SOURCE: BBCNEWS
The Queen will not attend the Epsom Derby on Saturday, Buckingham Palace has said.
She will instead watch the showpiece horse racing event – which is part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations – on TV at Windsor Castle, the palace said.
Until the pandemic, the Queen had only missed Derby Day twice in her reign.
The 96-year-old earlier pulled out of Friday’s Jubilee thanksgiving service after experiencing “discomfort” during Thursday’s events.
The Queen has previously spoken of mobility problems and the palace confirmed ahead of the Jubilee the monarch would consider the events she felt able to attend during the four-day celebration.
Nonetheless, the event was officially billed as being attended by the Queen.
The Princess Royal is expected to officially represent the Queen at Saturday’s Derby.
Earlier, the Queen’s love of horse racing was referenced at a packed thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell praised her for “staying the course” and said she was “still in the saddle”, even though she was not able to attend.
Derby Day will see the Queen’s unprecedented 70 years on the throne celebrated by 40 retired and current jockeys who have ridden for the monarch, and will form a guard of honour.
The jockeys will dress in her distinctive purple, gold and red racing silks, and racecourse owners the Jockey Club say the Queen’s Stand will be permanently renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Stand.
The Queen’s hopes of having a winner on this year’s Derby Day ended earlier as her only runner was pulled out of a race.
Just Fine had been entered for the penultimate race but was removed at Thursday’s 48-hour declaration stage. Another of her horses Reach For The Moon, who was among the early favourites for the Derby itself, was withdrawn in May along with two others.
Thoroughbreds owned by the Queen have won four out of the five flat racing classics, with only the Derby eluding her.
Meanwhile, a Jubilee attendee said she was told the Queen was “fine” by the Duchess of Cambridge during an event at London’s Guildhall earlier.
Gill Smallwood told PA news agency she had asked after the Queen during a conversation with the duchess, who replied that the monarch had found the first day of Jubilee celebrations “very tiring”, but had a “lovely time”.