London (United Kingdom): It may sound surprising but King Charles III has bestowed a royal title on a rare golden goat breed. From now on, the breed known for its connection to the island of Guernsey will have the special title of Royal Golden Guernsey Goat. It is the first time in recent history that the protected title has been granted to a livestock breed.
The title, bestowed Tuesday, July 17 during the King's visit to the island in the English Channel, will apply to the livestock breed anywhere in the world. "Hopefully this will raise awareness for the breed," said Rebecca Martin, the owner of eight-year-old Summerville Tamsin, the goat chosen to represent the breed. As he bestowed the honour, the King petted the small creature and offered a compliment on the shade of its pale blond coat.
The Golden Guernsey Goat is a dairy breed which is distinguished by its golden skin and hair, which range in hue from pale blond to deep bronze, and pleasant temperament. Considered friendly and docile, they produce good milk. They also have a unique history, dating back at least two hundred years.
One hundred years ago, Guernsey woman Miriam Milbourne rediscovered golden goats among the scrub herds in the island and later began to keep them. In the 1940s, when German forces occupied Guernsey, she had to hide them indoors for years to protect them from being taken and slaughtered, ensuring their survival. She then began a breeding programme in the 1950s. Today, Golden Guernseys are found not just in the island, but in the United Kingdom and the USA as well.
Christopher Price, the chief executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, said the honour offers recognition of the breed's historical significance and its value to biodiversity, the environment and sustainable food production.
"Being choosy in what they eat, their grazing can provide very specific environmental benefits,'' Price said in a statement. ''We are extremely grateful to his majesty for his continued, greatly valued support for British rare native livestock and equine breeds."
His Excellency Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell CB, CBE, the Lieutenant-Governor of the Bailiwick of Guernsey has said, "The recognition being granted to our special and rare breed, the Golden Guernsey, is a wonderful and fitting way to mark the significance of His Majesty’s first visit to the island as King, an island whose relationship with the Crown is at its core constitutionally as well as historically. It’s a legacy and a tremendous honour that will stay with Guernsey for future generations."
Keith Opie, President of the Golden Guernsey Goat Breed Society had said, "This is an incredible honour and even more significant as the breed is classed as ‘at risk’ by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. It reached a low point in the 1990s but encouragingly it has since been gaining in popularity. It is a unique breed, known to have been native to Guernsey for some 200 years, and is ideal for small holdings. These goats are gentle, smaller and more fine-boned than many British breeds, and produce delicious milk."
