Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Reveals Her Family's Tortoise Is Named Marmite

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The British royal family famously loves their pets. One unique addition to the royal (animal) household: the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have a tortoise named Marmite.

During lockdown, Prince Edward revealed that their family (which includes son James, Earl of Wessex and daughter Lady Louise) had a tortoise, telling students on a video call, "We have two dogs and we've also got a tortoise – who basically runs the house!"

This week, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh shared that the family's tortoise is in fact named Marmite, and loves eating grapes. (Marmite, of course, is a British savory food spread.)

Sadly, the Edinburghs have yet to share any photos of their pet. Tortoises have a very long life expectancy; they can live between 80 and 150 years, and even longer. It's unclear when the Edinburghs got Marmite, but it's clearly a key part of their household.

Interestingly, they are not the first royals to own a tortoise. Famously, a tortoise named Tu'i Malila (which means King Malilia in Tongan) was reportedly given to the Tongan royal family in 1777. When Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip traveled to Tonga in 1953, they met the animal, who resided at the Royal Palace of Tonga in Nuku'alofa:

In an advice column for new tortoise owners, Home & Roost writes, "Tortoises are delicate creatures that need very specific conditions to thrive." Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh live at Bagshot Park in Surrey, which definitely has plenty of room for Marmite the tortoise.

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