King Charles and Queen Camillam left fans baffled with their emotional reaction to an unexpected situation at Royal Ascot.
The 77-year-old King appeared visibly upset as his horse, Warrant Holder, finished a close second in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes race on Friday.
However, royal fans remain deeply protective. At 77, as the King faces cancer with quiet courage, they hope he can avoid undue stress.
A royal aide reflected: “Some moments hit you out of nowhere. You can’t always control the emotion — you just have to feel it.”
“People worry because they care so much,” they added. “But the King and Queen show remarkable resilience. Even after a difficult moment, they recover their energy and carry on with grace.”
It comeas after the King’s four-year-old thoroughbred, trained by John and Thady Gosden, appeared destined for glory before being overhauled in the closing stages.
The moment brought a sudden change to the royal couple’s excitement.
The King and Queen displayed a range of emotions as they watched the race from the Royal Box.
At times, the royals shouted encouraging messages; at others, they looked weary and anxious, and sometimes even in despair.
King Charles could barely watch as Warrant Holder fell to second in the final lengths.
However, Gosden expressed satisfaction with his charge despite the narrow defeat, praising the horse’s effort from an unfavourable position.
“That was a super run, and I’m really thrilled with him,” the trainer said.
Despite the disappointment, the atmosphere remained warm as the King and Queen made their way to greet Warrant Holder and his connections.
The defeat means the royal wait for Ascot success continues, with Desert Hero’s 2023 triumph remaining their most recent victory at the prestigious fixture.
The thoroughbred had been inherited from his late mother a year before, and the rank outsider’s victory left King Charles visibly moved by his sensational victory.
2026-06-20 13:21:00
