Awaited for many months by the British and royalty enthusiasts, the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, celebrating her 70 years of reign, is fast approaching, being held from June 2 to 5 in the United Kingdom. On this occasion, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron wanted to offer a gift corresponding to one of the passions of the 96-year-old sovereign.
Thus, according to information from Paris Match, the Head of State offered one of the 470 horses of the Republican Guard cavalry regiment. Baptized Fabuleu de Maucour, this 7-year-old horse “results from breeding in the Meuse” and “provided with a gray coat which distinguishes it and makes it suitable for the standard and its escort”. “It is the flagship horse of the regiment’s cavalry,” said General Éric Bio Farina, praising the equestrian culture of Great Britain and the royal family, interviewed by the magazine.
“A wise horse, representative of the regiment”
Paris Match specifies that “the gelding (Editor’s note: castrated horse) completed his first service as a standard-bearer on the Champs-Élysées on May 8”. To explain the choice of this gift, Colonel Gabriel Cortès indicates that he wanted “a wise horse, representative of the regiment, which pleases the Queen”. “I understand that she is very fond of gray horses. I’m sure nothing can make him happier,” he added.
Absent from the jubilee in London, Emmanuel Macron will nevertheless pay tribute to Elisabeth II on Thursday by going to the Arc de Triomphe to rekindle the flame, the Elysée announced on Tuesday. The Head of State will jointly lay a wreath at the foot of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, accompanied by the British Ambassador to France Menna Rawlings.