The royals shared a joke together at the races…

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed has enjoyed a rather casual encounter with his friend and fellow royal, Queen Elizabeth II.

The ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE was in the UK over the weekend to attend the Royal Windsor Endurance Race at Windsor Park, along with his son H.H Sheikh Hamdan, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Clad in sporty tracksuits for the occasion, the pair were watching the race on the sidelines when they were joined by the 91-year-old monarch. The King of Bahrain was there too (just in case there wasn’t already enough blue blood at the one event).

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According to the Dubai Media Office, Sheikh Mohammed and the Queen took the opportunity to discuss historic ties, friendship and co-operation between the UAE and the United Kingdom.

The ruler also emphasised the UAE’s keenness to participate in equestrian events taking place in England. Emirati riders took out the top three places of this weekend’s event, with Saeed Al Khayari crowned the overall winner of the 120km race. 

Around 60 jockeys took part in the race, with eight competitors from the UAE.

Sheikh Mohammed and the Queen are often seen chatting at racing events, with both royals sharing a passion for horses.

Here they are pictured at the Royal Windsor Endurance Race back in 2014:

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And here they are enjoying a laugh together back in 2010:

Congratulating the Queen on her 90th birthday last year, Sheikh Mohammed described her as a “remarkable monarch I greatly admire”.

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