London Zoo has been part of the royal story for almost as long as it has existed. When King Charles III visited the zoo with Queen Camilla in July 2026, he was not simply marking the 200th anniversary of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). He was continuing a connection between the Crown and the institution that stretches back to the early 19th century. Since 1830, the reigning monarch has served as ZSL’s patron, meaning the role passed to Charles after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The relationship began generations earlier, when royal interest in the zoo was already being recorded. Charles is therefore the latest monarch in a line that has remained linked to the London institution for nearly two centuries.
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