The Queen hosts a reception to mark the 90th anniversary of Brooke
Published
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.](/sites/default/files/styles/460x460/public/images/2024-05/PA-76115475.jpg?h=4da2a308&itok=QqSti1da)
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.](/sites/default/files/styles/920xh/public/images/2024-05/PA-76115473.jpg?itok=YzqRGRBZ)
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.
![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.](/sites/default/files/styles/920xh/public/images/2024-05/PA-76115771.jpg?itok=7iWfmDeH)
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.](/sites/default/files/styles/920xh/public/images/2024-05/PA-76115992.jpg?itok=Is9DPIGf)
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.
![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.](/sites/default/files/styles/920xh/public/images/2024-05/PA-76115478.jpg?itok=wgi40R_9)
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
Related content
More details on the upcoming State Visit by The Emperor and Empress of Japan
![The King and Queen visit RADA](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-05/PA-76362420.jpg?h=71e1c195&itok=fBimt5pX)
![The King at Chelsea](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-05/PA-76261319.jpg?itok=hI2CyHRq)
The King and Queen, joined by Members of the Royal Family, will mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings
A speech by Her Majesty The Queen at the Charleston Festival 2024
Books and gardens are faithful friends to whom we can always turn to. They both have the ability to comfort, to cheer and to connect us with people and nature, reminding us...
![The Queen at Charleston House](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-05/PA-76191743.jpg?h=642c896b&itok=I_tieNVI)
A speech delivered by The Queen at a Reception to recognise those who support survivors of sexual assault and to relaunch of the Washbags Project
Thank you for sharing your stories, thank you for your kindness, thank you for not remaining strangers to those enduring the darkest of times, and, most of all, thank you for...
The Queen's speech at a reception to recognise those who support survivors of sexual assault
Your stories and your experiences are vital tools as we seek to bring about change: to forge a world in which people, whoever and wherever they are, do not live in fear of...
![Queen Camilla with crew members as she hosts a reception for the 'Maiden' yachting crew, at Clarence House in London, to congratulate them on their unprecedented win of the Ocean Globe Race and becoming the first ever all-female crew to win an around-the-world yacht race.](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-04/PA-76023978.jpg?itok=2yz0-WBV)
![The Queen visits the Royal Lancers](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-04/PA-75959374.jpg?h=f87c77c3&itok=G8TD9A-w)
A speech by Her Majesty The Queen on her first visit to The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths’ Own), having been appointed as Colonel-in-Chief
My father described the Regiment as a “highly efficient entity, highly skilled, and full of personalities”, I have no doubt that your upcoming deployments will be...
![The Queen with SafeLives Changemakers](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-04/PA-75902734.jpg?h=13a56827&itok=gh7wl14F)
The Queen's support of the Arts
![The Queen and the Arts](/sites/default/files/styles/460x460/public/images/2024-04/PA-71373747.jpg?h=c457fab8&itok=BOyiJfl4)
![British and French troops at Changing of the Guard, Buckingham Palace](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-04/PA-75823072_0.jpg?h=a022d4da&itok=_CNGMxSc)
![Queen Camilla meets a trader during a visit to the Farmers' Market in The Square, Shrewsbury, in Shropshire.](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-03/PA-75725381.jpg?itok=MFB1AAFS)
![Reading Room reception](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-03/PA-75720243-2.jpg?h=f6a2a35b&itok=weO6Lf4d)
![Queen Camilla meets members of the public during a visit to Lisburn Road in Belfast.](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-03/PA-75674807.jpg?h=936e674c&itok=LpTdtYsQ)
![The Queen meeting with young children during the Isle of Man visit.](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-03/PA-75668588.jpg?itok=_WeZ0tDC)
![The Queen on board the WOW Bus](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-03/PA-75601954.jpg?h=a98eeccb&itok=igI1yy9c)
A speech by Her Majesty The Queen at a reception to celebrate International Women’s Day and to mark the end of the WOW Girls Festival Bus tour
Let your lives be the stones that will shatter glass ceilings everywhere and inspire generations to come.
![Commonwealth Day Service 2024](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-03/PA-75597046.jpg?itok=MPoXSiRn)
A speech by Her Majesty The Queen at the Grand Final of BBC's 500 Words, Buckingham Palace
Between you, you have created more than a million stories of thought-provoking adventure for future generations to study and enjoy. Thank you to everybody who has taken part...
