 The current monarch is a big fan of Royal Ascot |
Ascot has always had strong links with royalty and it was Queen Anne who founded the course in 1711. The monarch, an equestrian sports fan, was taking a carriage ride through the forest near Windsor Castle when she came upon a clearing that looked perfect for racing.
The area, close to the village of East Cote, was bought for �558 and the sovereign ordered it to be prepared for racing.
And so the royal track played host to its first race on 11 August that year with Her Majesty's Plate, worth 100 guineas, as the inaugural event.
The race was open to any horse over the age of six with each required to carry 12 stone - seven horses took part in three separate heats, each four miles long.
In 1813, Parliament passed an act which ensured that Ascot Heath, although the property of the crown, would be kept and used as a racecourse for the public.
In 1825, King George IV initiated the first royal carriage procession on the track and it has remained a tradition ever since.
It was also around this time that the Royal Enclosure, as it might now be recognised, was born.
A two-storey Royal Stand was built with a surrounding lawn, access to which was by invitation of the King.
To gain entry to this enclosure, new applicants must be sponsored by existing Royal Enclosure badge holders who have attended more than four times.
 Malhub won the inaugural Golden Jubilee Stakes |
Although strict dress codes still apply in the Royal Enclosure, many of the original rules have been relaxed - for example, until 1955, divorcees were not allowed to enter.
The precise origin of the Royal Meeting is unclear but the festival as we know it today started to take shape with the introduction of the Gold Cup in 1807.
Many of the races reflect the regal history of the meeting - and the meeting is unique in that none of the races are commercially sponsored.
The Queen Anne Stakes was named in honour of Ascot's founder while the Queen's Vase was introduced in 1838 to mark the accession of Queen Victoria, as was the Coronation Stakes.
The festival of 1999 saw the first name change since 1973 when the Bessborough Stakes was renamed the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, which was aptly won by a horse owned by the current Queen.
Last year, the Cork and Orrery Stakes was renamed the Golden Jubilee Stakes - its status was also raised, making it the first Group One sprint of the European season.
Until 1945, there were no other race days at Ascot outside the Royal Meeting.
And although this is no longer the case, the regal June festival is still the high point of the season for both the track - and arguably for Flat racing as a whole.
MMIX
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