Queen Elizabeth Misses First Day of Royal Ascot, Big Change From The Past

Queen Elizabeth has broken tradition today, by missing the very first day of the Royal Ascot, Britain's most popular horse racing event.

The Queen, now 96, has been suffering from some mobility issues and may make a later appearance at the five-day event, but for now, there has been no confirmation of any sort. This has been the norm for the Queen's appearance, usually announced only hours before an event, mostly due to her health issues.

The Royal Ascot kicked off on Tuesday, and the royal family is back attending Britain's most famous equestrian event, minus their monarch. Queen Elizabeth was missing from the opening day and so it came to the heir to the throne. Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall led the royal processional around the track, with Charles' nephew, Peter Phillips also riding with them.

While Prince Charles looked dapper in a grey suit, Camilla looked rather pretty in a powder blue dress, all the whilst attending to the royal protocol of dressing.

Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi also attended the much-awaited glam event.

In the past, the Queen often attended all five days of the event, but her mobility issues are affecting her this time, and palace sources cannot say if she will be able to attend, at all. All her public outings are now usually announced only hours beforehand due to her ongoing health issues.

Here's a peek into the royal processional.

The Queen recently celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of her reign, and the whole country joined in to celebrate with her.

Via a poem:

And the Platinum Jubilee pageant, of course:

Fans and loyal subjects sent their best to their queen with comments like:

"Thank you, your Majesty. I had an unforgettable and amazing time at the Pageant. This will truly be an experience I will never forget and feel so lucky to have been there and a part of something so special. God Bless ❤️"

"I had an amazing time being there and it’s one of the best experiences of my life!! Thank you Your Majesty for everything and hope you enjoyed the celebrations ❤️"

"What a day! Thank you to all those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make it a spectacular weekend. Will always remember it and seeing Her Majesty look so happy seeing the love and respect the world has for her."

"I was overwhelmed with emotion, ??‍♀️. I seem to get very emotional these days. But!! This was an incredible event we have witnessed. I ? our Queen Enjoyed watching it. Just seems SAD she’s couldn’t do it in person. However! We wouldn’t have had this party had she not been Queen for 70 YRS!! WowWee that’s an accomplishment that won’t (I think) be topped!!…that Bar is higher than ever, so whoever comes after her, as tiny as she may be! You have 1 pair of BIG Boots to fill…"

Just a few hours ago Queen Elizabeth presided over a royal ceremony, and the same was posted on the official Instagram account with the caption: "This afternoon the Garter Day procession took place on the grounds of Windsor Castle for the first time in three years. A key element of Garter Day is the investing of new Companions with the Order’s Insignia. This is done by The Queen, The Sovereign of the Garter, in the Throne Room. Today, The Duchess of Cornwall became a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter.

Garter Day usually takes place each June and is attended by the Knights of the Order of the Garter, the oldest British Order of Chivalry."

The Queen looked resplendent, although she stood with a cane her loyal subjects were all praise.

"Congratulations to the new members of the order and in particular to the wonderful Duchess of Cornwall for this unique and special award. The Queen is as beautiful as ever!"

"So happy to see the Queen looking fabulous!!! Hoping she stays well and her mobility doesn’t cause too much pain for her. ❤️"