Princess Anne causes outrage over horsemeat eating comment

Anne, the Princess Royal has sparked outrage after she suggested that people should start eating horsemeat.

The 63-year-old princess, who is the president of World Horse Welfare said at its annual meeting in London that a horsemeat trade could boost welfare standards by giving horses a financial value.

She said that their attitudes towards the horsemeat trade and the value of horsemeat may have to change, the Daily Express reported.

However, her comments provoked the fury of animal rights campaigners, out of which Andrew Tyler, director of Animal Aid said that the production, trade and slaughter of hundreds of millions of other farm animals such as chickens, pigs and cows does not stop them from being mistreated and abused.

He added that horses, especially among her social set, are supposed to be cherished, yet she wants to treat them as disposable livestock.

The RSPCA, animal welfare charity, said that killing of horses for meat is an emotive subject as many see them as companion animals rather than a food source, a sentiment the RSPCA has sympathy with.