The horse who led the Queen’s funeral procession down the Long Walk to Windsor Castle has died at the age of 13.
Aurora, known by officers as Doris, was also on duty at Harry and Meghan’s wedding – and attended multiple football matches and music concerts.
The six-foot high horse joined Thames Valley Police (TVP) until she retired with the Horse Trust after being declared lame.
Paying tribute, the TVP Mounted Section wrote: “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.
“She escorted Royalty at Royal Ascot and led the funeral procession of our late Queen down the Long Walk.”
They thanked the Horse Trust for “the wonderful retirement she got to enjoy”.
The tribute ended with: “Gallop pain-free sweet girl and thank you for your service.”
The Horse Trust said: “Although Aurora has only been with us a short while, she instantly found favour with our team and amongst our supporters who met her in the yard when visiting.
“Fitting straight into our herd of retirees, Aurora made many friends both equine and human due to her placid nature.
“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 grey shire horse standing at 18 hands high, Aurora could be spotted in the field easily like a glorious marble statue, both stoic and stunning.”
Aurora died after sustaining a ruptured ligament, the treatment for which was “severely limited by her other diagnoses and sheer size”.
The only treatment available would have “severely impacted her quality of life” so it was decided to let Aurora “be at peace and run pain-free across the rainbow bridge”.
