Queen Elizabeth won't be able to watch the Royal Ascot for the very first time in her 68-year reign. The horse racing event attended by the British upper class every year is also being staged for the first time behind closed doors.
According to CNN, the Royal Ascot races will go as planned but because of the coronavirus, a lot of the usual pomp and pageantry will not take place. There will be no procession with the royal family and no trophy presentations. There will also be no people allowed to watch the races live from the grandstands.
In April, the Royal Ascot official website announced that it will not open to the public for public health reasons. Though the decision expectedly disappointed a lot of its regulars, the safety of its guests is more important.
The Queen, however, sent her message to the Royal Ascot enthusiasts, as she has done so every year for the last 68 years. She said that this year's celebrations will undoubtedly feel different. But the Queen is still delighted to welcome the horses and jockeys that will be competing this year.
Because of the social distancing measures, races at the Royal Ascot will feature just the participants on their scheduled day. There will be 36 races in total, which will be spread out over five days.
But the Queen, the royal family, and other racing enthusiasts will still be able to watch the races via television. The Queen's granddaughter, Zara Tindall, still dressed up for the occasion even if she and her husband, Mike Tindall, will be watching the races at home.
In a post in Instagram, Mike actually shared their photo all dressed up for the iconic British racing event. Mike wore a top hat and a blue tie to match Zara's blue dress and fornicator. Apparently, dressing up for the occasion is also a part of their efforts to raise money for the coronavirus frontline workers.
Meanwhile, amid the celebrations, Queen Elizabeth also recently had a toned-down celebration of her official birthday parade, the Trooping the Colour. She was the only royal present to watch the parade live at Windsor Castle on June 13. The public was advised not to come to the grounds as precautions against the coronavirus are needed to ensure that the Queen will not contract the virus.
