Elizabeth II was a big fan of sports. What did the Queen do and what did she follow?

Elizabeth II passed away at the 97th year of life. The Queen of England was indeed a sports fanatic: she began riding as a child, which she continued to do until she was 96, and throughout her life she supported athletes and even once allowed the lawn at Buckingham Palace to be resurfaced for an amateur soccer match.

Performances

The Queen was not afraid of experiments and sometimes participated in actions, which officials would hardly dare. For example, at the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the Queen jumped with a parachute. Formally, of course, but the delight of the audience was real. Before her grand exit, a video was shown of a James Bond helicopter hovering over the stadium. The “Queen” jumped out of it first and descended by parachute.

But the only Olympic tournament attended by the Queen outside her native country was the 1976 games in Montreal.

Apart from official competitions, the Queen has always personally welcomed Britain’s outstanding athletes: the racing driver Lewis Hamilton and soccer player David Beckham were initiated into the Order of the British Empire by her order.

In 2018, Elizabeth allowed herself another unconventional for her status – she gave the start of the London Marathon for the first time in history. This happened at Windsor Castle, where a special button was installed for this purpose. And at the finish line at Buckingham Palace the winners were personally met by Prince Harry.

Tennis

In 2007 the Queen visited the training base of the British national tennis team during the Davis Cup. And in 2010 she appeared at Wimbledon, where she greeted the players.

A special honor went to Roger Federer, who later became Prince George’s personal coach and apparently sparring partner.

Pigeon racing

The Royal Pigeon Racing Association has repeatedly stated that the Queen is the patron saint of the pigeon racing society. The hobby has been part of the royal family’s life since as early as 1886. The monarchs received pigeons as a gift and housed them in the residence at Sandringham Manor. After that, Kings Edward VII and George V both had a particular passion for this pastime.

During the Second World War, pigeons were used to exchange mail, and in the post-war period pigeon racing became an object of passion for Elizabeth II. She supported their popularity at court and became patron of several pigeon racing-related communities.

Soccer

In 1953, the Queen of England for the first time in her official status as heiress to the throne attended a soccer match – the FA Cup final, which took place exactly one month before the coronation. Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers met at Wembley. “Blackpool” won, and the players of the team received the cup and medals from the hands of Elizabeth herself.

After that, the Queen often attended major soccer events – for example, the World Cup in 1966 and the European Football Cup in 1996.

All these years, the public was not reassured: in such a historically soccer-mad country, the Queen must adore soccer. But sources in the palace were silent: yes, she is a fan of a certain club, but she can not do it openly, because any open sympathy will be perceived negatively.

However, in October 2006, Elizabeth invited the entire Arsenal team to Buckingham Palace, which was an unprecedented occasion. Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry and the entire team spent about an hour in the Queen’s residence. She calmly chatted with the players, told stories about the palace and noted Henri’s versatile talent.

All questions about her favorite club were answered for her by a Buckingham Palace spokesman: “During her reign, the Queen has attended several national cup finals and the World Cup. She is quite clearly a fan of the England national team. There is no need to know the rest.”

Polo and horse racing

Since her early childhood, Elizabeth has been fond of horseback riding. Her love for these noble animals began at the age of four, when little Lilibet received a pony named Peggy as a gift from her father. George VI was himself a great admirer of horse racing.

In her younger years Elizabeth practiced horseback riding, spending long hours on horseback both in the riding arena and in the picturesque surroundings of Sandringham Manor, where she would come to see the newly born foals in person.

Today, the stables at Buckingham Palace are home to horses that compete annually in the Ascot races. The races are held every summer and Her Royal Highness never missed these events. From 2004 to 2006 Ascot Racecourse was under renovation, so Elizabeth temporarily moved them to York.

Apart from horse riding and horse racing, the whole royal family loves polo. This has led to some tournaments, such as the Royal Windsor Cup Polo, which are the envy of the English Premier League.