The Hungarian agriculture ministry has acknowledged an “embarrassing blunder” after a poorly worded letter sparked claims that Budapest was demanding the return of two Lipizzaner horses gifted to King Charles for his coronation.
A diplomatic wobble in the royal stables
The row broke after the Daily Mail reported that Hungary was seeking to take back the pair, Nelson and Iveco, from the Royal Mews at Windsor, prompting a flurry of speculation that the move amounted to a diplomatic slight. Courtiers were said to be “baffled” by what was described as a “strongly worded” communication from Budapest’s agriculture ministry insisting the animals be returned to the Szilvásvárad state stud farm.
In a late-night statement, the Agrár- és Élelmiszergazdaságért Felelős Minisztérium (Ministry of Agriculture and Food Economy) conceded that a July letter had indeed proposed terminating the loan agreement, but insisted the wording had been “inaccurate” and the mistake swiftly corrected. Officials said they had made it “unequivocally clear” to the British side that Hungary did not intend to bring the horses home.
Never miss a headline: join Daily News Hungary’s official WhatsApp channel!
“Here, everyone is stupid” – Orbán weighs in
The episode took on a domestic political edge when former prime minister Viktor Orbán weighed in on social media after the ministry and embassy had already denied any recall. Quoting the cult Hungarian film Üvegtigris, he posted: “‘Here, everyone is stupid?’ asks Dr Csopkai in the well-known film. ‘Here? Everyone,’ replies Gaben,” in a swipe at the new Tisza-led government.
Loan, not gift: the Lipizzaner horses’ status clarified
According to the ministry, the horses were placed with the Royal Mews in 2024 under a loan agreement and remain the property of the Hungarian state, even as they are used by the British royal household. The pair – formally Neopolitano XXVII-44 (Nelson) and Incitato XVIII-3 (Iveco) – were selected from the Szilvásvárad State Stud with input from royal staff and specially trained for ceremonial duties, including harness and riding work.
If you missed: Hungarian conservation project sends Przewalski’s horse back to native steppe in Kazakhstan
Though the offer was made to mark the 2023 coronation, the formal handover took place in June 2024 in London, when then defence minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky presented the animals to the Royal Mews.
All’s well that ends well (in the Buckingham)
The Hungarian embassy in London later confirmed that the matter had been “resolved” and that the horses would “of course, remain in the United Kingdom as originally intended”. Royal sources similarly said there was no outstanding dispute, with Nelson and Iveco set to stay on at Windsor as living symbols of Anglo-Hungarian ties – and of the perils of imprecise diplomatic prose.
Another twist: world‑champion driver stripped of one of his Lipizzans?
According to 24.hu, the previous Hungarian government confiscated one of the Lipizzan horses from world‑champion carriage driver Marcell Dani — a horse that remains in Her Majesty’s service for ceremonial duties.
Are you familiar with Hungarian horse breeds? Here’s what you need to know
