Happy Monday, friends!! I am so happy to be welcoming back the lovely Kelly Miller to Austenesque Reviews today! Like many of you, I have read Kelly’s debut release – Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley (which is currently on SALE at the moment for $0.99!) – and I loved it (see here!) Such an inventive and diverting story! I am thrilled that Kelly Miller is here to celebrate her NEW release, Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match! We hope you enjoy Kelly’s post about the Royal Menagerie!
In Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match, Darcy and Elizabeth visit the Royal Menagerie located in the Tower of 
London. The Royal Menagerie’s colorful, deplorable history includes a succession of exotic animals housed at the historic site for six centuries. It all began in the early 1200’s, when King John relocated the animals from an existing menagerie at Woodstock to the Tower of London, and expanded the collection with additional exotic creatures.
In 1235, Henry III was given three leopards—or perhaps lions—by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. The word “leopard” might refer to the lion passant gardant, (AKA Lion of England) a lion walking with its right forepaw raised as seen in heraldry. The three beasts may have been a nod to the Plantagenet crest of the Royal Arms of England.
Henry III received another notable gift in 1252: a white bear, believed to have been a polar bear, from King Haakon of Norway. The showy, white bear became a star attraction to visitors. It is said that Henry III, on a whim, dictated that the bear should be able to provide for itself. Thus, the bear, controlled by a muzzle, a chain upon its hind leg, and a collar was escorted by his handler to and from the River Thames, where it was allowed to swim and hunt for fish. (A rival theory for the bear’s special treatment is that the sheriffs of London, who had been ordered by the king to cover the cost of feeding his menagerie, devised the idea to avoid having to buy fish for the beast.)
In 1255, the King of France, Louis IX, gifted an elephant to Henry III, which was housed at the tower in a new 40 by 10 foot house. This poor beast only lived a couple of years. It is an unfortunate fact that the proper care and feeding of most of the exotic animals was not known to the zookeepers at the tower. This ignorance in regard to the nutritional needs of the tower animals persisted for hundreds of years. Elephants in the wild eat vegetation, fruit, tree bark, and roots. Elephants at the tower were given meat and wine. Due to the mythical tales surrounding ostriches, the poor birds were fed nails.
In the sixteenth century, Elizabeth I opened the menagerie at the tower to the general public. Entry was gained either by paying for admission or by bringing a dog or cat to feed to the lions.
In 1674, a new habitat for the menagerie was commissioned, and architect Sir Christopher Wren was hired to lead the project. As old buildings near the White Tower were being cleared, Wren’s team made a gruesome discovery ten feet below the floor in a wooden box: human bones believed to belong to the Princes in the Tower, brothers Edward V, and Richard of Shrewsbury. King Charles II ordered the bones buried in Westminster Abbey, where they remain today. (The Abbey, following the directives of the Queen, has refused all requests to allow for the remains to undergo DNA testing.)
In 1686, a maid who worked in the menagerie keeper’s home, made the mistake of petting a lion’s paw that was extended beyond the bars. The animal caught her arm in its claws and teeth and ripped her flesh from the bone. The lady’s arm was amputated, and she passed away soon thereafter.
In the 1780’s a Monkey Room was opened and the ability to observe and interact with the monkeys made the attraction a large draw. However, by 1802, the monkeys had been removed from the Tower of London after one of them badly injured a boy’s leg.
According to guide books from the early 1800’s the lions were healthy, and their dens clean and commodious. They were described as twelve feet in total height divided into an upper apartment for the day and two lower apartments where they slept at night. Iron gratings enclosed the front of the dens.
According to David Henry’s, An Historical Description of The Tower of London (And its Curiosities), published in 1753, the cost to see the menagerie was then one shilling. From the Western entrance, the menagerie was found on the right side. Over the entrance door was the figure of a lion. A bell was provided for visitors to call for the keeper.
John Feltham’s guidebook, The Picture of London, for 1809, described the following animals as being in residence at the tower:
1. Miss Fanny, a fine lioness, but discovers so much ferocity, beyond that of any other lion in the Tower, that the difference of disposition in the same species is in this instance very striking.
