QUEEN Camilla is to become the new Royal patron of York Racecourse.

She replaces Prince Andrew, who stood down from the role in 2019 as part of the fallout from his links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The racecourse has not had a Royal patron since then.

The racecourse made the announcement that Queen Camilla was to take over the role in a statement released late this evening.

“York Racecourse is both honoured and thrilled that Her Majesty The Queen has agreed to be the Royal Patron of York Racecourse,” it said.

Queen Camilla with her husband King Charles at Royal Ascot in 2023 (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

“Both the King and the Queen have a keen interest in both racing and breeding, with the bloodstock interests of the late Queen Elizabeth II having passed into their joint ownership.

“This latest role builds on existing links to the sport for Her Majesty, notably as Patron of the National Stud as well as being President of the Ebony Horse Club, a riding charity in Brixton, London.”

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In other news, a 15-year, £5 million-plus contract for advertising on York’s bus shelters IS to be put out to tender, after council bosses admitted they had made a mistake in not doing so.

The authority’s ruling Executive had voted in April to award the new contract to JC Decaux, which holds the present contract, without going through a tendering process.

But council officials admitted at a fiery Executive meeting last Thursday that they had made a mistake in assuming the value of the contract fell below the threshold at which a tendering process became necessary.

Instead, JC Decaux has been granted a 12-month extension to its existing contract, which is about to expire – and the council is now to go out to tender on the full 15-year contract.

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