The happy Christmas news King Charles received at Sandringham on Boxing Day revealed

His Majesty celebrated an exciting win on Monday after hosting his first Christmas as monarch at the Royal Family's gorgeous Norfolk estate

The happy Christmas news King Charles received at Sandringham on Boxing Day revealed
(Image credit: RUSSELL CHEYNE / POOL / AFP / Getty Images)

King Charles III received exciting news on Boxing Day at Sandringham, where he is spending his first Christmas with the Royal Family since the Queen's death.


King Charles III has received a belated Christmas gift at Sandringham House, where he and the Royal Family have traditionally spent the festive season since 1988. 

His Majesty's horse, Steal A March, won a handicap hurdle race at Wincanton in Somerset on Boxing Day, marking the monarch's first equestrian triumph since ascending the throne in September. The exciting news comes less than a day after the King delivered his first Christmas speech, in which he paid tribute to the legacy of his late mother and her longstanding service to Britain and its Commonwealth. 

The 74-year-old had previously vowed to continue Queen Elizabeth II's 'lifelong passion' for race horsing after he inherited several of his mother's racehorses in the wake of her death. 

Queen

(Image credit: Getty)

It had initially been speculated that Queen Camilla, who has been riding horses since she was a child, would take on the responsibility of overseeing Her Majesty's stock at the Royal Mews. It was later confirmed, however, that Charles would be named the sole owner of his mother's 24 racehorses and 80 broodmares. 

Queen

(Image credit: Getty)

In October, it was confirmed that the King would sell off 14 of the horses. 

This isn't the first time Steal A March has won big for Royal Family. The seven-year-old bay gelding was also victorious in the handicap hurdle at Bangor on June 4, which fell on the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend. In an interview with Racing Post, Steal A March's jockey, Nico de Boinville, called the win "very special" and said that it was a "big honor to ride for Her Majesty." 

Steal A March is trained by Nicky Henderson, who first began working as the Queen's primary horse trainer in 2002. The 72-year-old, who had also worked for the Queen Mother, was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 2010 as a reward for his loyal service to the Royal Family. 

 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.