2. Young Hector and Miss Jenny, a lion and lioness, from the Gulph of Persia, three years old, of the same litter, presented to his Majesty by the present Marquis Cornwallis on the 6th of March, 1800. These are extremely fine animals.
3. A young Lion and Lioness, sent to her Majesty by the Emperor of Morocco.
4. Two African Lionesses, a present from the Dey of Algiers to the King, and brought to the Tower in October 1800.
5. A fine young Lion, a present from the Emperor of Morocco to the Duke of Kent, and extremely tame and docile.
6. Traveller, a panther from Algiers.
7. Miss Peggy, a black leopardess. This animal is a great curiosity: although her skin is black, it is varied with spots of a deeper black, and her form is the most delicate that can be imagined.
8. Miss Nancy, a bright spotted leopardess. Both these animals were sent from Anjengo, by Governor Hutchinson, in 1799.
9. Duchess, a remarkably handsome leopardess brought from the Malabar coast, presented to his Majesty by Lord Carlisle. The brightness of the colours of this animal is beautiful in the extreme.
10. Miss Maria and Master Bobby, a Leopard and Leopardess from Prince of Wales’s Island, in the East Indies.
11. George, a Leopard presented to the Prince of Wales, by Mr Devaynes.
12. Harry, a royal tyger, from Bengal and one of the finest ever seen, given by Mr (now Sir Evan) Nepean in 1791. This noble animal is very tame, and is fond of a little dog which often plays with it in the den.
13 A curious Ring-tailed Tyger, from Bengal, presented to her Majesty by Admiral Rainier.
14. A Wolf, from Mexico, presented by Admiral Masserano to Lord St Vincent, and by him to his majesty.
15. A Spotted, or Laughing Hyena, from the Cape; presented by David South, Esq.
16. A Racoon, bred in the Tower.
17. A very large African Deer, from the Cape of Good Hope, presented by General Dundas, and the only one ever brought to England.
18. A large Greenland Bear.
19. Ant Bear, from Canada. This is a curious animal, and is extremely gentle.
20. A White Fox, from Owhyhee (Hawai‘i).
21. A Jackall.
22. A large Eagle of the Sun.
The final keeper of the Royal Menagerie, Alfred Cops, was appointed in 1822. Cops was reportedly a 
dedicated keeper and built up the dwindling collection until he had sixty different species. However, mishaps occurred during Cops’s tenure: a worker cleaning a leopard’s cage was badly mauled by the animal, one of the wolves got loose, a soldier was bitten by a monkey, and Cops himself was nearly killed by a boa constrictor.
In 1824, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was founded. The RSPCA voiced concerns for the welfare of the animals housed at the tower.
In 1826, the expense and nuisance of caring for the animals led the Constable of the Tower, the Duke of Wellington, to order most of the animals to be relocated to Regents Park. By 1832, the only remaining animals at the tower were those personally owned by Cops. In 1852, the lion tower and all animal enclosures were demolished. Today, visitors to the Tower of London are greeted by wire sculptures created by artist Kendra Haste, commemorating some of the most famous former denizens of the tower.
Truly fascinating, Kelly! Wow…I was not really acquainted at all with any of the history of The Royal Menagerie 🦁 It is surprising and sad. But I can easily imagine the curiosity and interest in observing these exotic animals in person because of the absence of photographs, videos, and the internet. 🐘Thank you so much for sharing! 🐆
~ Book Description ~
When secrets are revealed and a family agenda works against him, can Fitzwilliam Darcy recover his damaged spirits and find happiness?
Following his disastrous proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy returns to London from Kent broken-hearted and dejected. One bright spot penetrates his sea of despair: his sister, Georgiana, has finally recovered her spirits from the grievous events at Ramsgate the previous summer. She has forged a new friendship with Miss Hester Drake, a lady who appears to be an ideal friend. In fact, Lady Matlock believes Miss Drake is Darcy’s perfect match.