Charities and Patronages
![The King and Queen at a Prince's Trust event](/sites/default/files/styles/460x460/public/images/2024-04/PA-70649842.jpg?h=6fae281d&itok=ICX7Gvu2)
![500 Words 2023 at Buckingham Palace](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-03/DSC07409.jpg?h=81ed4711&itok=NaKffshx)
![Queen Camilla meets members of Plumpton College, after presenting the Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education, during an event at Buckingham Palace in London..jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-02/Queen%20Camilla%20meets%20members%20of%20Plumpton%20College%2C%20after%20presenting%20the%20Queen%27s%20Anniversary%20Prizes%20for%20Higher%20and%20Further%20Education%2C%20during%20an%20event%20at%20Buckingham%20Palace%20in%20London._0.jpg?itok=pnJZfDqx)
![The Queen welcomes Medical Detection Dogs to Clarence House](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-02/PA-75397773.jpg?h=2f76be16&itok=PoRntONz)
The Queen celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Poppy Factory at Clarence House
15 February 2024![The Queen hosts a reception for the Poppy Factory](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-02/PA-75349684.jpg?h=89a26db8&itok=XM7dWm8o)
![Gyles Brandreth speak to Queen Camilla as whilst posing for a photo with Floella Benjamin, Twiggy Lawson, Harriet Walter, Maureen Lipman (left to right front row) Virginia McKenna, Sian Phillips, Vanessa Redgrave, Penelope Keith and Patricia Routledge at a Celebration of Shakespeare event at Grosvenor House, central London, marking 400 years since the first…](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-02/PA-75343867.jpg?h=18d5d036&itok=xwypQk7M)
![The Queen visits Kindred Studios](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-02/PA-75340042.jpg?h=24220d57&itok=N37WWXdZ)
![Queen Camilla attends a musical evening at Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire, to celebrate the work of local charities including the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust, Wiltshire Air Ambulance, and Community First - Youth Action Wiltshire, as well as the regimental charities of the Grenadier Guards and The Rifles.](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-02/PA-75286616.jpg?h=121089d0&itok=XS-7lQ3Y)
![The Queen in Cambridge](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-02/PA-75222933.jpg?h=4a37925c&itok=HEboNip-)
![The Queen in Bath](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-02/PA-75213695_0.jpg?h=a022d4da&itok=U3od7SpD)
The Queen opened Maggie's new cancer support centre at the Royal Free Hospital
01 February 2024![The Queen visiting Maggie's](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-02/PA-75205079.jpg?itok=iLL57NTx)
The Queen hosts authors and illustrators of the new Modern-Day Miniature Library
30 January 2024![The Queen attends a reception for the Centenary of Queen Mary's Dolls' House](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-01/PA-75196117.jpg?h=642c896b&itok=Ma8MEJdK)
The Queen's Introduction to Queen Mary's Dolls' House's Modern-Day Miniature Library
It has continued to enchant generations of children and adults who come to marvel at its perfect proportions, extraordinary attention to detail and, perhaps above all, the...
![Queen Camilla smiles after unveiling a plaque during a visit to the Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service's (SDASS) in Wiltshire, to mark the charity's 50th anniversary and highlight their work in support, prevention, education and early intervention, including work with perpetrators of domestic abuse.](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-01/PA-75122224.jpg?h=26de9ad4&itok=ZuXHYnCn)
![The Queen visits Women's Aid Swindon](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2024-01/PA-75122317.jpg?h=49fea81f&itok=1fWxmO0C)
![The Queen at Winter Flowers Week](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2023-12/PA-74787654.jpg?h=ecbeef5a&itok=MXxt4r_X)
![The Queen is joined by children to decorate the Clarence House Christmas Tree](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2023-12/PA-74777272_0.jpg?h=9c31594d&itok=LgbuUSWA)
![Queen Camilla during a visit to Ashiana women's refuge in London. Picture date: Wednesday December 6, 2023.](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2023-12/PA-74778142.jpg?h=0d92ec72&itok=2TjOuBaH)
![The Queen at Clarence House for the Booker Prize Foundation](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2023-11/PA-74640241.jpg?h=1fd07c17&itok=5im8uKHp)
The Queen's speech at The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023
Well done to each and every one of you – you are quite brilliant and I have, as ever, enormously enjoyed reading your entries.
![The Queen speaks at a lecturn](/sites/default/files/styles/grid_3x2/public/images/2023-11/PA-74623741.jpg?itok=Q07vJn9f)