If there were ever any doubts about the Queen's acceptance of the Duchess of Cornwall, they were dispelled at the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Friday. The monarch warmly greeted her daughter-in-law with a kiss on the cheek as they arrived at the equestrian event. For her part, Camilla folded into a polite curtsey before the Windsor matriarch, who was in good spirits despite the driving rain.
There was no sign of the Duke of Edinburgh, who on Thursday attended the competition with his wife and looked to be in perfect health as he handed out rosettes to competitors. In his absence, it was left to the Queen and Camilla to bond over the one passion which binds them – horses. Her Majesty is an expert in breeding and training and knows each of her own horses by sight. Camilla is patron of The British Equestrian Federation, loves riding and has been known to breed herself. The Royal Windsor Horse Show takes place in the Queen's private grounds at Windsor Castle and often sees the sovereign's own steeds competing in Britain's biggest outdoor equestrian event, which has been running for over 65 years.
On Wednesday, The Queen looked on proudly as Zara Phillips drove a Range Rover in an off road challange and changed a tyre at the prestigious Horse Show. Although she wasn't riding on the day, Zara is no stranger to equestrian competitions, having taken home a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics as part of Team GB's eventing squad.