With a backdrop that includes a minimum of Windsor Citadel itself, the Royal Windsor Horse Present is the one main occasion of the 12 months to be – fairly actually – within the “royals’ yard”.
Boasting King Charles as its patron and Prince Edward as its president, the four-day occasion repeatedly attracts the likes of Princess Anne, Duchess Sophie and Woman Louise Windsor, with the non-public grounds of the royal residence opened to the general public.
Forward of this 12 months’s present – which runs from 14 to 17 Might – HELLO! was joined by British showjumpers and Crew GB Olympians Jack Whitaker and Joe Stockdale for a day within the Citadel’s grounds.
“There’s at all times a superb ambiance in Windsor,” Jack explains, particularly with the royals watching on. “It is undoubtedly someplace we wish to go and have a superb present,” provides Joe.
With that in thoughts, HELLO! popped all the way down to Windsor for the day to go behind the scenes on the well-known fortress showground, and to see what will be anticipated from this 12 months’s present.
Royal beginnings
Now in its 83rd 12 months, the present was first staged in 1943 to lift funds for the struggle effort with the backing of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who loyally attended yearly till her passing in 2022. She and her husband, Prince Philip, each large followers of horses, have been common opponents within the present.
Initially, the spectacle was known as the Windsor Horse and Canine Present, although I used to be instructed that an unlucky incident in 1944, which noticed a lurcher canine break into the royal tent and steal a hen leg from King George V, led to canines being banned.
Flash ahead to 2026, and Royal Windsor is the one present within the UK to host worldwide competitions throughout present leaping, dressage, carriage driving, and endurance.
Beginning our go to
We began our day by visiting the Guards Polo Membership clubhouse on Smith’s Garden, opened by Her Majesty the late Queen in 2009.
With views over the membership’s Queen’s Floor, it featured a restaurant and bar for members and company.
© Alamy Inventory Photograph
Even on a non-show day, the ambiance was busy, with the polo fields in motion, whereas some media loved driving sidesaddle on the horses. (Fortunately, I used to be excused from this half!).
A royal luncheon
We then headed to the distinguished Royal Field, which is repeatedly frequented by senior members of the Royal Household to observe the motion at Windsor.
The present constructing was reopened by Prince Edward in 2015, and you can really feel the royal affect from the beginning, with footage of the late Queen and Prince Philip throughout.
There’s a costume code always within the field: ladies should put on clothes, skirts or tailor-made trousers, whereas males are usually in fits. In fact, trainers or converse-style sneakers are usually not permitted.
HELLO! was invited to pattern an instance of a menu that could possibly be introduced to any member of the royal household, curated by head chef Sam Seedhouse.
© Eleanor DyeThe three-course menu was dubbed a “style of the Windsor property”, that includes an array of native and seasonal produce.
To start with, we got a foraged pine needle focaccia with cultured butter. Our starter was sausage and apple tortellini made with pork from the Windsor Farm Store, dry-cured smoked bacon and Tutts Clump Cider, a neighborhood household enterprise primarily based in Berkshire.
For the primary course, there was a scrumptious saddle of spring lamb with wild garlic, beer from the Windsor & Eton brewery, barley-glazed lamb stomach, violet artichoke and gremolata.
© Eleanor DyeTo prime all of it off, we had honey cake with macerated native strawberries (which means they have been very bitter!) and hung yoghurt whipped with elderflower. As with every royal event, champagne was flowing all through the meal.
A carriage journey via non-public grounds…
After lunch, we have been handled to a horse-drawn carriage journey via non-public grounds on the Windsor Nice Park Property, which isn’t usually open to the general public.
© Peter Nixon / RWHSIt felt so quiet and secluded, regardless of not being removed from central London. We even went previous the entry gates to Royal Lodge, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former dwelling.
The carriage journey ended on the iconic copper horse statues, with views all the best way down the Lengthy Stroll to Windsor Citadel itself. It was a uncommon sunny day (the present has both good blue skies or pours with rain, no in between!).
Earlier than turning again spherical to the clubhouse, we loved extra Pol Roger champagne, and I met our implausible carriage horses, Ebbie and Aga.
