Since 1711, Ascot Racecourse has been associated with the Royals and is one of the most prestigious racecourses in the UK. Starting on Tuesday 18th June, Royal Ascot 2024 will see thousands of attendees, including King Charles III and the Royal Family.
The late Queen had a fondness for horses and racing and this has continued to a lesser extent through her son Charles - and the Royal runners will be popular in Royal Ascot tips amongst racing fans.
Queen Elizabeth II was also a huge fan of Royal Ascot itself, attending the event year upon year and it is hoped that Charles will continue this legacy as long as he is still able.
An average of 300,000 visitors attending Royal Ascot each year and the event is one of Britain’s most popular race meetings. The question posed however is whether the reigning monarch will be present at this year’s Royal Ascot?
Is King Charles Attending The Royal Ascot Festival 2024?
His Majesty King Charles is expected to attend every day of Royal Ascot 2024.
Traditionally, each day of the racing week at Royal Ascot begins with the Royal Procession where the Royal family members and their guests arrive in horse drawn carriages before spending the day in Ascot’s Royal Enclosure.
Queen Anne founded the Ascot Racecourse in 1711, and the meeting officially became a Royal week in 1911.
You will notice that many of the Ascot races have had Royal themed names, including the ‘Windsor Castle Stakes’ and the ‘King George V Stakes’.
Does King Charles Have Any Runners At The Royal Ascot Festival 2024?
Last year King Charles was represented by six runners at Royal Ascot. His horses ran in the following races and their final finishing positions are in brackets:
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Saga in the Ascot Wolferton Stakes (5th of 16)
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Reach For The Moon in the Ascot Royal Hunt Cup (27th of 30)
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Circle Of Fire in the Ascot Queen’s Vase (4th of 14)
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Desert Hero in the Ascot King George V Stakes (1st of 19) won at 18/1 in the betting.
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Candle Of Hope in the Ascot Sandringham Stakes (5th of 29)
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King’s Lynn in the Ascot Wokingham Stakes (9th of 27)
A repeat win at Royal Ascot is on Desert Hero's agenda this season and last year's St Leger third returns after being gelded over the winter.
Trained by William Haggas, Desert Hero raised the roof at Ascot last June when providing King Charles and Queen Camilla with their first success at the Royal meeting when arriving late on the scene to capture the King George V Stakes.
At the time of writing, the King and Queen have four runners entered at Royal Ascot 2024 and they are as follows:
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Wednesday, 19 June 2024 - 5:05 Slipofthepen (Royal Hunt Cup)
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Thursday, 20 June 2024 - 3:45 Treasure (Ribblesdale Stakes)
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Friday, 21 June 2024 - 5:40 High Order (King George VII Stakes)
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Saturday, 22 June 2024 - 3:45 Desert Hero (Hardwicke Stakes)
All these entries are subject to change so please check them before you place any antepost wagers on the Royal runners in our horse racing betting.
The King Charles III Stakes
While King Charles may not be as passionate about horse racing as both his late mother and the current Queen, he does have a race named after him at the Royal Ascot meeting.
Formerly the King's Stand Stakes, the five furlong sprint is a Group 1 race on the opening day of the meeting but it was renamed the King Charles III Stakes to recognise his 75th birthday.
While unlikely to have a Royal runner in the race, it'll still be a great occasion for King Charles to present the winning connections with their prize after the race's conclusion.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
