Paws for Royalty

As the world watched the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years, royal historians, journalists, and casual observers alike were writing about the events. We cat fanciers are just as interested, as royal pets, past and present, have been documented and photographed.

- Heidi Crabtree

As the world watched the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years, royal historians, journalists, and casual observers alike were writing about the events. We cat fanciers are just as interested, as royal pets, past and present, have been documented and photographed.

The British Royal Family has long been associated with dogs, whether hounds for the hunt, or the beloved corgis of the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose canine companions, sadly, looked lost in the days following Her Majesty’s death. Princess Michael of Kent appears to be the one outspoken Royal cat fancier, yet the Prime Minister’s residence has had its current Chief Mouser, a brown and white tabby named Larry, for 12 years. (Larry came to the Prime Minister’s office from the Battersea Dogs’ and Cats’ Home.)

Nevertheless, there is evidence of cats in residence in the English government dating back to the 16th Century, when Cardinal Thomas Wolsey placed his cat by his side while acting in his capacity as Lord Chancellor. Early in the last century Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, sat for official photographs with her kitties. More recently, her Royal Highness Queen Camilla became Royal Patron of Battersea Dogs’ and Cats’ Home six years ago and also opened a new £5 million London Cattery at Battersea in 2010. 

A Breeder’s Gift to a Queen