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The matter has since been 'resolved', according to a spokesman for the Hungarian embassy
A diplomatic spat erupted between Budapest and Buckingham Palace after Hungary's newly installed Government demanded the return of two Lipizzaner horses that were presented to King Charles as a Coronation gift in 2023, sources have claimed.
The request, which arrived via a "strongly worded" communication from Hungary's agriculture ministry, left courtiers surprised, it is understood.
The two horses, known by their stable names Nelson and Iveco, had been a symbol of warm Anglo-Hungarian relations, but became caught up in the political upheaval following the ousting of long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban earlier this year.
The horses' formal names are Neopolitano XXVII-44 and Incitato XVIII-3, though they go by Nelson and Iveco respectively.
When they were originally gifted, Hungary's then-defence minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky hailed the moment with the declaration: "Hungarian horses at the service of the British Royal Family!"
The gesture was intended to reflect the close ties between the two nations.
Yet last month, Palace officials received a message from Budapest's agriculture ministry insisting the pair be sent back to Szilvasvarad, Hungary's state stud farm. No official explanation was offered for the recall demand, according to reports in the Mail.
The demand appears rooted in Hungary's dramatic political transformation.
In April, Peter Magyar led his Tisza party to a sweeping electoral victory, bringing to an end Viktor Orban's 16-year grip on power, a shift Mr Magyar himself described as a "regime change."
Observers in Budapest believe the new administration is engaged in a campaign to discredit its predecessors, with the horse recall seen as part of that effort.
"Magyar's people are doing everything they can to undermine their opponents; it's the worst Hungary's been since the communist era," according to a Hungarian source, who warned that such moves risk damaging two centuries of Anglo-Hungarian relations.
A spokesman for the Hungarian embassy in London confirmed the resolution, telling the publication: "Following consultation with the relevant colleagues, it is our understanding that the issue concerning the two horses has since been resolved.
"The horses will, of course, remain in the United Kingdom as originally intended."
The embassy declined to explain why the recall had been sought in the first place. Royal sources have similarly confirmed to the outlet that no dispute remains outstanding.
Nelson and Iveco will continue to be housed at the Royal Mews in Windsor, where they have been kept since their arrival.
