Weeping Charles and Camilla are overcome with emotion as they secure their first ever Ascot win

Charles and Camilla broke down in tears this afternoon as they secured their first ever Ascot win – before the King knocked over his trophy in an emotional moment at the winning podium. 

The royal couple were overcome with emotion as they watched their horse Desert Hero win the King George V race from the royal box.

After two losses yesterday, Charles and Camilla were thrilled to scoop their first ever win at Royal Ascot, which is the first time the event has been held since the Queen passed away last September.

Over the course of her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth had over 24 Ascot wins – and Zara Tindall said the moment was ‘bittersweet’ for King Charles and Camilla.

Speaking 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 trainer William Haggas added: ‘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.’

During the presentation ceremony, King Charles accidentally knocked over the trophy to begin with and couldn’t disguise his joy. 

The late Queen had a lifelong love of horses – having received a Shetland pony called Peggy from her grandfather George V when she was four years old.

According to her racing adviser, the late monarch – who passed away at the age of 96 last September – was discussing ‘her love for her horses right to the very end’.

Mr Warren said he spent the weekend before the Queen died in Scotland, discussing her horses, as they had done so many times before.

‘We sat there for hours over the weekend strategising and making plans going forward’, he said.

This year, Royal Ascot have paid heartwarming tribute to the Queen with a photo exhibition of her racing highlights.

Following her Coronation in 1953, the Queen travelled to the racecourses in Berkshire at least once a year to attend the event – and only missed it in 2020 due to Covid lockdowns. 

To mark the first Ascot since her passing, organisers have displayed a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years.

These include a black-and-white photo of the royal riding on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34 years old.

The mother-of-four was pictured with a headscarf and riding boots on on as her horse galloped along the track.

The Queen was taking part in an unofficial race with others members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth.

What’s more, the organisers also selecting a photograph of the Queen beaming at Ladie’s Day in 2013.

The event turned out to be one of the Queen’s most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup – making her the first monarch in 200 years to scoop the prize.

King Charles lead the procession for a third day today as he arrived at Royal Ascot with Queen Camilla.

The monarch, 74, opted for a traditional charcoal morning suit and pink tie, which he paired with a black top hat. 

Queen Camilla, 75, looked suitably sophisticated in a pale green V-neck coat dress by UK designer Anna Valentine, which she also owns in pink.

The stylish royal paired it with a matching hat, complete with a feathered trim, by Phillip Treacy – who also designed her wedding headpieces. 

Camilla also wore a diamond brooch belonging to the late Queen, a five-strand pearl necklace, a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet and a pair of pristine white gloves.

The Earl of Snowdon, King Charles’ cousin, and his horse trainer Mark Prescott were also rode in the carriage with the royal couple. 

As their horse-drawn carriage drew into the Royal Enclosure, the group were met with huge cheers from the crowds. 

Princess Anne – dressed in a chic green lace gown and white hat -and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence followed in the second carriage.

Meanwhile, the Princesss Royal’s daughter Zara Tindall and son-in-law Mike skipped the royal procession and headed straight to the races. 

Also in attendance was Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family who is also a horse owner. 

David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linely, also known as Earl Snowdon, is the son of the late Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. 

His sister, Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto joined the procession too, alongside Lord Nicolas Soames, a former Conservative MP and grandson of Winston Churchill.

Camilla’s friends, Colin Chisholm & Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen as well as horsetrainers Rachel and John Gosden, Lady Carolyn Warren  and John Warren also joined the procession.

It’s shaping up to be a busy day for King Charles – after he attended a Windrush service at St George’s Chapel marking 75 years since historic migration of Caribbean and Commonwealth citizens to Britain.

The British royal family have been out in force at the event this week, with King Charles, Camilla, Princess Anne, 71, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice, 33, and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, 38, all attending.

Zara and Mike Tindall lead the royal arrivals today, with more of The Firm expected to be seen today.

Sabrina Elba, the actress wife of superstar Idris Elba, led the glamour today in a Kate Middleton-inspired white Self Portrait dress suit and beret, which costs £710. 

Zara stunned in a french lace short sleeve dress from Scanlan Theodore, which she paired with an Emily London hat with pretty flower detail. 

Princess Anne’s daughter – who was styled by Annie Miall – wore nude heels by Julia Mays and jewellery  by Lauren Coste, Sif Jakobs and Astley Clarke. 

Many of the female dressers made the most of the relaxed new rules – which allows people to dress from male and female dress codes regardless of their gender – with women in trousers and three-piece suits.

While others opted for plunging necklines and teetering heels which will no doubt be kicked off as the festivities continue. 

Yesterday the action hotted up as the champagne flowed and guests got very merry into the night. 

As the drinks kept coming and revellers began celebrating their wins, they began to loosen up and lark about with each other, in good spirits on a sunny day.

Among the scenes of revellers who were heading home after a day of partying were savvy women who had ditched their high heels in favour of sensible flat shoes to travel home in, as well as a gentleman who had picked up some snacks to tide him over for the evening. 

Stylish attendees made for a colourful and glamorous display as they arrived at the racecourse earlier for another day of nail-biting races and plenty of partying.

Many opted for wild and wonderful outfits for the occasion, with some taking advantage of this year’s updated dress-code which permits women to wear trousers.

The glamorous scenes at the beginning of day two, where white seemed to be the colour of the moment among the earliest attendees, come after hilarious antics captured last night as the opening day of the festival came to a close.

Before the Queen’s Vase got underway, the Queen was seen nervously swaying in anticipation.

Frankie Dettori was cheered as he won the Queen’s Vase and performed his trademark celebration of jumping out of the saddle onto the ground.  

Despite their losses on the racecourse, the royal couple appeared in great spirits as they met with other members of their family. 

King Charles and Queen Camilla left Zara Tindall in stitches earlier in the afternoon. 

The opening of Royal Ascot 2023 saw plenty of royals descend on the racecourse to celebrate King Charles’s first event as monarch.

Included in the royal line-up was King Charles and Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall, and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

This year, organisers of the race have paid tribute to Royal Ascot’s ‘biggest fan’, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away last September.

During her 70-year reign, Her late Majesty attended almost every single Royal Ascot festival, with the exception of last year.

This year, organisers have displayed a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years.

They include a black-and-white photo of the royal riding on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34 years old. 

The mother-of-four was pictured with a headscarf and riding boots on on as her horse galloped along the track.

The Queen was taking part in an unofficial race with others members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth. 

What’s more, the organisers also selecting a photograph of the Queen beaming at Ladies Day in 2013. 

The event turned out to be one of the Queen’s most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup – making her the first monarch in 200 years to scoop the prize.

The late royal was pictured beaming at her trophy, which was presented to her by her son Prince Andrew. 

The Queen was dressed in one of her signature coat dresses in a pretty shade of purple. 

Underneath her jacket, the monarch wore a pretty floral dress – which perfectly complimented the flowers on her hat. 

In the image, the Queen is seen wearing a three-strand pearl necklace – which she also wore to her final ever Ascot in June 2021.