The Sport of Kings (and Queens)

Michael Montagu looks back on the history of Royal Ascot and Henley Royal Regatta

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Summer wouldn't be complete without two famous sporting fixtures which are an integral part of the legendary “London Season”, although neither takes place in London. First up is horse racing, the sport originally known as “the sport of kings”. Due to the passion for racing of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, it is now really “the sport of queens”.

Twenty-five miles or so west of London, in the leafy Royal County of Berkshire, is Ascot, home of the renowned racecourse. The course was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 when, out near Windsor Castle, she came upon Ascot Heath which she described as “ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch.” On 11 August that same year, the first race meeting was held. The prize for Her Majesty's Plate was 100 guineas, with the race open to any horse aged six or over and carrying a weight of 12 stone. The initial race had seven runners. Unlike today's races, there were four heats, each four miles long. The name of the winner was not recorded. In honour of its founder, the opening race each year is called the Queen Anne Stakes.

The racecourse buildings were originally of a temporary nature, with the first permanent stand, accommodating 1,650 spectators, being built in 1794. A few years later, in 1813, parliament passed an act ensuring the future of Ascot Heath as a place for public racing. The first Royal Ascot meeting seems to have been held during the early years of the reign of King George III in 1768, with the Gold Cup race being inaugurated in 1807. It is the main race on the third day of the royal meeting, Thursday, traditionally called Ladies’ Day. Until 1939, the four-day royal meeting was the only racing held at Ascot each year.