The Queen visits Norfolk

This afternoon, The Queen was welcomed to Anna Sewell House, the birthplace of the beloved author of 'Black Beauty'.

During the visit, Her Majesty had the opportunity to look at early editions of Black Beauty - a personal lifelong favourite - and meet volunteers who take care of the house today.

Anna Sewell, the author of Black Beauty, was born 30th March 1820 and passed away on 25 April 1878 at the age of 58. While she lived long enough to see the book published, Sewell never saw its incredible success as part of a very elite group of books that have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide.

Her Majesty also met representatives of charity Redwings, who have been the custodians of Anna Sewell House in Great Yarmouth since 2022. The charity hopes to use the House to showcase Anna Sewell’s incredible legacy not just in literature but in the world of animal welfare, as Black Beauty played an important role in making wholesale changes to the way horses were thought of and treated. 

Redwings currently cares for 1500 rescued horses, ponies, donkeys and mules across the UK at sanctuary sites, with 700 more living out in Guardian homes via a rehoming scheme.

Later, The Queen visited jeweller Monica Vinader's design studio. The company won the 2022 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. 

With industry-leading standards and targets that are guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Monica Vinader is striving to make meaningful changes for our planet, people and communities. Since their award, the jeweller has partnered with the world’s first net zero jewellery manufacturer, Ennovie, to implement blockchain traceability. This technology allows customers to trace selected styles from design to material sourcing to craftsmanship.

As well as working towards transparency, the jeweller has a changemaking circularity agenda, crafting its jewellery with 100% recycled gold and silver, and offering a jewellery recycling programme, 5-year warranty and lifetime repairs service.

With its headquarters located in the rural Holkham estate, Monica Vinader recently embarked on a 5-year biodiversity project, preserving a nearby 7 hectare site to improve air, water and soil quality, as well as sequester carbon and improve the biodiversity of the land.

During her visit, The Queen heard more about these practices and met staff working on the design and production process.