The King has enjoyed a particular fondness all his life, but as heir to the throne, he ‘kept it under wraps’ so not to steal his mother’s thunder.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks suggested that His Majesty has never widely publicised his love of horse racing for fear of it taking attention away from the late Queen.

Speaking of his encounter with Queen Camilla last week, Brooks said: “She [Camilla] preferred to talk about the King’s genuine fondness of the sport. Something that he probably kept under wraps when he was younger so as not to rain on his late mother’s parade, while she was the monarch.”

These comments come just days after the Derby at Epsom Downs Racecourse, which was a staple of the royal calendar during Queen Elizabeth’s reign.

She very rarely missed a Derby, with the race being the first item she would mark in her calendar at the start of a new year.

Neither King Charles or Queen Camilla were at Epsom on Saturday, however, for the blue ribband race.

This has led to some commentators describing the race meeting as feeling ‘flat’, with others questioning whether His Majesty truly gets the same thrill out of horse racing as his mother did.

The King was even an active participant in the sport, having ridden in a number of hunter chases as a jockey.

In March 1980 where, the then Prince of Wales rode in his first ever race as an amateur jockey.

He partnered a horse called Long Wharf. The pair went on to finish in 2nd place, with His Majesty continuing to occasionally race ride for a further 14 month.

Despite a promising start at Plumpton, The King never managed to win a race as a jockey, with his successes being reserved as an owner.

His Majesty has retained the majority of his mother’s racing empire, which he inherited upon her death in 2022.

This includes dozens of racehorses and the Royal Stud at Sandringham.