Mike Tindall and Zara fight in the Royal Ascot sunshine as Kirsty Gallacher grabs his face

The Tindalls were joined by Zara’s mother Princess Anne, 71, earlier in the morning as she led the carriage procession on the third day of the races

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Royal Ascot: Royal procession arrives

Mike Tindall and Zara giggled and played in the Royal Ascot sunshine as TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher made the couple squirm.

MS Gallacher, 46, was seen laughing and joking with the couple after playfully grabbing Mike Tindall’s face as they enjoyed a day together at the races.

Mike and Zara joined Princess Anne, 71, on a gloriously sunny day as she led the carriage procession on day three of the races.

Princess Anne was accompanied by her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

Despite hopes that the Queen could appear at Ascot on Thursday when her horse Reach For The Moon rode in the Hampton Court Stakes, it was confirmed around midday on Thursday that Her Majesty would not be attending due to her ongoing mobility issues.

The hot-tipped favorite was a short prize for the Hampton Court Stakes but was outplayed by Claymore (7-1). Ridden by Adam Kirby, the winner led and had a lead of about a length as he entered the home straight.

Reflecting on Reach For The Moon’s second place finish, Dettori said his horse underperformed on the big occasion.

“I said to John (Gosden, trainer) that I wasn’t very happy on the three (eighty-foot bar), then I got serious on the two and managed to get my head forward – and then the last furlong, that i did not finish.

“It could be a lot of different things – the ground, the journey – I don’t know. But he didn’t run his race.”

The Queen normally attended all five days of racing at Ascot, which is probably one of the events she looks forward to most each year, but Her Majesty has attended fewer public events in recent months due to mobility issues.

Her Majesty issued a message to racegoers on the first day of the event.

A statement from the monarch, included in the race meeting programme, read: “I am delighted to welcome you to the first full attendance Royal Ascot since 2019.

“Following recent challenges, this year’s Royal Meeting offers a long-awaited opportunity for racing fans from around the world to experience five days of outstanding sport.

“It is once again exciting that horses from all over the world have traveled to Royal Ascot to compete at the highest level.”

She also referenced Queen’s Green Canopy, launched last October, a tree planting initiative aimed at paying a lasting tribute to the monarch in the year of her platinum anniversary.

She said: “I was very grateful for the continued kindness shown to me by the racing community.

“During my Platinum Jubilee year, it was interesting for me to learn that in support of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative, Ascot Racecourse and the Crown Estate have planted 70 oak trees in Windsor Great Park, each associated with a local school.

“I hope you all have an enjoyable and memorable time and I wish the best of luck to the horse associations running this week.”