The Queen has missed every day of Royal Ascot for the first time since her coronation.
The racecourse confirmed the monarch had not attended this year’s royal event, as she continues to experience ongoing mobility issues.
It said the only other occasion when the Queen had not attended took place in 2020, when “racing was held behind closed doors due to the pandemic”.
She will watch the final day of the racing event on TV, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The Duke of Kent will take the Queen’s place in leading the royal carriage procession, along with Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The 96-year-old celebrated her Platinum Jubilee earlier this month, with four days of parades, street parties, and other events held across the UK and the Commonwealth.
The Queen attended her first Royal Ascot in 1946 and has not before missed an entire meeting since she ascended the throne 70 years ago.
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Between 1953 and 2019 and in 2013, Her Majesty he has been in the winners’ enclosure 24 times and also made sporting history when she became the first reigning monarch to win the Gold Cup.
Last year, the Queen, who is a dedicated racehorse owner and breeder, missed the first four days but attended on the Saturday.
The monarch had more than 10 horses entered over the five days of the meeting this year. She has one horse running today – the Kings Lynn in the Platinum Jubilee stakes at 40-1.
The Royal Ascot, which is a 15 minute drive from the Queen’s home in Windsor, runs for five days, and today is the final day.
The Queen’s absence comes as the UK has been experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures peaking at 32.7C (90.9F).
On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were all smiles when they arrived at Royal Ascot amid sizzling temperatures.
William and Kate have not attended the Berkshire meet for several years and were welcomes with cheers, which they acknowledged with a wave, as crowds in the parade ring caught a glimpse of the royal couple.
They arrived in the traditional carriage procession leading the group of royal guests as the Queen was notably absent from the famous racecourse.
Peter Phillips was in the carriage behind with his girlfriend Lindsay Wallace, who had attended a number of events with the Queen’s grandson over the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
Due to the hot weather, organisers announced that a dress code would not be enforced in all enclosures and racegoers could remove jackets and ties now the royal procession had ended.
A spokeswoman for Royal Ascot said: “This is all to do with the consideration of safety and guests are able to bring in soft drinks and water to stay hydrated and comfortable in this lovely weather.”
