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King Charles and Queen Camilla Mark Special Anniversary With Royal First
King Charles and Queen Camilla Mark Special Anniversary With Royal First originally appeared on Parade.
The Royal Ascot is the annual week of horse racing at Ascot Racecourse, which is a track founded in 1711 by Queen Anne. It is located about six miles from Windsor Castle, and it is traditional that the Royal Family ride in a procession from the castle to the racecourse to kick off the first day of the event.
This year marks a special milestone, as it is the 200th anniversary of the Royal Procession. To celebrate, and Queen Camilla have brought a first-ever installation to the racecourse — The Queen's Reading Room.
"This year, The Queen's Reading Room will be present at Royal Ascot for the first time and we do hope that the installation will be of interest to those who visit — and that the delights of reading might even serve to enhance the pleasures of riding…" reads the statement from the King and Queen. We love the pun!
The Queen's Reading Room is Queen Camilla's literacy charity that works "to celebrate and promote the power and benefits of reading, in the UK and beyond," according to its official continues, "Through groundbreaking neuroscientific research, we seek to discover and celebrate the unique power of books to improve brain health, mental health and social connection…Our charity seeks to promote the accessibility and joy of stories and storytelling, and we reach more than twelve million people in 174 countries around the world each year with our free, educational content around books; as well as staging major festivals and events around the UK and internationally."
The Royal Ascot runs from June 17 until June 21. King Charles and Queen Camilla wish the best of luck to all the competitors. Below is their statement in full:
"We are delighted to welcome you to Royal Ascot, where we will experience another week of top-class racing, drawing competitors and spectators from across the world. No doubt there will be some spectacular performances on the track this week, to which we can all look forward."This year marks the 200th anniversary of the first royal procession to Ascot racecourse from Windsor Castle in the reign of King George IV. This has become a familiar feature of the Royal Meeting ever since, and a unique spectacle in the world of racing. The hardworking Windsor Greys look magnificent every da,y and in this special year, they deserve extra recognition, as do those in the Royal Mews who look after all the horses with such dedication.
"This year, The Queen's Reading Room will be present at Royal Ascot for the first time, and we do hope that the installation will be of interest to those who visit — and that the delights of reading might even serve to enhance the pleasures of riding.
"Last year, we were delighted to witness an Australian winner of the first running of the King Charles III Stakes and look forward to seeing a number of top-quality international runners compete this week. The worlds of racing and breeding are truly international, and Royal Ascot continues to be a crucial week in the global calendar for both.
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"Having experienced the thrill of victory at Royal Ascot ourselves in 2023, we can only wish all those competing this week the very best of luck and that everyone watching has a most enjoyable five days."
The aforementioned 2023 victory was King Charles III's first win at Royal Ascot as reigning monarch when his horse Desert Hero won the King George V Stakes.
For the 2025 Royal Ascot, King Charles has two horses competing — Reaching High is running in the Ascot Stakes on Tuesday, June 17, and Rainbows Edge is running in the Kensington Palace Stakes on Wednesday, June 18.
King Charles and Queen Camilla Mark Special Anniversary With Royal First first appeared on Parade on Jun 17, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
