Latest news with #Sandringham
The Independent
18 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Charles shares affectionate moment with Duchess of York as race win hopes dashed
The King shared an affectionate moment with Sarah, Duchess of York during a day his hopes of a Royal Ascot winner were dashed. Charles kissed Sarah's hand when the pair met in the famous racecourse's parade ring, as the duchess' daughter Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank watched. 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. 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 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. 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 Independent
3 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.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Meet the 17-year-old who is riding for the King at Royal Ascot
You would be hard pressed to find any 17-year-old who has ridden for the King at Royal Ascot. So it is little wonder Warren Fentiman describes the prospect as 'mind-blowing'. The apprentice jockey will on Friday take the reins of Purple Rainbow on what is also his first festival racing in front of the King. It caps a dream start to a career in the saddle for the teenager, coming less than a fortnight after he scored a landmark win on Derby day at Epsom. Like the King, the teenager has the sport in his blood, with his father, Duran, also a jockey. Indeed, just last month, the pair raced against each other for the first time after the latter recovered from breaking a leg in four places in September. 💨💨💨 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐲 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 (7-1) flies home from the rear in the @Betfred Dash @EpsomRacecourse @RichardFahey | @FentimanWarren — Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 7, 2025 But, despite boasting more than 400 winners, Fentiman snr has yet to ride for the Royal family, an honour that is about to be bestowed on his son in Friday's Sandringham Stakes. 'It's just mind-blowing that I'm riding for the King,' says Fentiman, whose tender years are all too clear when he refers to Charles as 'Your Majesty', rather than 'His Majesty'. The teenager, who is allowed to carry 5lb less weight until he scores 40 wins, adds: 'I've never thought about myself riding for the King ever. But doing it as a 5lb claimer, it's something to be proud of.' Remarkably, neither of his parents will be there to share the moment, with his father racing elsewhere this week. 'He wants all the pictures, videos, me ringing him flat out,' Fentiman says. 'Because he's never experienced the full week here.' He adds of his mother: 'Mum would love to come but she's doing a show with my little sister.' Fentiman will not be short of support, however, with plenty of family and 'close mates' in attendance. There are also those back home in North Yorkshire, including school friends who will now be doing A-Levels while he rides for the King. 'There'll be a few people that will just message me, saying, 'How are you?', see that I'm doing well,' he says. 'And the people that do message me from my school, they always support me and say, 'Well done'. 'It's just nice that people that you spent all your early stages of your life with are still watching and supporting.' Fentiman has already had four rides this week and was winning Thursday's Britannia Stakes with around a furlong to go before fading badly and finishing 11th. Admitting he has been pinching himself just being at Royal Ascot, he says: 'When you're just about to go in the stalls, you're looking at the stands and there's just thousands and thousands of people. It just gives you a good thrill.' Bred by Queen Elizabeth II, Purple Rainbow is a 20-1 shot to deliver what could be the King's first win of this year's Royal Ascot. 'Everyone wants to win because it's Royal Ascot,' Fentiman says. 'But I'd say he's got a very nice chance. He's got a low weight, with my claim off. Hopefully, if everything goes well, he should go close. 'It would be amazing if I won for Your Majesty. I don't know what would happen. I think my mum would cry.' They call it 'doing it the hard way', making all the running, but Trawlerman – John and Thady Gosden's 'old boy' – knows no different and ran out a seven-length winner of the Gold Cup in a track-record time. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, the Godolphin-owned gelding ensured there was no hiding place for any stamina-lite rivals. Aged seven, the chances are that Trawlerman is not going to become a multiple winner of the world's most prestigious staying race like Yeats, Stradivarius or even Kyprios, popular winners of the race in the recent past. But there is something about a heroic front-runner like Crisp, Desert Orchid, Persian Punch, Double Trigger – horses who were all venerated by the racing public. William Buick went out to ride Trawlerman knowing he had a number of things in his favour; he knew the gelding gets the trip, that his two principal rivals here had never tried it, that he acts on fast ground and that, maybe not that it would have mattered, this time there was no Kyprios playing the role of heartbreaker. Buick's job was also made easier, he admitted, because the horse does it himself and he only had to start pushing when he could see Illinois's shadow start to loom, just to make sure the Ballydoyle runner would never get the chance to come up for oxygen. TRAWLERMAN WINS THE GOLD CUP 🏆🔵 @godolphin | @WilliamBuickX — ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 19, 2025 In different circumstances, Illinois might have got home but, thus put to the sword, he was in the red on the stamina dial going into the final furlong while Trawlerman just galloped on in his relentless style all the way through the line. It has been an extraordinary week for the Gosdens, winning the feature race each of the first three days as well as two others, but this might just have capped it. 