The Queen is frequently showered with beautiful gifts as signs of gratitude, but on Monday she got a very special surprise.
- Her Majesty received a very unique delivery from Azerbaijan's President, Ilham Aliyev.
- The Queen was at Windsor Castle when she received a delegation led by Elchin Guliyev, President of the Azerbaijani Equestrian Federation.
- This royal news comes after the Queen looked overcome with emotion during special tribute to Prince Philip.
Her Majesty loves horseback riding and horse races, and many other members of The Firm share her passion for these beautiful animals.
This year has surely been memorable for the Queen, as she prepares for her Platinum Jubilee weekend, she was gifted with a stunning Karabakh horse named Shohrat, as well as two exquisite horse sculptures sculpted by Azerbaijani sculptor Faiq Hajiyev.
The Queen thanked the delegation and said, "Oh, very kind, very generous."
The Karabakh horse is an Azerbaijani endurance horse that is used in races and endurance sports. One recently sold for the equivalent of £14,000 at auction.
Since 2012, Azerbaijan has competed in the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Equestrians from Azerbaijan staged a colourful Land of Fire spectacle this year in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which included traditional music and dances as well as riders waving Azerbaijani flags.
The four-day annual event is the UK's largest outdoor horse show, including international contests in three distinct equestrian disciplines.
The lavish event, included a slew of well-known figures, including Tom Cruise and Helen Mirren, and offered guests with a variety of musical and acting performances.
Horses and riders also headed to the arena to entertain the crowd, with Azerbaijani entertainers among the 1,300 competitors.
Members of the country's State Border Guard Service and a dance troupe dressed in traditional nation costumes performed a show named 'Land of Fire'.
Their performance, which was designed to honour the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, featured Karabakh horses similar to the one presented to her Majesty.
The show also featured a heartfelt tribute to, Prince Philip, who died last year. Lady Louise Windsor, led an emotional procession around the arena, driving her late grandfather's carriage.
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