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Tens of thousands of racegoers revelled in the party atmosphere Saturday as Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee party kicked off with a day at the races.
Rapturous racegoers greeted the 86-year-old sovereign, an avid horse racing fan and a respected breeder and owner, as she arrived dressed in royal blue to start four days of celebrations for her 60 years on the throne.
An estimated 200,000 people were expected to join her to watch the Derby at Epsom Downs racecourse, and packed the grandstands and the slopes for a view of the occasion, waving Union Jack flags ahead of the queen’s arrival.
Celebrations began with a parachute jump display, in which members of the army’s “Red Devils” team spun giant Union Jacks before landing on the turf to huge cheers, with others streaming smoke as they twirled through the overcast sky.
The 86-year-old monarch and her husband Prince Philip, 90, were driven down the course before mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins sang the national anthem ahead of the racing.
Gazebos were covered in bunting and flags, while food stalls were doing a roaring trade and music blared out as people whizzed through the air at a funfair.
Pincy Bryant, 43, a truck driver from Shoreham, was dressed to the nines in Union Jack regalia: a waistcoat, bow tie, braces and even heart-shaped sunglasses.
“I did have the hat but it blew away,” he lamented.
“I’m very excited. It’s my first time here today and I’m looking forward to a lovely day.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing Her Majesty. It’s a special day for all of us. She is one in a million. God save the queen!”
Other racegoers sported top hats and tailcoats and were wielding bottles of champagne.
The Derby, Britain’s richest horse race, is the showpiece of seven races taking place Saturday at Epsom, southwest of London. It is often described as the world’s greatest flat race.
The queen is a Derby regular and loves flat racing, while her mother, also queen Elizabeth, was a fan of jump racing.
Despite her age, the sovereign is still a regular rider. She reads the Racing Post newspaper every morning and likes to be kept up to date with the latest news from the racecourses.
Bookmaker Diane Barrett was stood holding a fistful of notes as punters studied the prices.
“You just need the sun to come out and give it that spark in the atmosphere,” she said.
“The atmosphere is electric once the horses come round the corner. It’s one of those where you just hold your breath.
“It’s a very special year. It’s never going to be like this again.”
Besides watching the races, the royals will view the paddock and the winners’ circle to get a close-up look at the horses.
This year’s Derby is expected to be the best-attended single sporting event in Britain, with attendance at the race in a normal year around 125,000.
The queen could be forgiven for sneaking away at 3:10 pm (1410 GMT) to watch the racing from Haydock Park, where her four-year-old filly Set to Music is due to run.
The horse could have raced at Epsom but the queen decided it stood a better chance in northwest England.
The Derby is the only one of the five English classics — the 2,000 Guineas, the 1,000 Guineas, the Epsom Oaks, the Derby and the St. Leger — that Queen Elizabeth has never won.
The closest she got was in 1953, when, just four days after her coronation, she came down to Epsom and saw Aureole finish second.
The last reigning monarch to have a Derby winner was her great-grandfather Edward VII with Minoru in 1909.