Late Queen Elizabeth’s favourite horse dies in Christmas tragedy

It was a particularly sombre Christmas for the Royals this year, after Queen Elizabeth's death earlier this year and then the death of her favourite horse on Christmas Eve.

As per The Sun, the late Queen’s favourite horse Royal Applause died at the age of 29 at Sandringham, Norfolk, where he was stabled at the Royal Studs and where the Royals spent Christmas.

This comes weeks after it was reported that a number of the late Queen’s highly-prized horses had been sold off by her son King Charles months after she passed away in September this year.

According to reports, Royal Applause retired from racing in 1997 and then fathered hundreds of foals for the Royal stables.

The tragedy struck on Christmas Eve, just as senior members of the royal family, including Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton descended at Sandringham for the annual Christmas celebrations.

The family, including the young Wales’ children George, Charlotte, and Louis, took part in the traditional Christmas Day walkabout in Sandringham the next day, and interacted with crowds as they made their way to and from the St Mary Magdalene Church.