'Trawlerman just goes off,' said the trainer, winning the Gold Cup for the fifth time. 'I said to William 'what did you do?' and he said, 'I threw the reins at him, he can judge pace better than me', and off they went together and picked it up from five out. He is an out-and-out galloper and William judged it perfectly – it is not an easy thing to do over 2½ miles. 'On the basis he stays, if anyone is going to go by him, they will know they have been in a race, but they never got to him because he simply outstayed them.' He added: 'He ran Kyprios to a length last year and they were both all out. He deserved, with Kyprios not here, to come back and show that he is a proper horse. We like the Cup races and those lovely staying horses. I remember the great horses – Lester Piggott rode Sagaro and he could turn the last six furlongs in 1min 12sec flat. That is what I like, a horse that can go the distance and then go, and you can't catch them. That is style.' Even Sagaro might have struggled to go Trawlerman's lick, though. He knocked an impressive 1.9 seconds off the previous track record, set 15 years ago. Record times usually require two things; fast ground and a pacemaker, but Trawlerman did it without any help; that really is the hard way. 'We tried the same tactics last year,' said Buick, 'and we were only beaten by the great Kyprios. He has been such a good horse and is so genuine. He had a beautiful prep and was just so smooth throughout the race today; he's really what you want in a 2½-mile race. I did not have to touch the brakes once. He was on autopilot; he knows his own speed and stays well, so I was just a passenger. 'Winning the Gold Cup is right at the top. It is 2½ miles, an extreme distance, at Royal Ascot. It is a race that, when you get into the last half mile, that is where you separate the horses that stay and don't stay. That is when Trawlerman comes into his own.' Aidan O'Brien might have had to settle for second in the Gold Cup, but he still managed three winners with Charles Darwin in the Norfolk, Garden Of Eden in the Ribblesdale and Trinity College in the Hampton Court, so it was left to the Highclere-owned William Haggas-trained Merchant to get the winning feeling out beyond the coterie of big owners who have been dominating this week. Merchant is owned by 15 members of Highclere's Barn Owl syndicate. 'When we bought him my phone was ringing and ringing, and I thought, 'Aargh, who's that?'' explained Harry Herbert, who has been running Highclere for more than three decades. 'It was William who said, 'I have just seen you've bought that horse. I have never asked before in 33 years, please can I train him?' And here we are, at Royal Ascot – it's very special.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Royal fans are convinced Princess Charlotte gave a sweet nod to mother Kate Middleton in Father's Day portrait with Prince William
Royal fans are convinced Princess Charlotte paid a subtle tribute to her mother the Princess of Wales in a heartwarming new photo celebrating Father's Day. The ten-year-old was all smiles as she posed alongside Prince William and her brothers Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, seven, in the sweet snap, which was shared on social media over the weekend. But it wasn't just the family's coordinated looks that caught fans' attention, as eagle-eyed royal watchers soon spotted a very familiar accessory. Peeking out from her khaki jumper, Princess Charlotte appeared to be wearing a green and navy tartan scarf that looks strikingly similar to one previously worn by her mother Kate. On Christmas Day, the Princess of Wales was seen sporting the Kiltane cashmere check scarf when she joined her husband and three children for the traditional church service on the Sandringham estate. Kate teamed the cosy tartan wrap with a structured forest green Alexander McQueen coat, dazzling blue topaz and diamond earrings by Robinson Pelham, and a sleek black Grace Han handbag. And it appears she may have let her daughter borrow the beloved item, as a very similar pattern can be made out in the bottom left corner of the Father's Day portrait. The photo, taken by photographer Josh Shinner, was captioned with a handwritten message from the royal siblings: 'Happy Father's Day, Papa (before and after!) We love you! G, C & L.' One royal fan soon spotted the similarities, writing: 'Is Charlotte wearing this scarf? Or is it just a similar one?' A second added: 'I think Princess Charlotte is wearing a scarf that belongs to her mother, Catherine, Princess of Wales!' However, other fans were more sceptical and pointed out that the textures and colours of the scarf's fabric seemed to be slightly different - and theorised Charlotte had just taken inspiration from Kate's wardrobe instead. Charlotte, who wore a sweet denim skirt for the portrait, has often echoed her mother's signature style, and their coordinated fashion choices continue to delight fans. Just last week, the mother-daughter duo shared a twinning moment at Trooping the Colour, where Kate made her much-anticipated return to royal duties. The Princess of Wales stunned in a bespoke aquamarine coat dress by Catherine Walker, complete with crisp white detailing at the collar and cuffs. She