King Charles is pictured inspecting his mother’s treasured racehorses in monarch’s first visit to the stud farm at Sandringham since her passing

• King Charles III appeared in high spirits as he inspected racehorses at stud farm 
• It was the royal’s first visit to the farm at Sandringham since the Queen’s death
• He was last week pictured appraising the animals he has now inherited 

It was one of the Queen’s great passions in life.

Now King Charles has been pictured visiting his mother’s treasured racehorses after inheriting them on her death.

It was his first visit to the stud farm at Sandringham in Norfolk since the Queen died in September.

The King was seen inspecting the horses with estate staff after travelling to the royal residence by train last week. He was seen driving himself out of the main house to the nearby stables at around lunchtime.

King Charles was last week pictured visiting his mother’s treasured racehorses after inheriting them on her death

It was the King’s first visit to the stud farm at Sandringham in Norfolk since the Queen died in September

His visit comes after he put 14 of the late Queen’s racehorses up for auction.

They sold for a total of more than £1 million after at Tattersalls in Newmarket, Suffolk, during a three-day auction which ended last week.

Those sold include Love Affairs, the Queen’s last winner at Goodwood two days before her death, trained by Clive Cox from Lambourn, in Berkshire.

Another high profile lot was Just Fine, which was trained by Sir Michael Stoute from Newmarket. It was the first horse to win for the new King at Leicester last month.

In total, the 14 horses sold for 1,075,500 guineas – £1,129,275.

Those sold include Love Affairs, the Queen’s last winner at Goodwood two days before her death, trained by Clive Cox from Lambourn, in Berkshire

Charles, pictured, currently has 60 racehorses and 38 brood mares at Sandringham. But Tattersalls spokesman Jimmy George said the sale was ‘nothing out of the ordinary’

King Charles, pictured during the visit, rode as an amateur jockey when younger but is not believed to be as passionate about the sport as his mother

The horses auctioned were not at Sandringham but being kept and trained elsewhere.

But the sale will spark speculation that King Charles plans to cut his mother’s racing and breeding operation.

Charles currently has 60 racehorses and 38 brood mares at Sandringham. But Tattersalls spokesman Jimmy George said the sale was ‘nothing out of the ordinary’.

‘Every year they would sell horses,’ he said speaking before last week’s auction. ‘The Queen had brood mares of her own, she would breed them and sell them. You can’t keep them all.’ The Queen was a keen breeder of racehorses as well as an avid racegoer and rider, carrying on well into her 90s.

The King was seen inspecting the horses with estate staff after travelling to the royal residence by train last week

Charles pictured during the visit last week. The sale of the racehorses will spark speculation that King Charles plans to cut his mother’s racing and breeding operation

She inherited her father King George VI’s breeding and racing stock, which ignited a life-long love of the sport.

Her racing manager, John Warren, from the Highclere Stud in Hampshire, previously said horses were a ‘tremendous getaway’ from other duties and racing and horses were ‘simply in her DNA’.

The Queen subsidised the running costs of the stud farm from her private purse – as it did not always turn a profit. Last year was her best in racing, with 36 winners earning £590,000 in prize money. It is thought she made £10million in prize money over her racing career.

King Charles rode as an amateur jockey when younger but is not believed to be as passionate about the sport as his mother.

Charles, pictured, grinned as he last week visited the racehorses on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk

The Queen subsidised the running costs of the stud farm from her private purse – as it did not always turn a profit. Charles pictured during his visit

However, Camilla, the Queen Consort, is a fan, and has bred horses since 2008. It is thought that while the King will continue to run a breeding programme, it will be on a smaller scale than his mother’s.

Mr George said the sale of the Queen’s horses did not symbolise the end of the royal household’s connection with racing.

He said: ‘Every year owners sell stock. His Majesty is just doing what owners do.’ A royal source said: ‘The King and Queen’s interest, love and enthusiasm for everything to do with horse racing will continue.’ Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale is the largest sale of its kind in the world. About 1,500 horses were in the auction.

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