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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sam Truelove

The Queen's 'special' grey shire horses pay their respects with final act of service

Two grey shire horses who had a "special" relationship with the Queen are paying their their final respects following her death.

With thousands of floral tributes and Paddington Bears left by members of the public in Green Park and Hyde Park, the clear-up has started and Heath, 17, and Nobby, 14, are doing their bit.

The two grey shire horses, measuring 18-and-a-half hands and adorned with royal medals, are helping transport load after load of the dead and dying flowers nearly two miles.

They will travel through Green Park, under Wellington Arch through Hyde Park and towards the royal compost heap where the floral tributes will be mulched.

It is a fitting act by the pair as they were specially admired by the Queen herself.

The horses are helping transport load after load of the dead and dying flowers nearly two miles (Getty Images)

The two horses were spotted by the Queen after appearing on Channel 5 series Hampton Court: Behind Closed Doors.

Head coachman Edward McDowell said: "She spotted them, showed the clip to her yard manager and said to him, 'I want those two for the Jubilee parade'."

Mr McDowell added: "It's an honour and a privilege — of course we all jumped at the chance. But it's particularly right for them, they're paying their respects."

There are just 1,500 grey shire brood mares in the world, so they are incredibly rare.

Volunteers sort through floral tributes to the Queen in Green Park (Getty Images)

Heath and Nobby were kept at Windsor Castle and it's safe to say they impressed the Queen during their first meeting.

"When they arrived, she came and inspected them and said she couldn't wait to see them all plaited up for the show," said McDowell. "Once she popped down to see them and fed them some carrots. She knew these were really special."

The two horses also regularly work in the Royal Parks, whether that is cutting grass or creating wild flower meadows

They will continue to work in the days ahead as the clear-up continues, with originally thousands of floral tributes and Paddington Bears to be shifted.

Staff and volunteers from the Royal Parks charity will join them and help put the tributes in the carts before they are taken to the Leaf Pen in Kensington Garden.

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