Why are all white swans in England owned by the queen?

From a past tradition, all white swans on the open water in England are still owned by the queen.

Swan meat, according to those who have eaten it, is delicious. They are more like ducks than geese, firm, soft and succulent. Today, this type of meat is rarely seen, but hundreds of years ago in England, eating swan meat was a symbol of status. No one was allowed to own or eat them without paying the royal family, and a complex system was developed to keep track of this right.

By default, the king or queen owns the swans in the territory, and this still holds true: Any unmarked swan that swims across England's water belongs to the queen of England.

The laws of swan ownership in England date back to the mid-13th century, as Arthur MacGregor (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) explained in a 1995 edition of Anthropozoologica. By 1361, the royal family had flocks of swans. official, and in 1463, a commission was established to settle disputes related to this animal.

Swans were considered royal animals, but by the early 15th century, the rich could buy ownership, sell, and eat them. If they wanted to keep the swans on their estate, they had to buy expensive "swan marks" from the king. This mark is printed or engraved on the beaks of swans. These marks are designed to look like swords or crossbows, badges, and finally letters. Every year, swan caretakers go out into the open water, select their cubs, and mark them. Any child without the mark will belong to the royal family.

This system of possession lasted for centuries, with safeguards for swans. For example, stealing eggs or mowing grass and reeds 12 meters away from their nests is prohibited.

By the end of the 18th century, swans were no longer considered status meats. Some continued to mark the animals in their possession until the late 19th century, when animal abuse activists deemed it "unnecessary pain". Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, has stopped marking the royal swan.

Today, the Queen of England still owns every white swan on the open water of this country. Every year, during the summer, a group of swan caretakers perform a ritual that includes honoring the queen and tallying the number of individuals.

Since the late 1980s, killing swans has been banned as their numbers dwindle, and many believe that only the queen is allowed to eat white swans. This isn't exactly true, but since she cannot be prosecuted, if the queen wants to eat roast swans for Christmas - a tradition - no one can stop her.