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Camilla may accompany the Queen to the Epsom Derby taking place on June 4, it has been reported. Given their shared love for horse racing, the Duchess of Cornwall may be the perfect candidate to provide the support needed by Her Majesty if the Queen decides to attend the British Classic in two-month time.
The claim the Duchess – who is set to become Queen Consort when Prince Charles accedes to the throne – has been earmarked to attend the Derby alongside the Queen has been reported by the Telegraph, which also noted Camilla will play an important role throughout the June bank holiday weekend.
This is because Prince Charles‘s wife is the president of the Big Jubilee Lunch and, as such, she is expected to front initiatives involving street parties held up and down the country in honour of the Queen.
Upon first announcing last year the main events to take place between June 2 and 5 to celebrate the Jubilee, the palace said the Queen would be expected at the Derby as well as at the Trooping the Colour parade.
However, since over the past few months the sovereign is believed to have been experiencing mobility issues, it is unlikely Buckingham Palace will confirm beforehand the Queen’s attendance to any of the events scheduled to celebrate her milestone.
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Moreover, special measures may be put in place wherever possible to make sure her arrival and stay is as comfortable and dignified as possible.
Camilla’s possible appearance at the Derby with the Queen would likely further fuel speculation the Duchess may take on the role of royal patron of horse racing after the end of Her Majesty’s reign.
Last June, the Duchess was particularly prominent during Royal Ascot – a detail noticed in the racing circles which sparked rumours she is being primed to succeed the Queen in her high-profile supportive role of the sport and horse breeding.
READ MORE: Queen’s special wish to gather all royals during her Jubilee
The source also claimed the Queen had encouraged her son and daughter-in-law to increase their involvement in racing.
During last year’s Ascot, Camilla discussed the Queen’s love for horses and the future of the link between racing and the royals during an interview with ITV Racing.
Asked if she would like to see the patronage established by the Queen over horse racing to continue through the next generation of royals, Camilla said: “Oh, I certainly would.
“Royal patronage of racing is extremely important for the whole industry.”
And speaking about her own involvement with racing, she continued: “There’s nothing to describe the excitement of winning.
“It’s the most exciting thing in the world. I’ve got a couple in training at the moment.”
The Duchess is already linked to a few associations focused on racing as well as breeding and horses.
In 2018, she became the first-ever patron of the National Stud, an organisation offering training courses and facilities to wannabe riders and first-class breeding services.
This came three years after the Duchess was named an honorary member of the horse racing organisation Jockey Club.
Last year, she became patron of HorseBack UK, which runs courses for former and serving members of the armed forces suffering from life-changing injuries.
The Duchess is also the patron of Ebony Horse Club, a charity and community riding centre based in south London which uses horses to raise the education, skills, wellbeing and aspirations of young people coming from disadvantaged communities.
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