Upon Elizabeth Bennet’s arrival at the Gardiners’ home from Kent, she finds that her sister Jane remains despondent over her abandonment by Mr. Bingley. But Elizabeth has information that might bring them together. She convinces her Uncle Gardiner to write a letter to Mr. Bingley providing key facts supplied to her by Mr. Darcy.
When Mr. Bingley discovers that his friend and sisters colluded to keep Jane’s presence in London from him, how will he respond? Given the chance, will Darcy and Elizabeth overcome their past misunderstandings? What will Darcy do when his beloved sister becomes a hindrance towards winning the lady he loves?
~ Connect with Kelly ~
Facebook ❧ Twitter ❧ Blog ❧ Goodreads
~ Author Bio ~
Kelly Miller is a native Californian and Anglophile, who made her first visit to England in 2019. When not pondering a plot point or a turn of phrase, she can be found playing the piano (although like Elizabeth Bennet, she is errant when it comes to practicing), singing, and walking her dogs. Kelly Miller resides in Silicon Valley with her husband, daughter, and their many pets.
Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match is her second novel published by Meryton Press. Her first was the Regency novel Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley, a Pride and Prejudice romantic sequel with a touch of fantasy. Her third novel, Accusing Mr. Darcy, will be released later in 2020.
~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Meryton Press is generously giving away 8 ebook editions of Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match in conjunction with this blog tour!! Woot woot!
Commenting on this post and entering through the rafflecopter widget on this blog enters you in a chance to win!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Meryton Press!
- This giveaway ends February 13th!
Thank you to Janet Taylor, Meryton Press, and Kelly Miller for making this blog tour possible! Be sure to check out the rest of this tour!
January 27 ~ Austenesque Reviews
January 28 ~ My Jane Austen Book Club
January 29 ~ Austenprose
January 30 ~ So Little Time…
January 31 ~ Babblings of a Bookworm
February 3 ~ More Agreeably Engaged
February 4 ~ Savvy Verse & Wit
February 6 ~ Donadee’s Corner
February 7 ~ Diary of an Eccentric
February 10 ~ From Pemberley to Milton
February 11 ~ My Vices and Weaknesses
For Jane’s sake we can hope that Bingley grows a backbone
Yes, Mr. Bennet’s little joke of them being robbed by their own servants had a grain of truth. One of them needed to grow stronger or better yet, both of them. 🙂 Thank you for your support!
I can’t believe they kept all those animals in captivity without a clue how to look after them. No wonder people were injured. When you think how much space and the habitat requirements today it’s even more amazing.
I am looking forward to excerpts from this book and consoling myself that there just had to be a happy ending!
I will add it to my list as I refuse to attempt rafflecopter giveaways any more.
Best of luck with this book Kelly
Hi Glynis, it was heartbreaking to research the history of these poor animals, even though it all happened so long ago. I hope you enjoy the excerpts and yes, a happy ending is my own preference too. 🙂 Thank you so much!
So true, Glynis. They really had no clue what they were doing.
Enlightening post, Kelly! I learned much from reading this. I also found it rather amusing that John Feltham’s guidebook mentioned “A Racoon, bred in the Tower.” I’m curious to know more. Who bred it or did a family of raccoons live in the Tower, and one was taken for the Menagerie?
Best wishes with your book!
Thanks for hosting, Meredith.
Yes, it is funny that he felt it important to specify that it was bred there. I suppose raccoons, which are not uncommon to see roaming about my own neighborhood today, were an exotic animal back then in England. Thank you, Janet!
Congratulations. Thank you for opportunity to win.
Just finished your first book. Enjoyable.
Thank you, Patty! I wish you the best of luck! Thank you for your well wishes and for reading DTaHaP! Glad you enjoyed it; writing it was a wonderful experience. 🙂
Thank you for the excellent information. I had no idea that the menagerie was as extensive as it was and had been in existence as long as it had.
