The Queen & Her Horses

The smile that beamed across the face of Queen Elizabeth II – and TV screens worldwide – when her horse Estimate won the 2013 Ascot Gold Cup said it all. For a few sweet moments the polite mask of duty was cast aside for the world to witness The Queen’s unadulterated happiness at cheering on a cherished horse to give its all. It was in the world of horses that the late Queen was able to taste some part of the life she might have had were it not for an accident of birth – and an abdicating uncle. A familiar sight in her headscarf, cantering her black Fell ponies through Windsor Great Park, Elizabeth II’s longevity in the saddle was awe-inspiring. This special edition commemorates Her Late Majesty's lifelong passion for equestrianism.