Joyous Queen Elizabeth returns to Ascot races following absence due to COVID-19

A smiling Queen Elizabeth returned to the Ascot races on its final day on Saturday while protesters convened outside the venue to urge the Queen to act on climate change policies.

The 95-year-old monarch, who became a widow after her husband Prince Philip died in April, is an avid horse-racing fan and is the owner of a horse herself. Though the queen typically attends the Ascot races every year, she was not at the races last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Jockey Ryan Moore rides Dream of Dreams (left) to win the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on the fifth day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meet on Saturday. (DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/)

The queen attended this year’s event in a mint green outfit. Upon arrival of the monarch, the crowd erupted in applause as she prepared to watch four of her horses that she owns take part in the race. Her horse, Reach for the Moon, finished in second place.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (2R) smiles as she meets a jockey on the fifth day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meet, in Ascot, west of London on June 19, 2021. - Royal Ascot reopened its doors to 12,000 racing fans a day but the coronavirus will still take a significant financial toll on the event. (DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/)

Meanwhile an environmental group Extinction Rebellion held up a banner outside that read “Racing to Extinction” outside the racecourse, according to The Associated Press. Four women glued the banner to their bodies, intending for the queen to see the sign. She, however, was not near the area at the time.

With Wire News Services.