Kate sparkled, William and Harry looked so dapper - pity about the race!
*MKILETEWA HAPA NA FLORA LYIMO DESIGNER*It was, in the end, the greatest show on turf.
Not the Derby, the classic flat race which is one of the highlights of the equestrian calendar, but the joyous family day out enjoyed very publicly by the Queen at Epsom Racecourse yesterday.
The biggest gathering of the Royal Family since the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge rendered the disappointing third-place finish of her much-fancied colt Carlton House almost trifling.
Royal occasion: The Queen with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice in the parade ring before the start of the Investec Derby"
Come on, Carlton House!: Kate and Wills and the Royal party watch the Queen's horse at the Epson Derby 2011"
Young royals: Princes William and Harry, dressed to the nines in their suits arrive at the Epsom Derby, with Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge at their side. Always the joker, Harry performs one of his silly walks"
Family affair: They made their way to the royal enclosure to show support for the Queen's horse, Carlton House"
Pink lady: The Queen arrives at the Epsom Derby in high spirits - and in a bright outfit - to cheer on her horse, which unfortunately did not win.
On her head she wore a Forties-style cappuccino-coloured hat with her hair rolled tightly to the nape of her neck.
She was on the arm of her husband Prince William, resplendent in top hat and tails, accompanied by a similarly-clad Prince Harry.
Carole Middleton also enjoyed the races watching not from the royal box with her daughter but from the stands"
Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, kept things simple, in a stylish off-white outfit with a nude-coloured fascinator"
Relatively sane: Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice both made a reasonable recovery after the fashion disasters at the Royal Wedding"
Deep in thought: William and Kate chat to a friend while the Queen watches the track, clutching her race programme"
Hats off to them: The princes minus their top hats, with Kate
Come on! Eugenie and Harry shout some encouragement during the race"
(Curiously, Kate’s mother Carole Middleton, a member of a racing syndicate, also had a horse running yesterday. It said much about the ease with which Kate has joined the Firm that she carried out her role with such aplomb while her mum mingled with the crowd.)
But if it was a regally united front, it was also a charmingly relaxed one.
Stylish: Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice look chic and summery in their outfits for the racing event - a far cry from the dresses they wore for their cousin's wedding"
Nail-biting: The Queen looks as though her mind might be on her horse's performance as grandson Harry looks on in the background"
A right royal gathering: The Queen enjoys her family's company at Epsom"
At 3.30pm she strode across to the parade ground to see Carlton House, named after a historic London Royal residence, being walked around the ring by his stable girl.
She laughed and chatted with other owners, her mood doubtless reflecting the fact that her horse had been declared 5-2 favourite by the bookies.
By 4pm, it seemed that more eyes were on the Royal Box, garlanded in Her Majesty’s racing colours of red, purple and gold, than were watching her longstanding jockey Ryan Moore as he entered the stalls.
Mum's the word: Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, was also at Epsom .And the young royals enjoying the racing action"
Horses for courses: Mickael Barzalona riding Pour Moi (second left, blue) challenges wide and late to win the Investec Derby. The Queen's horse Carlton House is fourth from left (jockey in red and purple top) - and finished third"
Champion: Jockey Mickael Barzalona celebrates winning the Investec Derby on Pour Moi "
Great white: Kate dazzled the crowd in a white dress while Princess Beatrice keeps hold of her hair"
But if they’d hoped to see the Queen biting her nails, they were disappointed for she remained to the rear of the Royal Balcony, perhaps unable to watch the running of the one-and-a-half-mile course with its tortuous inclines and deceptive cambers.
To the fore, Sophie Wessex covered her eyes with her hands as Prince Harry punched the air and Beatrice and Eugenie hopped with excitement.
Dazzling: Newlywed Kate, still tanned from her recent honeymoon, smiles broadly while Eugenie watches the fourth race at Epsom"
Fun day out: Kate and Eugenie share a joke at the races"
This sporting life: The royals, including Prince Andrew (right) gather to watch the horses in action"
Sadly, although Carlton House was roared home on a wave of affection for the Monarch, he lost a shoe midway through the race and with it any hope of victory.
In this, the sport of kings, the Queen has been historically unlucky at the Derby.
