Princess Anne attends the Epsom Derby in place of the Queen but with a sweet nod to Her Majesty

Fans were delighted to see Princess Anne in fine spirits at the Epsom Derby, looking sophisticated in grey

Princess Anne waving to the crowds at Epsom Derby
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lauren Hughes
By Lauren Hughes
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Princess Anne has honored her shared love of horses with the Queen by stepping in at the Epsom Derby, after the Palace confirmed that Her Majesty will not be attending the events. 

The Princess Royal was spotted looking in high spirits, waving at and thanking crowds at one of the biggest racing events at the year, the Epsom Derby.

The Queen was meant to attend the Epsom Derby herself, which is part of the ongoing Platinum Jubilee celebrations, but had to bow out due to ongoing mobility issues. Her Majesty is reportedly watching the race from home. 

Racing fan Anne felt like the natural choice to take her place and fans were delighted to see her fulfilling the duty. 

Crowds greeted the royal with cheers and waves when she entered with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

Princess Anne attends Epsom Derby in place of the Queen

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Anne, who lives in Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, looked sophisticated in a stylish and simple light grey dress with a matching jacket. To complement the look, she wore a striking matching hat and a black clutch bag.

She teamed the look with some spectacular jewelry, including a gold brooch in the shape of a leaf, a black and gold pearl necklace and a pair of simple pearl drop earrings - the same style of earrings the Queen famously sports herself in a sweet nod to Her Majesty passing the baton.

For some royal fans, the Derby "wasn't the same" without the Queen in attendance.

"The Derby just wasn’t the same without The Queen," wrote one royal fan on Twitter, "However 40 jockeys past and present honored HM, in her racing colors. 

"Princess Anne cheered the big race winner. Peter Philipps and his girlfriend Lindsay Wallace check out a selfie and Zara and Mike Tindall looked happy."

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Phil White, the London regional director for The Jockey Club, told The Express that the Monarch's absence from the Surrey event was a "rare occasion".

He said, "It is a rare occasion that the Queen is unable to join us at Epsom Downs but we are delighted she plans to enjoy Derby Day on television.

"We have big plans to celebrate Her Majesty's contribution to horseracing and the nation, and these will continue in full tomorrow.

"The Derby is a unique race and we are looking forward to welcoming people in their thousands to help us create a spectacular carnival atmosphere."

Lauren Hughes
Lauren Hughes

Lauren is the former Deputy Digital Editor at woman&home and became a journalist mainly because she enjoys being nosy. With a background in features journalism, Lauren worked on the woman&home brand for four years before going freelance. Before woman&home Lauren worked across a variety of women's lifestyle titles, including GoodTo, Woman's Own, and Woman magazine.

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