Why did King Charles bestow a royal title on a rare goat?

The King, with the help of a local schoolboy, honoured a rare Golden Guernsey goat with a royal title.

During a visit to Guernsey with the Queen, King Charles bestowed a royal title on a rare breed of goat, once hidden from the Nazis to ensure its survival. 

According to the Mirror, local schoolboy Joe Martin, nine, helped Charles place an engraved brass bell around the neck of Summerville Tamsin, an eight-year-old Golden Guernsey goat. Joe shared that he had washed 'Tam Tam' with Head and Shoulders conditioner to make her as silky as possible.

Rebecca Martin, Joe's mother, expressed her excitement about the new royal title, stating, “It will give a much higher recognition of the breed and will hopefully safeguard their future.” The breed will now be known as the Royal Golden Guernsey Goat. Royal titles are granted sparingly and with strict standards, based on advice from the Cabinet Office.

The Golden Guernsey breed, known for its golden skin and brown hair, has a unique history dating back 200 years. Local woman Miriam Milbourne rediscovered the breed in the 1920s and hid them in her home during the Nazi occupation of the island in the 1940s. She then started a feeding programme in the 1950s to ensure their survival.

After the ceremony, Charles remarked, “You’ve got to keep it all going. I hear there is interest on the mainland too, which is wonderful.” The Queen, wearing a bandage on her right ankle due to a sprained ligament, joked with well-wishers about having to “hobble along.” She admired a lady’s flat shoes, saying, “I wish I had a pair of those.”

Earlier, the King sampled a new craft beer named in his honour, joking he had "better not have too much." The royals joined locals and veterans for a tea party, where Charles reminisced with the family of Capt Peter Voute, who taught him to fly in the 1970s. Peter's daughter, Carina Howitt, said, “We were very touched that he remembered our father.”

In the afternoon, Camilla enjoyed a private tour of Victor Hugo’s former home, Hauteville House, praising its intricate architecture and gardens. She described the history of the house as "wonderful" and admired the French government's decision to preserve it as a museum after Hugo's death.