Hungary requested the return of the horses offered to King Charles by Viktor Orbán, then called the request an administrative error

Hungary has triggered a diplomatic scandal with the United Kingdom after Budapest’s Ministry of Agriculture asked King Charles III to return two Lipizzaner horses given to him in 2024 on the occasion of his coronation. Nelson and Iveco are at the Royal Mews, but Hungarian authorities now claim that the request was worded imprecisely and that the animals will remain in the United Kingdom.

The horses come from the Szilvásvárad state stud farm and were chosen by representatives of Buckingham Palace themselves. Although they were publicly presented as a gift, documents show that the transfer was made under a loan agreement. Thus, legally, the two Lipizzaners remain the property of the Hungarian state.

The letter sent in July sparked controversy in Budapest, where the opposition is calling for the document to be published and those responsible to be identified. The scandal has been dubbed the “horse war,” and former Prime Minister Viktor Orban has used the situation to criticize the new government.

Possible explanations include an administrative error following the change of power, as well as Hungary’s interest in recovering its horses ahead of the World Four-in-Hand Driving Championships, scheduled to take place in Budapest in 2027. The Hungarian government is now trying to transfer definitive ownership of the animals to King Charles.