Queen Elizabeth II

[Matt Mackenzie]

If we are doing CHESS magazine history, when I went through the old issues from 1935-60 a while back now ISTR that the first issue after George VI's passing had a very sombre cover, and the masthead was then changed to a more "Elizabethan" style before becoming the familiar lettering retained for the rest of the B H Wood era around 1955 (soon after it switched to a smaller format)

[John Clarke]

But the Derby eluded her. In her Coronation year, 1953, Aureole finished second for her. What a popular victory that might have been, which would have raised the Epsom rafters.

Possibly just as great a sentimental favourite at the time would have been the winning rider Sir Gordon Richards (on Pinza). Despite being champion jockey no less than 26 times, he'd never managed to win the Derby up till then, and had already announced that the 1953 one would be his last.

[Paul Cooksey]

Apropos nothing much, my Grandmother was one of the hoi polloi present for this . She, a keen royalist, told the story of seeing a horse bowing to the queen from time to time.

[John Clarke]

If we are doing CHESS magazine history, when I went through the old issues from 1935-60 a while back now ISTR that the first issue after George VI's passing had a very sombre cover, and the masthead was then changed to a more "Elizabethan" style before becoming the familiar lettering retained for the rest of the B H Wood era around 1955 (soon after it switched to a smaller format)

I happen to have bound copies of Chess from January through September 1952. Covers for Jan and Feb have the title in the familiar wedge-shaped format, covering almost half its area and in solid colour. That for Feb (which presumably went to press before the 6th) is in bright yellow. On the March cover there's a photo of rows of chessmen, in a subdued shade I can only describe as dark puce, with the wedge-shaped title superimposed in white lettering. Then, as Matt says, subsequent covers displayed the title in what he calls the "Elizabethan" style, with all the letters the same size, though in different colours each time.

(The photo for the March 1952 cover had been used several times before, but usually printed in a livelier colour - notably bright green with red lettering for December 1950.)

[John Townsend]

Further to the discussion which we had in this place one year ago about the late Queen's racehorses, the 2023 St. Leger has just been run at Doncaster, attended by KIng Charles, and I am happy to note that his Desert Hero ran on in the final furlong to finish a creditable third.

[Simon Rogers]

Further to the discussion which we had in this place one year ago about the late Queen's racehorses, the 2023 St. Leger has just been run at Doncaster, attended by KIng Charles, and I am happy to note that his Desert Hero ran on in the final furlong to finish a creditable third.

I notice the horse that came sixth in the St Leger today was called Chesspiece.