Alastair Stewart was a guest at a reception hosted by The Queen at Buckingham Palace today, marking 90 yeas of The Brooke equine charity.
The Queen fed carrots to donkeys and horses as she hosted a reception for a “remarkable” equine welfare charity.
Alastair, who has been a patron of the charity since 2016, was among several famous guests, including former newsreader Angela Rippon, charity staff and Ann Searight, the founder’s granddaughter.
They spoke to Her Majesty in the Bow Room of the Palace before the Queen was shown a short video of the charity’s work. Camilla then cut a Brooke anniversary cake and received a framed gift.
Giving a short speech, she said: “Can I thank you all for your support – it (Brooke) is the most remarkable charity.”
Speaking at the reception, Alastair said riding was one of his biggest hobbies at boarding school as a child, and he now owns two donkeys.
He said: “In the charity world, there are lots of good causes but they’re not all brilliantly run.
“Brooke is very well run, it doesn’t waste money (and) it treats its supporters extremely well.”
Asked about the Queen, Stewart said Camilla was “a hands-on president” who knew “an awful lot” about the charity’s work.
He added: “I think Brooke ticks all the boxes – it looks after animals, it looks after people, it helps people look after animals and it helps animals look after people. It’s a perfect circle and I love it.”
Camilla has held the role of president for the UK-based international charity, which protects and improves the lives of horses, donkeys and mules, since 2006.
Founded in 1934 initially to support abandoned horses from the First World War, Brooke has gone on to help 1.4 million working animals directly and now works across three continents and 15 countries.
Camilla saw the organisation’s work first hand when she visited a Donkey Care Club during a state visit to Kenya last year.
She was first introduced to Alfie and LaLa in the palace’s quadrangle where she snapped a carrot in two before asking “Are you greedy, Alfie?” as she fed the donkey.
Camilla then patted LaLa on the nose and back as she offered more of the carrot to eat, and noted how both animals were “about my size” before also meeting and feeding the horses.
