Buckingham Palace gives emotional update after Prince Harry’s announcement

Buckingham Palace has released important statement after King Charles and Queen Camilla led the traditional carriage procession to mark their return to Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

The royal family paid an emotional tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, sharing the late Queen’s iconic photos on their official Instagram account as the royals turned out in force to celebrate the event hours after Prince Harry’s announcement about his Invictus Games 2029 host contenders.

The King office shared the update on the prestigious racing event, stating: ”Today is the start of Royal Ascot, five days of horse racing with royal links dating back to the 1700’s.”

The statement continued: ”@AscotRacecourse established its Royal connections back in 1711, when Queen Anne first saw its potential as an ideal place for “horses to gallop at full stretch.”

The Palace wrote: ”What is now known as Royal Ascot started to take shape as ‘The Gold Cup’ in 1807, Ascot’s oldest surviving race.

”At 2pm, The Royal Family parade along the track in front of racegoers in carriages. The inaugural Royal Procession began in 1825 when King George IV led four other coaches with members of the Royal party up the Straight Mile.”

The Palace also gave fans a rare glimpse of the members of the royal family at Royal Ascot over the years.

The King, 76, and Queen, 77, were all smiles and in high spirits as they returned to  a carriage at the annual horse race meeting. The couple arrived at Royal Ascot in the traditional procession across the racecourse, marking 200 years since the pageantry was introduced by King George IV in 1825.

The prestigious annual event, attended by Prince William, Kate Middleton and other senior royals, still remains a cornerstone of the British summer season, alongside the Chelsea Flower Show and palace garden parties and one especially close to the late Queen Elizabeth's heart.