paired the look with Gianvito Rossi suede pumps and a matching Juliette Millinery hat, adding a regal flourish to the ensemble. Charlotte looked equally polished in a dress in the same soft blue hue, accented by a white band and teamed with white Mary Janes and a sweet horseshoe-shaped brooch. It was a look that nodded to Kate's outfit while allowing Charlotte's personality to shine, something the duo have perfected over the years. The Father's Day snap itself symbolised an uncharacteristic break from tradition by the royal family as keen photographer Kate chose not to capture the image to commemorate the special celebration. In one of the images shared on Instagram, the royal children - all sporting dusky green ensembles - beamed as they faced the camera as William affectionately placed his hands on his children's shoulders. In a second, more candid snap, the youngsters tackled their father with hugs, laughing as they played in a patch of grass. Last Father's Day, Kate left royal fans in tears over her 'perfect' Father's Day photo of Prince William with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Shared on Instagram and X, the picture was posted alongside a personally signed social media post from the three children, declaring 'We love you, Papa. Happy Father's Day.' Kensington Palace said Kate's picture of William, George, Charlotte, and Prince Louis, was taken on the Norfolk coast in May last year. The post was the first time a message from the three children featured on the family's social media accounts - and some fans couldn't cope after seeing the 'sweetest' photo and caption. 'My leaky eyes are leaking again! Beautiful photo. Thank you,' wrote one person in the comment section of the post. Another said: 'What a beautiful photo, thank you for sharing,' while a third added: 'This photo and their message... just perfect.' 'So heartwarming! A beautiful Father's Day tribute from the little royals,' another person said. A fifth wrote: 'This is the sweetest picture.' In a break from tradition, the portrait was taken by Josh Shinner instead of Kate - who has a known interest in amateur photography and will often take photos of her children for their birthdays and special occasions. Just hours after the Prince and Princess of Wales's Father's Day photo, Meghan Markle shared her own tribute to her husband Prince Harry. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, described the father of her children as 'the best', adding: 'Happy Father's Day to our favorite guy.' She shared a heartwarming snap showing a Happy Father's Day banner hanging from their garden in Montecito, California, where Harry could be seen clutching his two children tightly on his lap. In a series of clips, with Jason Mraz's Have it All playing in the background, the duke is also seen cuddling his children when they were newborns and playing with them on the beach, in a waterfall and on a swing. The duke is also filmed teaching Archie how to ride a bike as the Sussexes gave an unprecedented glimpse into their lives since leaving Britain for California when they stepped down as working royals in 2020. Meghan shared the snap with her 3.8million followers on Sunday, at which time she had not posted any tribute to her own father Thomas Markle, 80, whom she has been estranged from for a number of years. While just months ago, the couple had rarely shared a glimpse of their two children online, Meghan has increasingly uploaded photos of the pair to her Instagram account in recent weeks.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Loughnane raring to get going at Royal Ascot again
Loughnane's week would get better when his Newmarket training ally George Boughey legged him up aboard Soprano in the Sandringham Stakes, completing a double on the biggest stage and a week he will always remember fondly. Billy Loughnane after riding Rashabar to victory in the Coventry Stakes (John Walton/PA) 'It was a good Ascot last year and I'm excited to get back there, said Loughnane. 'It was a brilliant feeling winning the Coventry and ticking it off so early in the week was great. It was a special day and it was great to be there on the big stage. To also win on Soprano later in the week really was the icing on the cake.' The young jockey has big ambitions of another dream week in Berkshire and is already busy amassing a stacked book of rides for five of the biggest days of the Flat season. And it is last year's Ascot heroine Soprano who Loughnane is pinning his hopes on once again as she returns to the Royal meeting for the Duke of Cambridgeshire Stakes, along with stablemate Bountiful who could provide a Sandringham double for not only Loughnane and Boughey but also owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing. Loughnane continued: 'I've hopefully got a good book of rides and some good teams behind me. I've got some nice ones for George and Jane Chapple-Hyam and some other connections as well. 'Royal Ascot is the peak of our whole season so it's important to go there with chances of winning. I'm hoping for a big week and will be disappointed to shoot a blank. 'Soprano will probably be my standout of the week and was a winner there for me last year. She's going to run again and is in great nick. I've been riding her at home, she likes Ascot and loves quick ground and providing we get that I think she seems really well and will be going there with a good squeak. 'Bountiful can also run well for Highclere and George. She's going to run in the Sandringham and her work has been good and I think stepping up to a mile will help her. I think she could be a bit of a sleeper.'
