Royal Pets

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff

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!
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