Royal Watch News
Queen opens revamped Ascot where all eyes are on football
Jun 20, 2006, 16:01 GMT
London - The annual Royal Ascot horse race returned to familiar turf Tuesday when Queen Elizabeth II opened a new state-of- the art racecourse revamped at a cost of 200 million pounds (360 million dollars).
The queen, who arrived in the traditional royal carriage procession, said the new, glass and steel grandstand would provide a 'world-class environment' for the annual sporting and social occasion.
While it was under construction last year, the races had to be transferred to the northern English city of York.
Support for England in the World Cup was evident among fashionable racegoers, with some wearing white sundresses decorated with the familiar red cross.
The St George's cross was also evident on hats, fingernails, toenails, shawls and earrings.
But England flags were banned from Ascot.
'It's just a question of decorum. We want to preserve the essence of the event,' said a spokeswoman.
Nevertheless, Tuesday's England v Sweden match in Cologne would be shown on large screens in the ground, she said.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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