Page 87 - All About History - Issue 59-17

One’s Best Friend

POPe LeO X & HannO

The elephant that stole the heart of a Pope and a city

Hanno was a white Indian elephant given to Manuel had sent a retinue of other exotic
Pope Leo X in 1514 as a gift from King Manuel animals, including leopards, parrots and
I of Portugal. Hanno took part in the entrance cheetahs, to gain the pope’s support for
procession for the king’s ambassadors and he was Portugal’s trade expansion. However, it was
covered “with gold brocade carrying a howdah Hanno who Leo, and the public, adored.
of silver.” Upon reaching the pope, he sucked When he passed away just two years later,
water into his trunk and sprayed those who had Leo was heartbroken. He commissioned the
gathered, including Leo himself! Hanno delighted artist Raphael to create a memorial fresco in
the pope and the city of Rome as they had not Hanno’s honour, which unfortunately no longer
Caesar led seen an elephant since the days of the fallen exists, and he personally wrote the epitaph to
Edward’s empire. Leo even wrote to Manuel to thank him, accompany it. Hanno was buried beneath the
funeral stating that Hanno had “become for our people an Vatican courtyard, with his remains discovered
procession
in 1910 object of extraordinary wonder.” there in 1962.

King “Hanno delighted the pope and the
edward city of Rome as they had not seen

Vii & an elephant since the days of the
Caesar Roman Empire. Leo even wrote
to Manuel to thank him”

The canine who stayed with
his master until the very end
Just like his parents, Queen Victoria and Prince
Albert, King Edward VII adored dogs and he
owned a few over the course of his life. But out
of all of them, it is his relationship with Caesar,
his white and brown wire fox terrier, that really
tugs at the heartstrings.
Caesar lived a life of luxury with Edward,
accompanying him abroad and sleeping in
an easy chair by his master’s bed. Caesar was
assigned his own attendant, a footman, to keep
him washed and clean. Although never overly
concerned with other humans, he became
excited whenever he saw his master. At times
when he misbehaved, Edward would shake his
stick at him and say, “You naughty, naughty
dog.” Despite this, Edward never became
angry with Caesar and usually broke into
a smile soon after the scolding.
When Edward passed away in 1910,
Caesar became depressed, roaming
Buckingham Palace in search of his
master and refusing to eat until
Queen Alexandra coaxed him. Hanno was
loved by
Knowing how much the king the pope
loved Caesar, Alexandra ordered and quickly
that the dog would lead the became his
favourite
funeral procession ahead of animal
all of the heads of state,
including King George V
and Kaiser Wilhem II.
Alexandra continued to
care for Caesar until his
own death in 1914.

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