Drawn to Kentucky’s equestrian culture, Queen Elizabeth visited 5 times. See photos
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, died Thursday. She was 96 years old.
The palace announced she died at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland, where members of the royal family had rushed to her side after her health took a turn for the worse, the Associated Press reports.
During her life, the queen visited Kentucky five times, and her most recent trip in 2007 was to attend the Kentucky Derby.
Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin issued the following statement Thursday, commemorating the queen, who also visited the race track during her life.
“Keeneland joins the world in mourning the loss today of Queen Elizabeth II, a beloved leader with exceptional integrity and an unmatched horsewoman. Queen Elizabeth’s lifelong love for horses and her passion for racing left an indelible legacy on the sport around the world and at Keeneland. The Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) will be even more special this fall as we honor her memory and celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Keeneland extends its deepest condolences to her family and her Country.”
Here’s a look at Queen Elizabeth II’s previous visits to the Bluegrass State, which aside from her stop here in 2007, include trips in 1984, 1986, 1989 and 1991.
October 1984: The Queen at Keeneland
Queen Elizabeth II made her first trip to Kentucky in October of 1984, when she was a guest of the William Farish family in Versailles.
“We’re thrilled,” Farish said from his Lane’s End farm in Versailles ahead of the visit, according to an archived report from the time. “This is something the queen has wanted to do for a while, and we’re delighted she’ll be staying with us.”
Then 58 years old, she was scheduled to be in Lexington from Oct. 8 through Oct. 12. But why here? As one of the world’s most avid equestrians, her intent was to visit several horse farms, a spokesman for the queen said at the time.
Arriving Oct. 8, the queen was greeted by a “gray, drizzly afternoon that would have made any Englishman feel at home,” Herald-Leader staff writer Art Jester wrote at the time. Her arrival at the Blue Grass Airport made for a soggy start.
“She asked if we needed a rain,” then-Lexington Mayor Scotty Baesler said, “and I thanked her for bringing it.”
The queen was a trooper and reportedly “undeterred by the wind and the downpour.”
Days later, during her appearance at Keeneland, Herald-Leader writer Don Edwards observed in a cheeky column that well-wishers had come from as far away as Texas for a glimpse at the queen.
May 1986: The Queen in the Bluegrass
The queen returned to Kentucky again two years later, when she was greeted by “children toting tiny Union Jacks, a beaming governor and a balmy May breeze,” according to an archived report at the time.
During a short, five-day stay, the queen inspected thoroughbred stallions for her broodmares and visited six mares she owned and boarded in Kentucky at the time.
Her brief visit was marked by a sweet moment with then 7-year-old Tiffany Crawford, who offered a curtsy and handed the queen a bouquet of flowers.
“I felt real excited. I thought it was great,” Tiffany said of the greeting at the time.
May 1989: The Queen returns
The queen returned again to the heart of Kentucky’s horse country in 1989, this time to visit several stallions that could be potential mates for her mares.
Will Farish of Lane’s End Farm, which hosted the queen during her stay, described the trip as a “tremendous opportunity to relax.”
“The weather was marvelous,” he said, quoted in an article at the time.
This marked the queen’s third visit to Kentucky since 1984. After arriving that Friday, she attended a dinner party at Lane’s End. On the first full day of her visit, she toured the walking arena outside the yearling barn, the archived report said.
During her stay, the queen visited 12 farms, in addition to Lane’s End, meeting a cross section of the leading breeders and owners in the area.
May 1991: The Queen in Lexington
The 1991 queen’s visit was likened to the Kentucky Derby: “The queen’s arrival in Lexington yesterday was much like the Kentucky Derby: a lot of to-do for a two-minute event,” a Herald-Leader article reported at the time.
“The hatless Queen Elizabeth II stepped out of her red-and-white jet into the Kentucky humidity, looking as grandmotherly as she did regal in a light-blue dress under a white jacket and atop sensible white square-heel shoes that matched her handbag.
“She greeted her hosts, accepted flowers from 7-year-old Katy Birch and soon was inside the car that would take her to her weekend digs,” the report said, adding the short meet-and-greet took all of two minutes. The whole thing, from touchdown to departure, lasted seven minutes.
The event drew 300 people, who gathered two hours before the queen’s scheduled arrival.
May 5, 2007: The Queen at Churchill Downs
The queen was in full view at Churchill Downs for only a few minutes in 2007, but her presence was felt throughout the track at the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby.
According to an archived Lexington Herald-Leader report, security was tighter than usual that year, and ticket-takers and guards were inundated with questions about the queen from Derby-goers – some of whom wore plastic crowns and rose-bedecked tiaras to welcome the monarch.
“Everybody’s asking, and we don’t know anything,” said one beleaguered ticket-taker stationed at the Director’s Room post – where the queen was rumored to have been watching the Derby.
Some derby-goers said they’d caught a glimpse of the queen when she stepped onto a balcony to watch the ninth race, but otherwise she was kept out of eyeshot, the report said.
Then-Gov. Ernie Fletcher, who did spend some time with the reigning monarch, got an etiquette briefing on how to behave around her majesty and even offered to let the queen present the Derby Trophy, though her security refused to allow it.
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This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 3:12 PM.