Retired police horse which led funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II dies | UK News

The horse which led the queen’s state funeral has died aged 13.

Aurora, known as Doris by police officers, led Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession down the Long Walk to Windsor Castle on her last day of service with Thames Valley Police.

She joined the force’s mounted section in 2015 and retired on September 20, 2022, the day after the queen’s funeral.

Aurora was also on duty at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, escorted royalty at Royal Ascot and worked at numerous football matches and concerts.

The 18-hands (6ft) high horse retired due to being lame and had been in the care of the Horse Trust since she hung up her saddle and stirrups.

A spokesman for the charity described Aurora as being ‘spotted in the field easily, like a glorious marble statue, both stoic and stunning’.

She was put to sleep after suffering a ruptured ligament.

The spokesman added: ‘Due to her other diagnoses and sheer size, this severely limited her prognosis and any treatment options available would have severely impacted her quality of life to undertake.

‘Therefore, it was decided to let Aurora be at peace and run pain free.

‘Her gentle character and striking size and beauty made hers a popular stable door for our visitors to linger at, as Aurora almost always had her head out and was ready for the strokes and adoration she so deserved in her retirement.’

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police’s mounted section said: ‘Aurora had such a sweet nature, she was another big, gentle giant of ours who generally looked after the newer riders but always did a good job of keeping us on our toes.

‘We cannot thank them [Horse Trust] enough for the wonderful retirement she got to enjoy.

‘Gallop pain-free sweet girl and thank you for your service.’

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