Science > Animals > Animals and People

Royal Pets

From earliest times, royalty has collected strange animals. Power, wealth, and privilege gave them the ability to acquire animals of great beauty, ferocity, or rarity.

Ruler Pet
Julius Caesar, emperor of Rome Giraffe
Ramses II, pharaoh of Egypt Lion (Anta-M-Nekht)
Nero, emperor of Rome Tigress (Phoebe)
Charlemagne, emperor of France Elephant (Abul Abba)
Charles V, king of Spain Seals (7)
Louis IX, king of France Elephant & Porcupine
Henry III, king of England White bear & Elephant
Josephine, wife of Napoleon Orangutan
Henry's elephant was the first ever in England.
Josephine's orangutan sat at her dinner table wearing a coat!

Fact Monster/Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Presidential PetsAnimals and PeopleThe World's Favorite Pets

More on Royal Pets from Fact Monster:

  • Pets Page - Almanac—Cool Stuff Pets Fun Facts Most Popular Pet Names Animals and People Animal Jokes ...