Queen Elizabeth always felt most at home when she was around her dogs and horses, and former royal gardener Jack Stooks just shared a behind-the-scenes video of the late monarch in her element. Stooks, who served as a senior gardener to King Charles for two decades, posted a charming clip of Queen Elizabeth on Instagram, and Her Majesty’s corgis managed to steal the show.
“From the Palace riding school to the rose gardens of Buckingham Palace, Her Majesty could often be seen riding side saddle, a tradition she embraced with remarkable grace and confidence,” he captioned the video. In the clip, Queen Elizabeth is seen riding with her legs draped over the side of her horse, Burmese, as a narrator explains that the monarch would practice with the horse ahead of Trooping the Colour each year.
The late Queen wears one of her signature silk head scarves in lieu of a helmet in the video, adding a tweed blazer, breeches and riding boots to her equestrian outfit. After leaving the palace’s indoor ring, Queen Elizabeth heads to the Buckingham Palace gardens where a footman can be seen with a group of corgis.
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Queen Elizabeth rides Burmese during Trooping the Colour 1979.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
1986 was the last year Queen Elizabeth rode Burmese in her annual birthday parade.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
One especially spirited dog runs toward the late Queen, barking at the horse as she laughs and keeps Burmese’s composure. “The degree of concentration for both horse and rider is intense,” the narrator shares.
Queen Elizabeth continued to ride side saddle in Trooping the Colour each year until 1986, when Burmese retired. She opted not to train another horse for the parade, switching to riding in a carriage from 1987 forward. The late Queen’s last Trooping the Colour took place during her 2022 Platinum Jubilee, and it was the only time she didn’t take place in the procession, choosing to wave from the palace balcony as her health was failing.
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“For the Queen, horses were never simply a royal pastime,” Stooks added. “They were a lifelong passion, a source of joy, and a connection to a world she had loved since childhood.”
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