The Royal Cats of Buckingham Palace: A Soft Asset of the Crown

The British royal family's love of cats goes back to the nineteenth century. Queen Victoria was a passionate cat lover, and several Persian and British Shorthair cats lived in Windsor Castle during her reign. Queen Elizabeth II's childhood was accompanied by a royal children's cat called Sukey. In her later years, the Queen kept blue-point Siamese and Welsh cats close at hand, believing their quiet presence offered a break from the rigors of royal protocol. When Diana, Princess of Wales, married into the family, she brought her own beloved cats into the palace. Today, Buckingham Palace no longer admits cats freely, but Windsor Castle keeps the royal cat tradition alive. Royal family members rarely speak about politics, but when they talk about cats, they smile most naturally.