Inside Queen Elizabeth's lifelong love of horses
Welcome to this month's edition of The Royal Archive
Hello, Royal Clubbers, it’s Millie here, bringing you this month’s edition of The Royal Archive.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll have been watching the great and good descend upon Royal Ascot this year, part of a long tradition between the monarchy and their equine companions. Seeing the royals react to their horses winning or losing got me thinking about the late Queen Elizabeth II, and how she always had such a fondness for horses throughout her lifetime.
Not only was Queen Elizabeth a lover of horses and an expert in all things equine, she also bred (and named) racehorses, carriage horses, hunters, sports and riding horses, and polo ponies.
The late Queen also loved to ride, and was often spotted out and about in the grounds of Windsor Castle, making time with horses an important part of her routine.
This year, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace celebrates its 200th anniversary, and I spoke to Sally Goodsir, Curator of Decorative Arts at Royal Collection Trust, who is an expert in the history of the Mews.
Read on to discover what Mews staff put in Queen Elizabeth’s carriage on the day of her coronation, how a royal carriage has adopted modern technology, and which royal in history had an especially close connection with the Mews.