It’s one of the most famous dates in the UK sporting calendar and there are no prizes for guessing which royals made their presence felt at this year’s horse racing showpiece, the Cheltenham Festival.
The Princess Royal and Zara Tindall were regular attendees at this year’s event, as they are every year, and we also got a sighting of the Duchess of Cornwall who had to hold on to her hat as Storm Gareth made its presence felt at the festival. As Cheltenham comes to an end, here are the photos of the royals at the races.
Day One
‘Champion Day’ saw two of the Royal Family’s most passionate equestrians at Cheltenham. The Princess Royal attended alongside her daughter, Zara Tindall, as a new record was set for attendance on day one of the famous Festival.
Day Two, Ladies Day
Day Two saw the Duchess of Cornwall enjoying some time at the races in a week that was otherwise dominated for her by final preparations for the major tour of the Caribbean which she is beginning on March 17th. Camilla was on hand to congratulate trainer Nicky Henderson, owner Patricia Pugh and jockey Nico de Boinville as they celebrated Altior’s big win in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The Princess Royal continued her attendance at the Festival. Zara Tindall and her husband, Mike, also enjoyed racing action as Ladies Day brought in more record numbers for Cheltenham.
Day Three
The third day of the Cheltenham Festival saw Zara Tindall on hand to see a very famous moment indeed. Bryony Frost became the first female jockey to ride a top level Grade One winner over jumps at the event and secure a place in racing history alongside her horse, Frodon.
Day Four
Princess Anne did the honours as Cheltenhem celebrated another special moment on the final day of this year’s meeting. For the first time, trainer Willie Mullins saw one of his horses win its most famous trophy, the Gold Cup. After years of waiting, he collected the famous prize from the Princess Royal. Peter and Autumn Phillips and Zara, of course, were also there to watch. And with that, the Festival was done for another year.
