Queen includes Kentucky Derby in US state visit
Christopher Morgan
Queen Elizabeth II will have a state banquet in Washington DC with George Bush to celebrate the "enduring bonds" of an extraordinary friendship
Churchill Downs horse racing track, Kentucky. The Queen is a big fan of horse racing. She annually attends the Grand National in Britain, but now wants to see the Kentucky Derby.
THE Queen is to take the unusual step of interrupting her state visit to America in May to fulfil a long-held wish to attend the highlight of the country’s racing calendar.
The monarch will join spectators for the Kentucky Derby as part of a weekend spent as a guest of William Farish, the horse breeder and former ambassador to Britain. The break will also take in a tour of some of Kentucky’s most prestigious stud farms.
John Warren, the Queen’s racing manager, said she would spend the mornings of Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6, on the stud tour, although not buying animals to replenish her stable.
The Kentucky Derby will be run at Churchill Downs racecourse in Louisville on the Saturday afternoon.
After the weekend spent on her favourite recreation, the Queen will return to official duties including a glittering state banquet in Washington, hosted by President George Bush. For the American establishment, this will be a rare white-tie event.
Bush has already said he wants the trip from May 3 to 9, the Queen’s fourth full state visit to America, to celebrate the “enduring bonds” of an extraordinary friendship.
The recent box-office success of the movie, The Queen, is likely to have heightened interest in her visit. The low-budget film, which garnered an Oscar for Dame Helen Mirren in the title role, has grossed more than $50m in the US.
Before her trip to Kentucky, the Queen is likely to stay at Williamsburg Inn where she was a guest in 1957 when she attended the 350th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America, named after King James I. The 400th celebration reaches a climax on May 13 when Bush is the guest of honour.
In addition to her official trips to America, the Queen is understood to have paid numerous visits to Lane’s End Farm, the Lexington home of the Farish family. Bush is said to have appointed Farish as ambassador to Britain, a post he filled from 2001 to 2004, primarily because he thought it would go down well with the Queen.
However, Farish was thought to be a reluctant envoy, who rarely made speeches. He was dubbed “the invisible ambassador” in diplomatic circles in London.
The Queen inherited her love of horses from the late Queen Mother. But she has not won a classic since 1977, her silver jubilee, when her horse Dunfermline came in first in the Oaks and the St Leger.
timesonline.co.uk
Christopher Morgan
Queen Elizabeth II will have a state banquet in Washington DC with George Bush to celebrate the "enduring bonds" of an extraordinary friendship
Churchill Downs horse racing track, Kentucky. The Queen is a big fan of horse racing. She annually attends the Grand National in Britain, but now wants to see the Kentucky Derby.
THE Queen is to take the unusual step of interrupting her state visit to America in May to fulfil a long-held wish to attend the highlight of the country’s racing calendar.
The monarch will join spectators for the Kentucky Derby as part of a weekend spent as a guest of William Farish, the horse breeder and former ambassador to Britain. The break will also take in a tour of some of Kentucky’s most prestigious stud farms.
John Warren, the Queen’s racing manager, said she would spend the mornings of Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6, on the stud tour, although not buying animals to replenish her stable.
The Kentucky Derby will be run at Churchill Downs racecourse in Louisville on the Saturday afternoon.
After the weekend spent on her favourite recreation, the Queen will return to official duties including a glittering state banquet in Washington, hosted by President George Bush. For the American establishment, this will be a rare white-tie event.
Bush has already said he wants the trip from May 3 to 9, the Queen’s fourth full state visit to America, to celebrate the “enduring bonds” of an extraordinary friendship.
The recent box-office success of the movie, The Queen, is likely to have heightened interest in her visit. The low-budget film, which garnered an Oscar for Dame Helen Mirren in the title role, has grossed more than $50m in the US.
Before her trip to Kentucky, the Queen is likely to stay at Williamsburg Inn where she was a guest in 1957 when she attended the 350th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America, named after King James I. The 400th celebration reaches a climax on May 13 when Bush is the guest of honour.
In addition to her official trips to America, the Queen is understood to have paid numerous visits to Lane’s End Farm, the Lexington home of the Farish family. Bush is said to have appointed Farish as ambassador to Britain, a post he filled from 2001 to 2004, primarily because he thought it would go down well with the Queen.
However, Farish was thought to be a reluctant envoy, who rarely made speeches. He was dubbed “the invisible ambassador” in diplomatic circles in London.
The Queen inherited her love of horses from the late Queen Mother. But she has not won a classic since 1977, her silver jubilee, when her horse Dunfermline came in first in the Oaks and the St Leger.
timesonline.co.uk
Last edited:
