Royal Animals : A gorgeously illustrated history with a foreword by Sir Michael Morpurgo

A beautifully illustrated history of royal animals in Britain from 1066 to the present day, with a foreword by Sir Michael Morpurgo. Why do the three lions on the British crest look so much like leopards?

When did the first elephant set foot on British soil?

Was there really a polar bear who fished in the river Thames?The perfect sumptuous gift for animal lovers, this large hardback includes a jacket with elegant red foil detailing, gold corgi endpapers and stunning hand-painted illustrations on every page from renowned artist Emily Sutton. Full of astounding facts and amazing true animal stories, delve in to discover royal giraffes, elephants, spaniels, parrots, ravens, pelicans and, of course, Queen Elizabeth II's corgis. Royal Animals is engagingly written, with artwork from Emily Sutton, the illustrator of Everyone Sang, William Sieghart's poetry collection.

Emily is also the illustrator of Paddington creator Michael Bond's Castle Mice series. This fascinating exploration of 1000 years of royal animals is written by Julia Golding, the author of The Queen's Wardrobe, illustrated by Kate Hindley.