THE Queen will be coming to York for Royal Ascot - and she plans to attend every day of the meeting, the Evening Press can exclusively reveal today.

The official confirmation given to the Press by Buckingham Palace ends months of "will she, won't she?" speculation, with some pundits as recently as last week predicting that she might not attend.

Rumours were growing today that Prince Charles and his new wife Camilla would also be visiting - and might spend the week at Bishopthorpe Palace, the currently vacant home of the Archbishop of York.

The Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "I can confirm that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and other senior members of the Royal Family, will be attending (Royal Ascot at York). The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will attend every day."

An Evening Press source said the Queen would be using Bishopthorpe Palace as a base during Royal Ascot, but actually staying with Lord Halifax at Garrowby Hall.

"We've heard she will go to the palace for her lunch and is bringing her own staff up for it," the source said.

"There is no doubt she is using the palace."

It is believed the Queen will travel in the Royal procession from the palace to Knavesmire each day.

A spokesman for the Queen said she would be "staying privately" in the area.

But she declined to reveal where.

Tourism and council bosses were delighted after Buckingham Palace confirmed to the paper that the Queen and the Duke would attend the event next month, along with other senior members of the Royal Family.

"We have always been optimistic that the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will attend," said Kay Hyde, PR manager for York Tourism Bureau.

"It's a great honour for the city to be chosen to host this prestigious event, and we will be delighted if the Queen and Duke, and other members of the Royal family attend as York will be showcased to the world."

Council leader Steve Galloway said: "We are obviously delighted at the confirmation.

"The city has a long history of welcoming and entertaining the Royal Family and this will be another milestone in that process. We are very pleased."

York MP Hugh Bayley said: "It would not be Royal Ascot without the Queen."

Asked whether the rumours about Prince Charles staying at Bishopthorpe Palace were true, York diocesan spokesman Martin Shepherd said: "I cannot answer that," and Archbishop's assistant Mary Murray referred our call to the Buckingham Palace press office.

A spokeswoman for Prince Charles declined to comment on the rumours that the couple were seeking to stay at Bishopthorpe Palace, saying that was a "private matter."

She said she was not in a position to say whether he and the Duchess of Cornwall would be attending.

The riverside palace at Bishopthorpe, situated conveniently close to the racecourse, has been empty, apart from a handful of administrative staff, since Dr David Hope resigned as Archbishop early this year.

Successful visits in the 1970s

THE last time the Queen visited York races was in August 1978, when she attended the Ebor Race Day.

It proved a fruitful visit - her horse Rhyme Royal won the Falmouth Handicap.

In May 1974, she flew into the city on an impromptu visit to see her three-year-old chestnut filly Escorial, ridden by Lester Piggott, win the Musidora Stakes.

She arrived at Rufforth airfield on a flight from Heathrow and wore a turquoise suit with matching hat and black accessories for the occasion.

The crowd cheered as her horse stormed to victory in the 3.30pm race, and they milled round the winner's enclosure to watch the Queen congratulate horse and jockey.

But her next visit to York races later that year was not so successful for the horse-loving monarch. At the August Ebor meeting, her colt Rekindle pulled up with a broken leg in the Lonsdale Stakes Handicap and had to be destroyed, while on the same day her filly Highclere failed to win a place in the Benson and Hedges World Cup.

Two years earlier, in 1972, a record crowd of 34,700 greeted the Queen's visit to the August Ebor meeting.

Only one of her horses, Crown Court, appeared at that day's racing. It ran unplaced in the 3.50pm race, despite being one of the favourites.

Updated: 10:16 Wednesday, May 25, 2005