© Morella MediaWhich royals are attending this 12 months?
Princess Anne, the Royal Vice President, is the one royal to have confirmed her attendance up to now. She shall be current on the primary day of the present – 14 Might.
King Charles has attended yearly, however has not confirmed his look for 2026.
© UK Press through Getty PicturesJo Peck, the occasion director, tells HELLO!: “There’s at all times fairly a couple of curveballs with Windsor, significantly with royal involvement.”
Joe added: “It is at all times very secretive, it is at all times a little bit of a shock whether or not he is [the King] going to come back. Hopefully, this 12 months he comes down, and even higher, for those who get a superb win, you get the prospect to satisfy him.”
The royals’ involvement – and what they’re actually like
The Royal Windsor Horse Present was one of many late Queen Elizabeth’s ardour initiatives, however her involvement was very “chilled out” and “relaxed”. Those that assist run the present instructed me that she would repeatedly drive herself down in her Land Rover Defender each time she happy.
© Peter Nixon / RWHSJoe mentioned, “That was at all times particular. As soon as, I used to be warming up for the Grand Prix, and I used to be early, and she or he drove straight via the warm-up space into the primary room to then go into the field, which was fairly cool, simply to see her go previous and try this.”
Her husband, Prince Philip, was “very concerned” too and helped carry worldwide carriage driving to a world stage, one thing his granddaughter, Woman Louise Windsor, 22, has continued. His designs have been so ingenious and fashionable that many are nonetheless used in the present day.
Woman Louise, in her last 12 months at St Andrews College, is described by occasion director Jo as a “mild soul”, “brilliant as a button”, and “very, very eager” on her carriage driving, whereas others say she “retains herself to herself”.
© Chris Jackson/Getty PicturesHer mom, Duchess Sophie, can be “very supportive” of carriage driving. Jo mentioned: “She would not participate within the worldwide competitors, however she does some non-public driving in carriages from the Mews; she will drive a carriage very comfortably, which is what Woman Louise does as effectively.”
Prince Edward, in the meantime, is following in his father’s footsteps together with his involvement with the present. Sophie and Edward, I’m instructed, go “out and in” of the showgrounds as they please. He now presents the Pony Membership’s mounted video games prize, taking on the position from Prince Philip.
The late Duke of Edinburgh was mentioned to be very obsessed with it. “It is massively essential to the present,” Jo explains. “He was at all times fairly amusing with the royal photographers, ticking them off. He beloved the Pony Membership’s Mounted Video games; he would chortle out loud when the children fell off or missed the gadgets or different issues they must do.”
One extremely popular contact by the Edinburghs is the standard reception for athletes they maintain up at Windsor Citadel on the Thursday night earlier than the present begins.
© Andrew Matthews/PA Pictures through Getty PicturesJoe and Jack, who’re each competing on this 12 months’s present, attended final 12 months. Jack mentioned, “They do a pleasant reception on Thursday up on the fortress. They arrive down and say their hellos, it is very nice. They be sure all people feels welcome.”
Joe added: ‘It is an actual spotlight. It actually units a pleasant really feel for the weekend earlier than you begin. They’re very passionate concerning the present, and also you see them within the rider’s lounge speaking to individuals and displaying their curiosity. I feel they’re doing a extremely good job: they don’t seem to be simply behind the scenes, they’re truly on the showground.”
Jo added: “The showjumpers completely love that as a result of they do not get to do this at different exhibits.”
The late Queen has handed the baton on to her son, King Charles, and it has primarily been a easy transition, although he has fewer entries within the displaying lessons than his mom.
© Morella MediaJo explains: “Final 12 months the King got here and met a couple of of the commerce stands, watched a few of the carriage driving after which went into the royal field and watched a few of the shows in the primary enviornment.”
Undoubtedly, 2026 shall be simply as spectacular because the 82 exhibits that got here prior. For positive, there shall be extra royal tales to come back.
The Royal Windsor Horse Present runs from 14 to 17 Might 2026. Tickets are nonetheless accessible for this 12 months’s occasion. For additional data and to ebook, go to rwhs.co.uk.
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