Prince Charles, the Goose

PETA has long heralded Prince Charles‘ stand against serving cruelly produced foie gras at Royal functions. So when we recently rescued geese from torture and slaughter at a foie gras farm in France, what better tribute could there be than naming one of the birds after a true friend, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales? For the real prince’s 64th birthday, on 14 November, we’ve sent His Royal Highness a framed certificate for his mantle piece.

Prince Charles the goose was intended for foie gras, a product produced by force-feeding ducks and geese huge amounts of grain through a metal tube that is shoved down their throats several times a day. Force-feeding birds such an amount causes their livers to swell to as much as 10 times their normal size, resulting in a disease known as “hepatic steatosis”. The pipes sometimes puncture the birds’ throats, and many birds suffer from ruptured internal organs, fungal and bacterial infections and liver failure. A recent PETA UK investigation into goose foie gras farms in France from which Fortnum & Mason’s distributor obtains its foie gras revealed terrified geese who panted constantly as a result of their distended livers, which pressed against their lungs. At the abattoir, the birds kicked and struggled to lift their heads after a knife had been plunged into their throats. The birds had not been stunned first – contrary to French animal welfare laws.

Prince Charles will now spend the rest of his days at an animal sanctuary in France along with a fellow escapee who evaded the force-feeding villains – a goose named Sir Roger after PETA’s foie gras campaign ambassador, Sir Roger Moore.

Happy birthday, Your Highness!