Runaway royal horses cause panic outside Buckingham Palace

At least four people have been taken to hospital with injuries after some horses belonging to the Household Cavalry got loose during a "routine exercise" on Wednesday.

The animals, stabled in Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge, have now been returned and are being treated following the incident.

The Household Cavalry , a corps of the Household Division, is the most senior regiment in the British Army and regularly takes part in major state occasions, such as the coronation of King Charles III and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

A spokesperson for the British Army said in a statement: “A number of military working horses became loose during routine exercise this morning. All of the horses have now been recovered and returned to camp. 

“A number of personnel and horses have been injured and are receiving the appropriate medical attention.” 

The London Ambulance Service told the BBC that patients with horse-related injuries had been treated on Buckingham Palace Road, Belgrave Square, and the junction between Chancery Lane and Fleet Street.

City of London Police also shared the video with a note, writing: "At around 8.40am, we were called about horses that had become loose and were travelling through the City. Our officers have contained two horses on the Highway near Limehouse.

“We’re waiting for an army horse box to collect the horses and transport them to veterinary care."

A cab driver named Robbie recalled seeing one of the horses covered in blood. "I was just outside Buckingham Palace on the Mall and heard loads of galloping and looked behind and there were about three or four horses," he told BBC Radio London.