LONDON (Oct. 6, 2022) — Actress Evanna Lynch, well known for her portrayal of Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter franchise films, is encouraging King Charles III to consider honoring the late Queen Elizabeth II by sending her famed animals to sanctuary.

Throughout her 70-year reign, the Queen conducted important work to improve the lives of animals. Her Majesty was a devoted patron of the Royal Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the U.K. and Australia. In recent years, the Queen decided she would no longer purchase clothing made with animal fur, and issued her Royal Assent to ban cruel animal practices like fur farming, the use of wild animals in circuses, and dogs in hunting practices. In 2022, she additionally issued her Royal Assent for the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act, recognizing animal sentience in law for the first time.

The Windsor Dairy farm, originally designed by Prince Albert, is home to nearly 200 Jersey cows whose milk, in part, is sold to produce Windsor Castle ice cream. The late Queen's Royal Estate also includes, according to Dairy Herd Management, a Sussex herd of cows raised for meat, 140 breeding pigs, and over 1,000 hens on 2,000 acres of grassland that feeds the animals on the farm. The Windsor Farm Shop sells the meat of animals who lived on the royal estate.

With an abundance of land and resources, the late Queen's farming estates could be converted into a place of sanctuary where her cows, pigs, and hens could live long, natural lives. A farmed animal sanctuary would create a statement for compassion around the world honoring both the sentience of animals and Queen Elizabeth's affection for animals. The U.K. is also home to various sanctuaries that have established programs to provide refuge for farmed animals in need; resources could be made available to the Royal Family should they decide sending their animals to sanctuary would be the best choice possible.

Evanna has joined almost 14,000 In Defense of Animals supporters by adding her voice to their letter to King Charles III.

“We are thrilled that Evanna Lynch is among almost 14,000 In Defense of Animals supporters who respectfully endorse this cause. Queen Elizabeth II was well known as an animal lover, and out of deference for her legacy, we would be honored to support King Charles III, a great climate advocate, in allowing the farmed animals on the royal estates to find sanctuary. We are ready to provide resources and connect the royal family with sanctuaries and experts who could help make this potentially historic transition a smooth one,” said Erin Dobrzyn, Farmed Animals Campaigner for In Defense of Animals.

King Charles has spoken on the climate crisis extensively and has encouraged the public to take measures to reduce the collective carbon footprint. In a 2021 interview, King Charles said that for years, he has made the conscious effort to leave meat off his plate two days a week and avoids dairy products once a week to “reduce his impact on the environment.” This is a fantastic opportunity for the King to further solidify his commitment to combating the climate crisis by allowing the farmed animals of the royal estates to find sanctuary.

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Contacts: 

Erin Dobrzyn, erin@idausa.org, +1 (215) 620-2130

Fleur Dawes, fleur@idausa.org, +44 (0)7951 802394

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization based in Marin County, California, with over 250,000 supporters and a 39-year history of fighting for animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as its hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org/farmed-animal

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