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UK: Meet the official salary-earning military goat

Fusilier Shenkin IV of the Third Battalion of The Royal Welsh gets a salary, a rank and a regiment number

Published: Sun 11 Sep 2022, 4:39 PM

Updated: Sun 11 Sep 2022, 5:28 PM

  • By
  • Tamanna Sajeed

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Lance Corporal Shenkin IV, the regimental mascot goat, accompanies the Third Battalion of the Royal Welsh regiment at the Accession Proclamation Ceremony at Cardiff Castle, Wales, publicly proclaiming King Charles III as the new monarch.

Lance Corporal Shenkin IV, the regimental mascot goat, accompanies the Third Battalion of the Royal Welsh regiment at the Accession Proclamation Ceremony at Cardiff Castle, Wales, publicly proclaiming King Charles III as the new monarch.

As Charles was officially proclaimed King in Wales, the marching Third Battalion of The Royal Welsh had a unique member among their ranks - a goat.

Sheinkin IV, the official goat of the Third Battallion, is the latest in a long line of regimental mascots for the Royal Welsh, who have been adopting goats into their ranks since 1775.

According to the Royal Welsh Museum, the Battalion started to do so after a goat strayed onto the battlefield during the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American War of Independence. The goat led Royal Welsh Fusiliers' colour party from the field, and the party have kept goats around for good luck ever since.

Official goats have a regimental number, a rank - Shenkin IV is a Fusilier - and can be promoted and demoted, just like regular human soldiers. One of Shenkin's predecessors, William 'Billy' Windsor I, was once demoted from lance corporal to fusilier for headbutting a drummer during a parade for Queen Elizabeth II's birthday celebrations.

Photo credit - Royal Welsh Museum

Photo credit - Royal Welsh Museum

Official goats even get a salary; the money is usually used to take care of their accommodation, which includes a radio and a sofa. They are also assigned an official Goat Master, who groom, exercise, train, and lead them during ceremonial appearances.

In line with a tradition begun by Queen Victoria, the regiment will write to the reigning monarch to inform them in the event of the mascot's death and ask for permission to select a new one. Kashmir goat Fusilier Shenkin IV made his first official public debut at the National Armed Forces Day in Llandudno in 2018.

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