Queen kept love of horses to very end
The Queen was in “tremendous form” just a few days before she died and discussing “her love for her horses right to the very end”, according to her trusted bloodstock and racing adviser.
John Warren features in one of the most repeated TV clips of the last week, when the Queen clapped her hands and beamed as her horse Estimate claimed victory in Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup in 2013 – the first time in the race’s 207-year history that it had been won by a reigning monarch. He said he spent the weekend before the Queen died in Scotland, discussing her horses, as they had done so many times before.
“We sat there for hours over the weekend strategising and making plans going forward,” he said.
“It’s very important to know that she was absolutely, wonderfully switched on.”
Warren said the Queen had seen a lot of the King and Queen Consort, who were also in Scotland, and was enjoying having different groups of family staying at Balmoral.
“She really loved having them right there with her and being able to talk about her horses and her love for her horses right to the very end,” he said.
“I left her on Monday afternoon, the prime ministers were coming in on the Tuesday, she had a winner on the Tuesday.
“On the Tuesday evening she was in really good form, delighted she had had a winner. I can hardly believe it possible that within less than 48 hours the Queen had died.”