The Queen appears in fine fettle to receive her gift horse ahead of Platinum Jubilee

Over the years, she has received countless weird and wonderful gifts, from a pair of cowboy boots to a Maori canoe and even an elephant from Cameroon called Jumbo.

So when she was presented with a horse from Azerbaijan on Monday as a Platinum Jubilee present, the Queen naturally took it all in her stride.

The 96-year-old monarch appeared delighted to receive the beautiful Karabakh horse, which is called Shohrat, meaning “Glory”.

It was delivered by a special delegation on behalf of Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan.

Despite suffering from what Buckingham Palace has described as “episodic mobility issues”, the Queen stood with the aid of a walking stick to welcome the new addition to the Royal Mews.

Photos and a video of the moment were shared online, which showed the monarch standing, thanking the delegation and saying: “Oh, very kind, very generous.”

Elchin Guliyev, the president of the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation, also presented the Queen with two sculptures of horses made by Faiq Hajiyev, an Azeri sculptor.

It came after the central Asian country competed in the Royal Windsor Horse Show last week, culminating in a finale performance on Sunday night, featuring an all-star cast including Dame Helen Mirren and Tom Cruise.

The Queen appeared to take great delight in watching the show, A Gallop Through History, from the royal box after having to pull out of the State Opening of Parliament last week.

The programme included a touching tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh following his death in April 2021. Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, led a procession around the arena, driving her late grandfather’s carriage.

Shohrat is not the first equine gift the Queen has received from Azerbaijan, having been given another Karabakh horse, called Zaman, in 1956.