Queen Camilla was all smiles on Wednesday as she made a new appearance at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York Racecourse, just hours before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their bombshell decision to move back to the UK.
The Queen braved some of the first heavy rain in weeks to attend the event. Camilla was announced as “the most welcome visitor here at York today” as she arrived at the North Yorkshire venue during a downpour.
Royal jewellery and attire
The Queen, who became patron of the course in 2024, wore a blue straw feathered Philip Treacy hat, an Anna Valentine blue dress and a Jockey Club brooch. She also wore a diamond and sapphire butterfly brooch originally gifted to the late Queen Elizabeth II at the Birmingham Spring Fair in February 1977.
Camilla met retiring jockey Joe Fanning, who made a full recovery from prostate cancer at the end of last year, on the day she revealed how difficult it had been keeping the King’s cancer diagnosis a secret.
Meeting unsung heroes
As the Queen arrived at the venue, she met “unsung heroes” of the racecourse and representatives from local organisations, including Bereaved Children Support York, Friends of Rowntree Park and racehorse rehoming charity New Beginnings.
Camilla watched from a box as the RAF Falcons display team performed a parachute display, before taking a salute. The rain had been replaced with blue skies as she met Gold Cup-winning jockey Fanning on the pre-parade ring.
Fanning's recovery and royal chat
The 55-year-old had been honoured with a special presentation after announcing his desire to retire last month after almost 40 years. His career had been put on hold when he was discovered to have prostate cancer, undergoing surgery earlier this year and subsequently making a full recovery.
He said he and the Queen had discussed the fact that some of her own horses would be racing at the venue later in the week, and described her as a “nice woman”.
Harry and Meghan's announcement
Camilla’s appearance came hours before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their decision to relocate to the UK. Reports have claimed that the couple informed the Queen’s husband, King Charles, on Sunday, so Her Majesty would likely already have been aware of the latest updates on Wednesday.