It is the only one of the five classic flat races she has never won and it appeared that Carlton House might be the horse to reverse 59 years of failure.
When he didn’t, she retained her habitual composure, accepted the consoling applause of the crowd outside the Royal Stand and watched intently as the French-trained and ridden winner Pour Moi was walked into the Winner’s Enclosure.
Perhaps she had not, after all, taken this magical day too seriously.
Certainly the bookies didn’t with William Hill offering 500-1 for the Queen to do a backflip, 66-1 to throw her hat in the air and 50-1 for her to high-five someone if Carlton House was indeed first past the post.
Alas he wasn’t and she had to make do with a victory of another sort: having her beloved and almost ostentatiously happy family around her, its colts and fillies, plus the old warhorse Philip by her side.
The Queen, who according to her racing manager John Warren had been hunched daily over the Racing Post in preparation for Carlton House’s Derby attempt, has already declared the 2012 race to be a centrepiece of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
She loves it because it is run by the rich but enjoyed by the people.
Opposite the expensive enclosures stuffed with racing aristocracy and British and Arab Royals is outfield, public land where crowds cong¬regate for free.
And when the day was done, there was not a man, woman or child on either side of the course who wasn’t wishing the Queen: ‘Better luck next year, Ma’am.’
LIZ JONES: FASHION VERDICT
Oh dear. It seems all the good taste of the Royal Wedding was an aberration, a one-off, never to be spied again.
On a boiling-hot summer day at Epsom for the Derby, it seemed the Royals had reverted to type and even the Queen had gone bonkers, wearing black shoes! At Epsom! In summer!
First of all, let’s deal with the Duchess of Cambridge, who on April 29 was deemed the Great White Hope of British High End Fashion, but is now just the Great White.
What was this, a nightie? I normally love nude shoes but she really needed an injection of colour, maybe a shocking-pink Roksanda Ilincic hanky skirt.
The Nehru-collared cardigan was too buttoned-up, while the silk chiffon skirt was way too short.
Kate wore a cardigan over her strapless Alexander McQueen ball gown for the wedding party, and now I’m beginning to wish she would show us her arms rather than her lovely thighs.
I loved, though, the upswept hair and a restrained hat that looks as if it is by Stephen Jones.
William and Harry looked very dapper and Old Etonian, while the Yorkies looked relatively sane for a change, and unlikely to frighten the horses.
I’m not a huge fan of Sonia Rykiel spots, but the floral dress is OK, if a little lamb dressed
as mutton.
Sophie Wessex was the big hit of the day in a cream edge-to-edge summer coat, sophisticated clutch, oyster slip and bondage belt. What on earth has got into her? Maybe she’s taking lessons in style from Giorgio Armani.
On a boiling-hot summer day at Epsom for the Derby, it seemed the Royals had reverted to type and even the Queen had gone bonkers, wearing black shoes! At Epsom! In summer!
First of all, let’s deal with the Duchess of Cambridge, who on April 29 was deemed the Great White Hope of British High End Fashion, but is now just the Great White.
What was this, a nightie? I normally love nude shoes but she really needed an injection of colour, maybe a shocking-pink Roksanda Ilincic hanky skirt.
The Nehru-collared cardigan was too buttoned-up, while the silk chiffon skirt was way too short.
Kate wore a cardigan over her strapless Alexander McQueen ball gown for the wedding party, and now I’m beginning to wish she would show us her arms rather than her lovely thighs.
I loved, though, the upswept hair and a restrained hat that looks as if it is by Stephen Jones.
William and Harry looked very dapper and Old Etonian, while the Yorkies looked relatively sane for a change, and unlikely to frighten the horses.
I’m not a huge fan of Sonia Rykiel spots, but the floral dress is OK, if a little lamb dressed
as mutton.
Sophie Wessex was the big hit of the day in a cream edge-to-edge summer coat, sophisticated clutch, oyster slip and bondage belt. What on earth has got into her? Maybe she’s taking lessons in style from Giorgio Armani.
Glowing: Sophie, Duchess of Wessex looked smart in a champagne silk skirt suit and large feathered hat"
Nice day for a flutter: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Edward at Epsom"
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