When Queen Victoria died at the age of 81 on 22 January 1901, it took many by surprise as she as monarch ruled over Britain for almost 64 years. The race became the King’s Plate after her successor, King Edward VII. Edward was crowned on 9 August 1902.
Emma-Jayne Wilson, aboard Mike Fox, became the first female jockey to win the Queen’s Plate.
The first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby, also won the Queen’s Plate in his final race.
With the monarch’s approval, the first Queen’s Plate was run on 27 June 1860, at the Carleton racetrack in Toronto, with the prize of “a plate to the value of 50 guineas”.
The Toronto Turf Club petitioned Queen Victoria to grant a Plate for a race in Ontario, Canada. Sir Casimir Gzowski and Thomas Patteson were the two men who brought the race into close association with Buckingham Palace
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and following the accession of King Charles III on 8 September 2022, the race has once again renamed to the King’s Plate.