Royal title to be granted to Guernsey goat breed

A rare breed of goat will be granted a special title when King Charles III visits Guernsey next week for the first time since his accession to the throne.

The Golden Guernsey Goat breed will be renamed the Royal Golden Guernsey Goat on 16 July.

It is the first time in recent history the protected title has been granted to a livestock breed.

The title will apply to all Golden Guernseys in the Island and across the world.

Royal titles are granted very infrequently, on the advice of the Cabinet Office with strict standards applied.

The States said it was keen to recognise the “significance of the visit” being the King’s first to Guernsey in his role.

During the ceremony, an engraved brass goat bell on a collar will be placed around the neck of Summerville Tamsin, an eight-year-old female Golden Guernsey Goat.

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.

Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell, Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey, said the decision was “wonderful”.

“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.

“It’s a legacy and a tremendous honour that will stay with Guernsey for future generations.”

The King is patron of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

Christopher Price, chief executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, said the move recognised the goat’s “historical significance”.

“It is a wonderful recognition of the Golden Guernsey’s cultural and historical significance as well as these goats’ value to biodiversity, to the environment and to sustainable food production,” he said.