I am glad you enjoyed the post! I was surprised as well to learn of the variety of animals they once housed. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment! 🙂
I learn such fascinating bits of history from blog tours. I knew nothing about the Royal Menagerie being housed in the Tower of London. Great post, Kelly! And my curiosity about Hester Drake is growing. Hope she’s not as perfect for Darcy as Lady Matlock believes.
Thank you, Jan! I am glad you found the post interesting. I agree with you about blog tours; you never know what you might learn. I’m glad you are curious about Hester. She will be introduced in one of the excerpts. Thank you for your support!
Same! It was great to learn so much about the history of the Royal Menagerie…something we wouldn’t really know about otherwise unless we researched it ourselves. 😉
Thank you, Meredith for hosting me today on the first stop of my blog tour. This is the perfect beginning! I am also very appreciative to Janet for her efforts in arranging my tour.
My pleasure, Kelly! I am so happy to welcome you for a visit again! Congrats on your lovely new release! And thank you for such a wonderful post!
Very exciting! Looking forward to Kelly’s next book. Thanks for featuring here.
Thank you, Jennifer! Your support is much appreciated!
Finished this book yesterday and it’s Kelly’s best yet! Darcy is charming with children but his biggest obstacle is people keeping things to themselves, including himself. You know it’s a good book when you wish you hadn’t read it so fast.
Thank you, Zoe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I loved writing those scenes with the children! I appreciate your kind words!
Great article about the Royal Menagerie, Kelly. I’m one of the many JAFF fans who likes to know the history behind the book, so thanks! Thanks also to Meredith for hosting. Good luck with the new release and have fun on the blog tour, Kelly!
Thank you, Suzan! Stories in regard to the Tower of London are plentiful, as you will see in a future post. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed this one. I appreciate your support.
Fascinating part of history.
d
Thank you, d, I thought so too! Such a fascinating and yet so sad part of the Tower’s history.
That was amazing information. I’ve read several JAFF stories where they mention visiting the Royal Menagerie. It is good to know just how that came about. I don’t believe I’ve ever read of the history. Amazing. Thanks to Meredith [say hello to your Mr. Bingley] for hosting. Special thanks to our author Kelly and her publisher for the generous giveaway. Blessings on the success of this work. I have it on my wish-list. Good luck to those in the drawing.
Thank you, J.W.! I’m glad you liked the post and hope you get a chance to read the book. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. 🙂
Hi Kelly! What an interesting premise your book has. Also, thank you for sharing with us all that interesting information about the Tower of London and all the poor animals that lived in it at the time. Can’t wait to read more about this story!
Thank you so much, Belen! I’m glad you find the premise of MDPM interesting. So glad you enjoyed DTaHaP too. I appreciate your support!
I enjoyed Kelly’s first book and expect this one to be just as entertaining. I had read of the animals before but not in such detail as provided here. Made me feel so sorry for them. Congrats on publishing you new tale girl! 🙂
Thank you so much, Brenda! I appreciate your support! I’m glad you found something new in the post, and that you enjoyed DTaHaP!
Congratulations, Kelly, on the release of your second book!! Yay!!! 😀
This title looks like a fascinating book (I love the cover!!), and I can’t wait to read it!! Thanks for all of your historical information about the Menagerie!! 😀
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Thank you, Susanne! I’m glad the cover piqued your interest. Janet Taylor did a marvelous job on it! I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
Thanks for a fascinating look at the Royal Menagerie, Kelly. I knew it had existed at the Tower but not the variety of animals they had. Visiting the Tower nowadays, it’s hard to imagine the Menagerie being there. I remember feeling so sad the first time I heard about the fate of the elephants, due to the ignorance as to what they ate. Regent’s Park is a much better place for the animals, with its more open spaces.
Looking forward to finding out more about your new book on the rest of the tour!
You’re welcome, Anji! The Royal Menagerie is one of the many sad or lurid details of the Tower of London’s past. I never made it to the London zoo on my trip to England. It is apparently the world’s oldest scientific zoo. Oh well, maybe next time. Thank you for your support!
What a wonderful release, glad to have stumbled upon this guest post.
