A look back at Queen Elizabeth II’s love for sports
The Queen’s passion was horse racing, but her love of sports extended even further beyond that. She attended several sporting events throughout her reign.
The late Queen Elizabeth II loved sports - in particular, horse racing. She bred and raced horses and her affection for the animals and sport was well known throughout her reign. But she was also a huge fan of cricket, football, Wimbledon, and the Royal Ascot.
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It was typical to see the Queen meeting with cricket teams and attending famous sporting events. She presented World Cups and several other sporting accolades during her 70-year reign. She was at the FA Cup final in 1949, the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley, the Royal Box at Wimbledon in 1977, the Rugby World Cup final in 1991, the Euro Final in 1996, and the London Olympic Games in 2012. The Queen saw a lot of sport history being made firsthand.
The monarch would often send messages to athletes during important events, sending congratulations or messages of support. In 2013, Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to win the Ascot Gold Cup winning horse.
In her final years, her love for equestrianism continued on, and one of her last public appearances was a visit to the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral Castle at age 96 on Thursday, September 8.