On his way back from Jerusalem in 1393, Henry Bolingbroke was given a leopard, which had its own cabin when they sailed from Cyprus to Venice, and ate a third of a sheep per day.
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Earlier in the journey, Henry had acquired an ostrich in Bohemia.
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(But I'm thinking the ostrich might have been for eating - any food experts around?)
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The detailed financial accounts for Bolingbroke's expeditions to Prussia and Jerusalem are here (in Latin, but with a great introduction):
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In medieval heraldry, leopards might also be lions
In medieval hunting, leopards might also be cheetahs
THE PLOT THICKENS
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Detail from Benozzo Gozzoli's Journey of the Magi, Palazzo Medici, Florence, c. 1459
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@hrcastor
@nfmusic
In the 19th c. Admiral Charles Beresford kept a bear on his ship. It has its own house, on the poop deck, named โSea Viewโ.
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@hrcastor
This would make such a good documentary / tv series. Unusual animals owned by royals throughout the ages.
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