Holding THE REINS

Horses have played an important part in the lives of the Queen and Prince Philip, with the thrill of competition at the heart of their shared passion

- CHRISTABEL SMITH

Of the many interests Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip had in common, a love of horses was near the top of the list. After all, Queen Victoria, their shared great-great-grandmother, is said to have become so excited by a race at Ascot, she broke the window of the royal box in her rush to see the finish.

Once asked what she’d have chosen to be if history hadn’t dictated her future, the Queen answered:‘A farmer’s wife. I would love to live in the countryside with my horses and dogs.’ It wouldn’t be too hard to imagine HRH mucking out stables in a pair of green wellies, while her husband raced around the fields in a horse-drawn carriage!

Their marriage lasted seven decades, but the royal couple were never joined at the hip and their equine passions took them in different directions. While the Queen was always happiest at a race meeting, cheering on her horses, her husband was more likely to be found on a polo pitch, judging dressage or driving a carriage.

He was always a keen sportsman and impressed young Princess Elizabeth at their first meeting by jumping over a tennis net. At the age of seven, Philip rode with his cousin, King Michael of Romania, on the beaches of the Black Sea.