He might have been named Reaching High, but luck was not on the side of the King’s horse which came in a disappointing last at Ascot – despite being the favourite to win.

The moment of defeat seemed painful for Charles, who grimaced as the superstar runner was beaten into ninth place.

Meanwhile the tension also proved too much for Camilla, who was left literally biting her nails in between lifting her binoculars as she watched the heart-stopping race from the Royal Box.

Reaching High lost in the Ascot Stakes with 25-1 shot Kizlyar victorious, as thousands of racegoers cheered on their horses. 

Trained by Willie Mullins and bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II, the horse was a strong favourite to take home the win, having been kept off the track after suffering defeat last year. 

But as the race neared its end, the five-year-old gelding slipped behind and was beaten by a good 60 lengths

The King and Queen were joined by the Princess Royal alongside her newlywed son Peter Phillips, his wife Harriet Sperling and the Queen’s son Tom Parker Bowles to take in the racing spectacle.

Peter and his wife enjoyed their first Royal Ascot carriage procession as a royal married couple and were pictured smiling and laughing in the royal box. 

The moment of defeat seemed painful for Charles, who grimaced as superstar runner Reaching High was beaten into ninth place

The tension also proved too much for Camilla, who was left literally biting her nails

Charles and Camilla took on the late Queen Elizabeth’s stable of horses and have become enthusiastic race horse owners

The King and Queen were joined by the Princess Royal’s newlywed son Peter Phillips and his wife Harriet Sperling

Among the celebrity racegoers were former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and her husband Christian Horner, TV chef Mary Berry, West End musical impresario Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and American singer Vanessa Williams. 

The King and Queen acknowledged the difficulties in winning at the world-famous Berkshire racing event in a message within the official programme. 

‘As owner breeders ourselves, we know how hard it is to win races at Royal Ascot and wish our fellow breeders, both at home and abroad, the best of luck in this most fascinating of challenges,’ they wrote. 

Charles and Camilla took on the late Queen’s stable of horses and have become enthusiastic and passionate race horse owners.

They enjoyed their first Royal Ascot win in 2023 when their thoroughbred Desert Hero won the King George V Stakes. 

They will be hoping for better luck later this week as they have another four horses entered in the sporting event, one of the highlights of the flat racing calendar. 

The King was able to get his hand briefly on a trophy when he presented the honours in the aptly-named King Charles II Stakes, which was won by Mission Central under trainer Aidan O’Brien.