Royal Ascot, The Queen’s favourite race meeting, will be held behind closed doors – if at all – due to coronavirus.
Guy Henderson, Chief Executive of Ascot Racecourse, said the world-famous meeting in June will not be open to the public this year over safety concerns amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Her Majesty, who turns 94-years-old next month, has never missed the five-day meeting in the entirety of her reign.
Mr Henderson has written to royal enclosure members saying that he had reached the "difficult but unavoidable conclusion."
“Public health and safety reasons, we have reached the difficult but unavoidable conclusion that the May Racing Weekend and Royal Ascot 2020 (Tuesday 16th - Saturday 20th June) will not be able to take place as events open to the public,” Henderson said.
“We wanted to inform you as a valued customer of the racecourse.
"It may prove possible to run the Royal Ascot races behind closed doors, dependent on Government and public health policy and the approval of the BHA for us to restart racing.
“This would be for the benefit of the industry, our valued partners and suppliers and our television audiences at home and abroad. Planning for this is now our complete focus and we will update on progress as and when we can.
"The pandemic will have a significant financial impact on our business in 2020, along with so many others.
“Nevertheless, Ascot will come through this crisis and we look forward to being able to welcome you back when it is safe to do so.”
Henderson stressed the financial consequences of the decision will be drastic, also extending his gratitude to the NHS.
“Meanwhile, I am sure you will wish to join us in our sympathies for all those grieving and suffering as a result of COVID-19. We offer heartfelt thanks to our wonderful NHS staff, key workers and volunteers for all their selfless dedication.”
Her Majesty has already cancelled a number of future engagements in what a Buckingham Palace spokesperson describes as being a “sensible” precaution.
The decision over whether Her Majesty attends Royal Ascot was taken entirely out the Queen’s hands.
The Royal Ascot is the centrepiece of Ascot's year and dates back to 1911 when the week of races in the third week of June became a Royal Week.
Every year, Royal Ascot is attended by the Queen and other members of the royal family.
She arrives each day in a horse-drawn carriage, with the Royal procession taking place at the start of each race day along with raising of the Royal Standard and the playing of the National Anthem.
It is a major event in the British social calendar.
