The late Queen owned horses from an incredibly young age, right up until she died - but one pony was her true favourite.
The animal-loving monacrch had a passion for racing horses and over the course of her long life owned an incredible 30 corgis - but in the last years of her life her favourite pony Emma was her regular companion, so much so that she even made a special appearance at the State Funeral that saw the country and the Royal Family say their final farewells to the UK's longest reigning monarch.
The late Queen regularly rode her Fell pony Emma around Windsor Great Park and owned her for around 15 years, and since the monarch died, Emma has continued to live in stables there.
A year after tragically losing her owner, Emma was seen out for a walk around the grounds at Windsor, on the first anniversary of the Queen's death. Stud groom Terry Pendry led the black pony around the same area she likely would have walked with Her Majesty during their rides, in a very sweet and poignant tribute.
And it's not the first time Emma has paid her respects to her late owner. The world witnessed a tender moment as the pony was spotted during the Queen's funeral procession last September. Emma left viewers deeply moved as she was seen alongside floral tributes for the monarch bowing her head as the Queen's hearse passed, flanked by soldiers from the Queen's Guard.
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Emma paid one final tribute to her late owner (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Pendry made the moment even more touching as he laid out the Queen's Hermes headscarf - which she often wore while riding - across Emma's saddle for the occasion. Mr Pendry, in his bowler hat, black jacket, and riding boots, also bowed his head as the coffin passed.
Emma's ears twitched and she swished her tail, stomping on the ground twice with one of her front hooves as the Queen's coffin moved past. Behind the pony were the grooms from the Royal Mews at Windsor, wearing black armbands in mourning. Since this emotional moment, many have wondered what happened to Emma following the Queen's death and unsurprisingly, she's being well looked after.
The Royal Family previously released a photo of beloved Emma on social media, explaining: "For the past fifteen years, Queen Elizabeth regularly rode Emma for light exercise in the grounds around Windsor Castle. Emma paid tribute to Her Majesty during the Ceremonial Procession in Windsor on Monday 19th September. She will continue to be much-loved and cared for at the Royal Mews, Windsor, and regularly exercised by its small, dedicated team."
In addition to this, Emma has since won a very special award, being named horse of a lifetime at the Horse & Hound Awards in December 2022. She won the trophy following a public vote and the award, as well as a bag of carrots, was accepted by Lizzie Briant, who competed on Emma in showing classes. She said: "Everybody adores her at the Royal Mews - there isn't a pony in the country that is better loved." As well as being a great companion for the Queen, Emma has also taken part in three pageants at the Royal Windsor Horse Show over the years including for the Queen's 90th birthday and her Platinum Jubilee.
Emma - full name Carltonlima Emma - was bred at the Murthwaite Stud farm in Cumbria by Thomas Capstick, who passed away in 2015. She was just eight when the Queen first started riding her. Mr Pendry once described Emma, who was bought by the late monarch in 2004, as "a wonderful servant to Her Majesty" and one of her favourite ever horses.
The late Queen regularly rode Emma for light exercise in the grounds around Windsor Castle over the last 15 years. Following her attendance at the former monarch's funeral procession, Mr Pendry, who accompanied the pony during her appearance, claimed Emma was aware on some level that she will never ride with her owner again. He said: "The Queen adored Emma and rode her for more than 20 years so it was only right she should have been there, and she behaved impeccably. I think she probably had some sort of sixth sense that Her Majesty wouldn't be riding her anymore and she did her proud by standing there so respectfully."
The late Queen was known for her lifelong love of horses which began when her grandfather King George V gave her a Shetland Pony called Peggy. She became knowledgeable as a rider, owner, and breeder of horses and her passion for them was evident at race meetings, which included the Derby at Epsom and Royal Ascot.
King Charles reportedly inherited one-third of the late Queen's racing horses, and despite selling off some of the animals last year in a sale that is said to have earned him over £1m, he has kept most of her stable.
Alongside Queen Camilla, he is watching filly Treasure run in the Betfred Oaks race at Epsom races today - a horse bred by his late mother.
A version of this article was published in September 2023.
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