The Queen takes a keen interest in horses and racing. Her Majesty's first pony was given to her by her grandfather, King George V, when she was four years old. This was a Shetland pony called Peggy. The Queen continues to ride at Sandringham, Balmoral and Windsor.
The Queen also takes a keen interest in horse breeding. Horses bred at the Royal studs over the last 200 years have won virtually every major race in Britain. The Queen has about 25 horses in training each season.
The Queen's racing colours are: Purple body with gold braid, Scarlet sleeves and Black velvet cap with gold fringe.
The Queen continues the Royal Family's long association with racing pigeons which began in 1886 when King Leopold II of Belgium made a gift of racing pigeons to the British Royal Family. In 1990, one of The Queen's birds took part in the Pau race, coming first in the Section 5th Open and was subsequently named "Sandringham Lightning". In recognition of her interest in the sport, The Queen is Patron of a number of racing societies, including the Royal Pigeon Racing Association.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh were married on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey. The Queen's wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell and was woven at Winterthur Silks Limited, Dunfermline, in the Canmore factory, using silk that had come from Chinese silkworms at Lullingstone Castle.
The Queen's dressmakers over the years have included Sir Hardy Amies, Sir Norman Hartnell, Karl-Ludwig Couture and Maureen Rose. The Queen's milliners have been Frederick Fox, Philip Somerville and Marie O'Regan.
The Queen's wedding ring was made from a nugget of Welsh gold which came from the Clogau St David's mine near Dolgellau. The official wedding cake was made by McVitie and Price Ltd, using ingredients given as a wedding gift by Australian Girl Guides.
The Queen has an extensive collection of jewellery, most of which are Crown Jewels, some inherited and some gifts, including the largest pink diamond in the world. Some well known pieces include; a brooch of diamonds forming a spray of wattle presented by the Australian Government in 1954; and a necklace of large square cut aquamarines and diamonds with earrings as a gift in Coronation year by the Ambassador of Brazil, which The Queen wore on the French State visit in 2004.
The Queen has laid her wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday every year of her reign, except in 1959, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1983 and 1999 when she was either pregnant or overseas on an official visit.
The Queen has visited the sets of a number of popular British soap operas including Coronation Street, East Enders and Emmerdale.
