Royal boost for Derby as king and queen set to revive Epsom tradition

• Charles and Camilla to attend the Classic on 6 June

• Race attendance has suffered major recent decline

The king and queen will attend the 247th running of the Derby on 6 June, reviving what was a traditional engagement in the calendar for Queen Elizabeth II for most of her 70-year reign.

The late Queen missed just two renewals of the Classic at Epsom Downs between 1953 – when her colt Aureole finished second, four days after her coronation – and the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.