King Charles breaks down in tears amid historic Ascot races win: Queen ‘would have been proud’

King Charles and Queen Camilla shed a few tears yesterday as they bagged their first ever Ascot win - prior to the Monarch knocking over over his trophy in an emotional moment on the podium.

The royals broke down as they watched their horse Desert Hero win the King George V race while standing in the royal box.

After losing twice the day before, Charles and Camilla were delighted to secure their first ever win at Royal Ascot, marking the first time the event has been hosted since the Queen died in September.

During her 70-year reign, the late Queen Elizabeth won more than 24 Ascot races and Charles’ niece Zara Tindall revealed that the moment was “bittersweet” for both the King and Queen.

Chatting to ITV, Princess Anne’s daughter said: “It’s bittersweet to think how proud and excited the Queen would have been.

“To have a winner for Charles and Camilla and to keep that dream alive. And besides all that, what a race!”

The couple’s horse trainer, William Haggas, said: “They’re absolutely thrilled.

“They’ve been looking forward to Ascot for a long time, it’s very important for horse racing, important the King and Queen enjoy it.”

What’s more, King Charles accidentally knocked over the trophy during the presentation ceremony as he couldn’t hide his emotion.

The late Queen Elizabeth was a lifelong equestrian enthusiast. Her admiration of the animal began when she was gifted a Shetland pony named Peggy by her grandfather George V when she was just 4 years old.

According to her racing adviser, the late monarch was chatting about “her love for her horses right to the very end”.

Warren revealed that he spent the weekend prior to the Queen’s death in September in Scotland, talking about her horses, as they had done on many occasions before.

“We sat there for hours over the weekend strategizing and making plans going forward,” he said.

The Queen died at Balmoral Castle at the age of 96.

Royal Ascot paid homage to the late Queen this year with a heartwarming photo collection showing her racing highlights over the years.

After being crowned Queen in 1953, she travelled to the horse races in Berkshire every year, with the only exception being 2020 as a result of the Covid lockdowns.

The collection featured an old black-and-white photo from 1960 of the royal riding on the horse tracks when she was only 34 years old.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.