Polo mint? No thanks, I’d rather munch a royal handbag

THE Queen nearly lost her hand- bag yesterday when an impatient police horse saw her feeding Polo mints to a stablemate.

The monarch was on a day of equine-themed engagements in the West Country which included naming a new Avon and Somerset Police horse, Windsor.

But Windsor grew restless as he waited to meet the Queen.

He looked on as she greeted Jubilee, a police horse she had previously named, giving him a pat and a Polo.

When she turned her attention to Windsor, he pointedly sniffed towards her handbag, prompting laughter from the crowds. The police officer holding on to Windsor apologetically told the Queen: ‘He does like to chew.’

The Queen later told Anne May, Lord Lieutenant of Somerset: ‘The new police horse isn’t used to all the cheers and cameras so I had to give him an extra Polo.’

Wearing an Angela Kellydesigned lime green and ivory summer tweed dress with coat and matching hat, she added: ‘He got my gloves all sticky.’

The event took place at King’s Bruton school in Bruton, Somerset.

Earlier in the day the Queen visited Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat, where she met champion trainer Paul Nicholls. Six of his national hunt horses – including Frodon and Clan Des Obeaux, which is co-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson – were paraded and the Queen fed them carrots. The trainer said: ‘It was a fantastic experience to bring Her Majesty to the yard and meet the superstar horses. I was more nervous about today then I was about the Cheltenham Festival. ‘She loved seeing the horses. She knew as much about them as we do.’ Hungry horse: Windsor sniffs at the Queen’s handbag yesterday