King Charles has put all of his late mother’s ‘horse chintz’ into storage

Sometimes, I’ll come across a phrase which just delights me to no end. This week, that phrase is “horse chintz.” Isn’t that a great phrase and description? Here in America, with the prevalence of Yiddish (gifted to us from the immigrant community), we would probably say “horse tchotchkes.” Well, over her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth II developed an enormous collection of horse chintz. That’s what happens when you’re known for having one particular interest or hobby: you’re always going to get gifts related to that one hobby. QEII loved horses, and people would always give her horse-related trinkets, paintings, sculptures, jewelry, etc. Now QEII’s “horse chintz” is being cleared out and put in storage by King Charles. Per the Telegraph: “Late Queen’s horse chintz is heir today, gone tomorrow after Charles’s clear out.”

Queen Elizabeth II was passionate about horses. Her son and heir, less so. The King has banished part of his late mother’s huge collection of equestrian bronzes, portraits and trophies to the basement as he seeks to furnish the royal residences to his own taste.

The equine ornaments are said to have cluttered the corridors at both Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, but sources reveal that many have now been unceremoniously placed in storage. Photographs taken in the late Queen’s private apartment at Windsor suggest that it was packed with mementos to commemorate her great passion.

Sources say there are equestrian paintings, statues and sculptures of all periods at virtually every royal residence, including at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, both on prominent public display and in private areas. One admitted: “As The King spends more time at Buckingham Palace and Windsor a small number of items of decorative arts are gradually being rearranged as you would expect.” They insisted that a “ very significant number” chosen by the late Queen remain.

The Queen’s passion for all things equine-related provided useful inspiration for world leaders and others buying her gifts. So much so that a large proportion of the official gifts presented from world leaders revolved around her favourite four-legged animals.

[From The Telegraph]

The Telegraph then went on to detail just how many horse-related gifts QEII received from world leaders, and it really is staggering. In addition to all of those horse bronzes, horse paintings and horse gear, many Middle Eastern royals gifted her actual horses too. She was known for that one thing and people around the world were like “yes, I know exactly what to get her!” Is Charles known for one thing? What will world leaders give him? Plants? Seeds? Suitcases full of cash? Anyway, it makes perfect sense that Charles would want his twenty million homes to reflect his tastes, his passions. I’ve read before that he prefers dark, womb-like interiors and everything very staid and fussy.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instagram.