Thank you very much, Calvin. I am happy you stumbled this way as well! 🙂
The tower home to a menagerie! Oh my I had no idea. Thank you for such a tease and a giveaway!!!
Thank you for your support, Sharon! I agree it is hard to imagine they ever had a zoo at the Tower of London, especially with so many animals.
Congrats on the release of your new book!
Thank you, darcybennett! I appreciate your support very much!
Fascinating post on the Royal Menagerie Kelly! The history one learns when researching. Congratulations on your 2nd novel and one I look forward to reading! Thank you for a chance at the giveaway!
Thank you so much, Carole! I am glad you enjoyed my post on the Royal Menagerie’s history. I appreciate your interest and support!
Thanks fo this insightful post. Congratulations on your second book. Eager to know how FD evades “his perfect match”per GD. Wonder how GD will react when FD decides that EB is really his perfect match. Eager to read your new book.
Thank you, buturot! I appreciate your well wishes, and I’m glad you liked the post. I appreciate your curiosity for the plot of Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match!
Interesting info on the animals. Thank you for the excerpt and the chance to win a copy of your newest release.
Thank you for coming by, Mary! I appreciate your support and wish you luck in the drawing!
Very detailed and interesting information about the animals at the tower of London. Thanks for sharing. Your new book sounds wonderful.
Thank you, foreverhis! I’m glad you liked the post, and appreciate your interest in my book!
I read, enjoyed and posted a review of this book also. My husband and I visited GB in celebration of our 35th anniversary (which was in 2003) in April of 2004, The Tower of London was one of the stops on the Red Bus Tour of London. So many things to see there!
Thank you, Sheila, for being one of the first to read and review my new book; I so appreciate that! The Tower of London was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to England. Stories abound from this historic site!
That is really cool about the Royal Menagerie’s story. I’ve seen it mentioned in historicals I’ve read from time to time, but didn’t know its history.
Already started Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match and loving it.
Thank you, Sophia Rose, I am glad you found the post informative. The Tower of London is a fascinating place; a must-see if you ever go to London. It is great to hear that you are loving the book so far!
This is a new fact which I’m unaware of, Kelly. Thanks for a very enlightening guest post. I would love to be in Elizabeth’s or Darcy’s shoes when they visit the Royal Menagerie. Good luck with your new release.
Hello, Luthien! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I can tell you that Mr. Darcy makes for an engaging and informative guide at the Royal Menagerie! Thank you so much for your support!
Thank you for the history of the Royal Menagerie, Kelly. I really had no idea that the gift of exotic animals was a big thing between kings and queens of countries across the globe. Reminded me of the movie The King and I, based on the book Anna, and the King of Siam. The King wanted to send Abraham Lincoln some elephants (the idea was discouraged.) I didn’t know there was precedence.
What a stunning cover! That little vague blurb was enticing. I’m looking forward to reading this, and your review Meredith. Best of luck with the launch of your new book, Kelly. Lots and lots of success.
Hi Michelle, I’m glad you found the post informative. I love the cover too! Janet Taylor did a commendable job! Thank you so much for coming by and leaving a comment!
What an enlightening post. Thank you. I’m looking forward to your book.
Thank you, Diana! I appreciate that, and I am glad you found the post informative!
Thanks for sharing such interesting information, and I loved the pictures as well.
You’re welcome, KateB! Thank you for coming by to read it and leave a comment!
Sounds intriguing! My mind has jumped into considering how Darcy would feel to know that Elizabeth essentially told on him to Bingley… Good for her for seizing the opportunity to help her sister! Yet, I can see some people being very upset that she gave away this bit of information.
Hi Lucy S. I thought that was a good way to shake things up. 🙂 I hope readers will find this and other developments to different from anything they have seen before. Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your comment!
Late to the party here, but I wanted to say that this is a great premise — so much tension if Georgiana is rooting for someone other than Elizabeth! Congrats on the new release, Kelly!
Thank you, Christina! I appreciate the well wishes and I’m glad you like the premise!