Queen Elizabeth was known for her unflappable exterior, but there was one pastime that "allowed her to be carried away," per royal biographer Craig Brown. In his book Q: A Voyage Around The Queen, the author delves into the late Queen's love of horse racing—a hobby that was one of her biggest passions. From breeding horses to memorizing bloodlines, Queen Elizabeth's obsession with all things equestrian carried right up until her September 2022 death. Just months before she died, Queen Elizabeth got so into one race, in fact, that she caused her security team a fair amount of alarm.
Brown noted that for the late Queen—who "could relax in the company of trainers and jockeys"—horse racing gave "a glimpse of another life, another character." The sport also "put her customary restraint in jeopardy."
Indeed, she was often seen at races such as Royal Ascot or the Epsom Derby while cheering or grimacing (depending on the outcome of her horse) as she took in the action through a pair of binoculars.
Queen Elizabeth is seen at the Newbury Races in 2015.
The late Queen "could relax in the company of trainers and jockeys."
One such incident in June 2022 revealed this lack of restraint. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, the late Queen was suffering from a form of bone marrow cancer when she was watching her horse Steal A March run at Worcester racecourse that summer. It was the weekend of her Platinum Jubilee, and although Queen Elizabeth was unable to take part in most of the festivities, she watched the exciting race on TV from Windsor Castle.
"She began to cheer it on so loudly that the security men rushed in, thinking something terrible was happening," her horse's trainer, Nicky Henderson, recalled, per Brown.
Luckily, there was a good reason for her cheers. Steal A March pulled off a huge win in the feature 2m7f handicap hurdle, giving the late Queen one more reason to celebrate during her historic jubilee weekend.
