King Charles used a stethoscope to help give a health check to a Humboldt penguin named Lannister during a visit to London Zoo on Thursday. The King, accompanied by Queen Camilla, joined zoo vet Stefan Saverimuttu as he examined the penguin, which the vet described as “very well behaved.”
Royal Penguin Encounter
Dozens of penguins, about two feet tall, gathered to greet the royals as they approached the enclosure in Camden. Some 71 Humboldt penguins live at the zoo in Regent’s Park. Crouching down, Charles used a red stethoscope to check the penguin’s heartbeat while the bird sat patiently on a rock. Camilla, using a blue stethoscope, also bent down to participate.
“Lannister sounded perfect and Lannister was very well behaved for the King and the Queen,” Mr Saverimuttu said. “They’re very endearing,” the King remarked about the birds. When asked about the couple’s veterinary skills, the vet said they had taken to it “very well.” “Both of them were really enthusiastic about the penguins,” he added. “Penguins have a bit of a beak on them so I think if you’ve never met one before, they might be a bit intimidating, but neither the King or the Queen was intimidated in the slightest and they went straight in and gave it a go and they did really well.”
Anniversary Celebrations
The visit celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) conservation charity. The couple paused to meet a 31-year-old Galápagos tortoise named Polly and helped feed her snacks. The tortoise was presented with a watermelon decorated with the number 200 and flowers. Using metal tongs, the Queen fed some greenery to Polly while the King offered leaves by hand. Polly largely ignored the King’s offering, prompting Charles to jokingly ask whether the tortoise was on a “diet.”
The couple dressed thematically: Charles wore a blue suit with an animal-themed tie and sunglasses, while Camilla, carrying a cream parasol, chose a white Fiona Clare dress adorned with wildlife including elephants and deer.
Patronage and New Wildlife Centre
This was Charles’ first tour of the zoo as ZSL’s patron, having first visited as a one-year-old to see Brumas, a newborn polar bear cub. Since 1828, every monarch has been patron of the society. The zoo was founded by ZSL that year in Regent’s Park, becoming the world’s first scientific zoo.
During the tour, the couple heard about the creation of a new wildlife centre, announced by ZSL to mark the anniversary. The centre will investigate diseases in animals, train wildlife vets, track disease spread between species, and support conservation projects worldwide, while also providing new veterinary facilities for animals at ZSL’s two zoos—London and Whipsnade.
