Platinum Jubilee Celebration, Queen Elizabeth II Receives Horse Gift From French President Emmanuel Macron

JAKARTA - Queen Elizabeth II, who is known for her love of horses and an avid equestrian, will receive a horse gift from French President Emmanuel Macron, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, President Macron's Office and the British Embassy in Paris said Thursday.

The 7-year-old horse, called Fabuleu de Maucour, led Macron down the Champs Elysees in Paris last month as part of an official ceremony, Macron's office said.

Queen Elizabeth, 96, who has ridden horses for most of her life and is a big fan of horse racing, is known to have owned many racehorses over the years. Part of her Jubilee celebrations will see members of the royal family attend the Epsom Derby race on Saturday.

Earlier, President Macron paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, for providing an element of stability in times of war and major changes in society.

"Throughout this transformation, your devotion to our alliance, and our friendship remains, helped build the trust that brought freedom and prosperity to our continent," President Macron said in an English-language video message published on his official Twitter account.

President Macron also presented President Xi Jinping with a horse gift when he paid a three-day state visit to China in 2018.

Britain kicked off four days of pageantry and parties on Thursday to celebrate Elizabeth's 70 years on the throne, making her the longest-serving British monarch to date.