Like her late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth, Queen Camilla has always been a horse girl. Royal Ascot is a highlight on Camilla’s calendar every June, and she joins The King and other members of the Royal Family on each day of the races. This year, The Queen looked elegant in shades of cream and blue—along with a parade of designer bags—but on June 20, she was snapped in one moment that any racegoer can relate to.
Dressed in a bold royal blue dress by Fiona Clare and a matching Philip Treacy hat, Queen Camilla fumbles with her Lady Dior bag, a pair of gloves and a £20 bill in a photo captured on the balcony of the Royal Box. It felt refreshingly down-to-earth to know that even The Queen carries some betting money to the racecourse, and the folded bank note displayed a photo of Queen Elizabeth instead of the updated King Charles bills.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold previously told Marie Claire (via Spin Genie) that members of the Royal Family are indeed “allowed to bet on horses,” and Queen Elizabeth “was famously known for betting” at the races.
Queen Camilla is seen with a £20 note and her Lady Dior bag on the final day of Royal Ascot 2026.
(Image credit: Backgrid)
Queen Camilla and King Charles ride in the royal procession on June 20.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth wears a similar outfit with the same brooch while chatting with jockeys.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Harrold shared “there’s a clip of her winning a whole entire £20, which she was really excited about,” adding that the royals “don’t bet silly; they just bet what anyone else would put on…They like putting something on; it would be wrong not to.”
But even if the late Queen did bet at Ascot, she wasn’t known to carry cash in her purse—with one exception. Per the Telegraph, Queen Elizabeth always brought one “precisely folded” five-pound bill to put in the donation plate at church on Sundays.
As for Queen Camilla, Harrold says she’s the one to go to for betting advice. “If you’re going to be taking advice on which horses, I would look at Camilla for a good tip,” he shared.
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