Queen Elizabeth's Pony Emma Watches Late Monarch's Funeral Procession at Windsor Castle
A loyal horse was among the countless mourners watching Queen Elizabeth II's funeral procession make its 25-mile journey from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle on Monday.
The late monarch's beloved fell pony Carlton Lima Emma, whom the Queen rode into her nineties, stood on the grounds of Windsor Castle as Her Majesty's coffin made its final journey to St. George's Chapel, where the Queen will be laid to rest next to her husband, Prince Philip.
Footage from the funeral procession's trip through the grounds of Windsor Castle shows Emma, a stunning pony with a luxurious black coat, watching the custom hearse containing the Queen's coffin pass by.
BBC America
Emma was not the only animal to pay respects to the late monarch. The Queen's corgis, Sandy and Muick, also greeted the funeral procession at Windsor Castle ahead of the Queen's committal service at St. George's Chapel.
Emma, the Queen's fell pony, stands as the Ceremonial Procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Windsor Castle for the Committal Service at St George's Chapel 💔💔 #queensfuneral #QueenElizabethII 📸@PA pic.twitter.com/rBvOqPNoUl
— Derek Momodu (@DelMody) September 19, 2022
The four horses leading the Queen's State Funeral also have a special history with the British royal family. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has gifted eight horses to the Queen since 1969, according to Royal Central and The Times of London. Four of those horses — George, Elizabeth, Darby, and Sir John — are still alive today and lead the Queen's coffin procession from Westminster Abbey.
RELATED: It's Not Just Corgis: Looking Back at Queen Elizabeth's Lifelong Love of Horses
The Queen, who died on Sept. 8 at age 96, had a life-long love of horses, receiving her first at age four. The late monarch rode and owned hundreds of her horses during her reign, but a special few left a lasting impression.
BBC America Queen Elizabeth's corgis
In a 2020 interview with U.K. magazine Horse & Hound, the Queen's head groom Terry Pendry shared that the monarch counted Emma as one of her favorite horses and that the animal served as one of the Queen's riding ponies for years.
RELATED: Queen Elizabeth's Corgis Welcome Late Monarch's Coffin at Windsor Castle Ahead of Committal Service
Emma also participated in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, parading in the Windsor Horse Show's "A Gallop Through History," a televised event about the late monarch's 70 years on the throne.
