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Queen Elizabeth pulled out of attending the Royal Ascot horse racing event today on Tuesday as she continued to struggle with mobility problems. Although it had not been widely expected that the queen would attend, the palace did not formally say that she would not be at the event, a key fixture of the royal summer, until Tuesday morning when a source told The Daily Beast: “The queen is not expected to attend Ascot today.” The first day of Royal Ascot traditionally begins with a horse-drawn carriage procession with the queen in the first carriage; this year her place will be taken by Prince Charles. The queen, a great racing fan, is likely to be particularly sad to miss the day’s events as she has a runner, King’s Lynn, in the 3:40 p.m. race.