Not to be confused with the Burmese Horse, or Bama Myinn, which is a rare breed originating in Myanmar, or Burma, the titular Burmese was, in fact, a half Thoroughbred, half Hanoverian mare that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Foaled at Fort Walsh, Saskatchewan in 1962, Burmese was gifted to the late Queen by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and was presented to Her Majesty shortly after the so-called ‘Musical Ride’, a special, promotional unit of the Mounties, performed at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1969.
A striking black mare, Burmese went on to carry Queen Elizabeth, riding side-saddle, in the ‘Trooping the Colour’ – a military parade that takes place annually, between Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Parade, between St. James’s Park and Whitehall, to celebrate the official birthday of the British sovereign – for 18 years running until her retirement from public duty in 1986. Indeed, in 1981, Burmese demonsrated her RCMP training when Marcus Sarjeant, who was subsequently jailed under the Treason Act 1842, fired six blank shots in close proximity to the Queen as she rode down the Mall. Burmese was briefly startled, but quickly controlled by Her Majesty, as police descended on the gunman to make an arrest, and the pair continued, unharmed, as if nothing had happened.
A lifelong lover of horses, Queen Elizabeth unhestitating named Burmese as her favourite horse and, although the mare served in the Mounted Branch of the Metropolitan Police when not on royal duty, the Queen rode her regularly at her royal residences. Following her retirement in 1986, Burmese was turned out to Windsor Great Park, where she died in 1990. She was subsequently buried at Windsor Castle. Burmese was never replaced, with Her Majesty opting to make the journey from Buckingham Palace in an open carriage and review the troops from a riased platform.