replied: 'I'm not thinking daily that I need to tweet something or somehow remain relevant. 'That's why I'm much more interested in the idea of coaching because I feel like I'd actually really be helping someone. 'Whereas with punditry, it can be harmful. If I go and work at, let's say Wimbledon, you start getting asked questions about British players like Jack Draper. 5 Andy Murray has revealed he is snubbing a Wimbledon TV appearance Credit: Getty Advertisement 5 Murray told GQ he doesn't want to annoy the likes of Jack Draper Credit: Getty 'I know when the British ex–tennis players would talk about my tennis and what I should be doing. 'Because you respect them, you listen to what they're saying – but it's not always the same as what your coach is telling you. 'What the pundits are saying could be wrong. They're not right all the time, and when you're young, it's quite conflicting. Advertisement 'So I'd be more inclined to do coaching, because I think punditry is quite an easy gig. You can just throw stuff out there. "People love it if it's a bit controversial, but you don't actually have any skin in the game.' On an extremely hot day, Draper, 23, will try to out-ace Czech speedster Jiri Lehecka, who crushed the spirit of British star Jacob Fearnley 7-5 6-2 in the opening quarter-final. Dressed in all-black clothes, the black-haired Scotsman injured his arm returning one 138mph ace. Advertisement And overall he served TEN double faults as his service game malfunctioned due to nerves and anxiety. Fearnley, 23, moaned: 'He was serving great. I was serving terrible. At this level you can't give away that many free points.' BBC's Wimbledon TV comms team will be revealed on Monday. 5 Advertisement
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
Watch: Bloody brawl at Royal Ascot sparks police investigation
Police have launched an investigation into a bloody brawl that broke out on Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot. Footage emerged on Friday showing two racegoers swinging punches at one other at the event attended by the King, Queen and other senior royals. One of the smartly dressed men is covered in blood after being knocked to the floor in front of shocked onlookers before a group intervene to keep them apart. The racecourse confirmed the brawl took place on Thursday, and that those involved had been ejected. A police spokesperson said: 'We are aware of an affray that has taken place inside Ascot Racecourse yesterday. 'An investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident are ongoing, and we would ask anyone who recognises the people in the video to please come forward. An Ascot Racecourse spokesperson added of the incident: 'We operate a strict behavioural management policy and take a zero-tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour. Both individuals were apprehended and ejected, with one requiring medical treatment on site.' Police using drones and sniffer dogs to maintain control The brawl took place less than a week after Telegraph Sport revealed police drones, armed patrols and teams of sniffer dogs would be used to target troublemakers at this year's festival. Festivities spilt over into a handful of minor brawls last year, but police said they had a 'comprehensive' plan to keep arrests to a minimum at the meeting, which began on Tuesday. As with all major sporting events, cocaine-use among spectators has become an increasing concern for Royal Ascot in recent years. Police made 36 arrests during last year's festival, the vast majority off site. Allegations included assault, drink-driving and possession of class A drugs. The number of arrests was broadly consistent with previous years, with 35 in 2023. Police worked with Ascot Racecourse Limited and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead on this year's security plan. A security clampdown in 2018 led to the first widespread use of sniffer dogs near the main entrances as well as around bar and toilet areas at the site. This year's event has coincided with a heatwave that has led to hundreds of racegoers being treated at the course's medical centre. One spectator who fell ill with suspected heatstroke was sent to hospital on Tuesday, with crowds warned temperatures would reach 31C by Saturday.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Charles and Camilla's hopes of Royal Ascot winner dashed
The King and Queen's racing pot of gold failed to materialise when their horse Purple Rainbow was well beaten at Royal Ascot. Charles and Camilla watched the fast-paced race from the royal box and were glued to monitors, with the King animated in the closing stages of the mile-long sprint. He bobbed on the spot as if willing on his jockey Warren Fentiman in the aptly named Sandringham Stakes but Purple Rainbow, who was not fancied by the bookies, did not challenge the front runners. The couple looked up in the closing stages to watch the race as it came past the stands but Never Let Go crossed the line first and the King and his wife were left opened mouthed. Charles and Camilla will have to wait another day to try to double their tally of Royal Ascot winners. The late Queen was a passionate owner and breeder of thoroughbreds and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign. Charles and Camilla have taken on her stable of horses and enjoyed their first Royal Ascot winner in 2023 when their horse Desert Hero triumphed in the King George V Stakes.
