The Queen hosts a reception to mark the 90th anniversary of Brooke

Published 09 May 2024

The Queen, President of Brooke, hosted a reception to mark 90 years of the charity’s work of bringing hope to working horses, donkeys, and mules.

Queen Camilla poses for a group photo with guests and mini ponies as she hosts a reception at Buckingham Palace in London, to mark the 90th anniversary of Brooke, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, and mules.

Brooke, founded in the early 1930s, is a UK-based international working horse and donkey charity, which is also a legacy of the First World War. Dorothy Brooke established the Old War Horse Memorial Hospital in Cairo in 1934, and 90 years later, this grew into the global organisation it is today. As of 2022/2023, Brooke has supported 1.4 million working horses, donkeys, and mules directly, and 4.2 million through their advocacy work.

Queen Camilla as she hosts a reception at Buckingham Palace in London, to mark the 90th anniversary of Brooke, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, and mules.

During the reception, Her Majesty met with ambassadors, guests, and supporters of the charity at the Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace to meet mini ponies, Alfie and LaLa.

The Queen met with Brooke staff and supporters, who last year reached over 10,000 communities worldwide. Following this, Brooke CEO Chris Wainwright gave a speech. To mark the anniversary, Her Majesty cut a cake.

Queen Camilla cuts a cake as she hosts a reception at Buckingham Palace in London, to mark the 90th anniversary of Brooke, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, and mules.

About Brooke

Brooke, Action for Working Horses and Donkeys, founded in 1934, is an international charity that protects and improves the lives of horses, donkeys, and mules.

Her Majesty has a longstanding relationship with Brooke, holding the role of President since 2006. During the State Visit to Kenya, The Queen saw how the organisation is promoting equine welfare as part of Brooke’s East Africa Programme. Her Majesty was introduced to a Donkey Care Club, where local children are taught how to look after their donkeys.

For 600 million people in some of the poorest places in the world, 100 million of these animals are the backbone of communities and their best means of making a living. Without healthy working horses, donkeys, and mules, they wouldn’t be able to put food on their tables, send their children to school, or build better futures for themselves and their families.

The work of Brooke not only improves the lives of working animals, but also gives people in the developing world the opportunity to gain employment.

Brooke was founded by Dorothy Brooke, the wife of a British cavalry officer, who sought out the former war horses that had been put to work in Cairo and beyond when the conflict ended in 1918. Her pleas in a letter to the editor of the then Morning Post (now The Telegraph) in 1931 were heard, and with help from the British public, Dorothy raised enough money to buy back 5,000 of the horses. Following this, Dorothy established a veterinary clinic in Cairo.

Her Majesty has had a long standing personal interest in animals and their welfare. Read more on The Queen and her support for animal welfare here: https://www.royal.uk/the-queens-support-for-animal-welfare