Charlotte, granddaughter of the late Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier, is an accomplished equestrian who often competes in professional competitions. Her qualities as a rider are therefore not in doubt, but the fact that an animal is used during a couture show is incomprehensible to many. Casiraghi rode her eight-year-old horse Kuskus on the catwalk and was dressed in the latest collection of the French fashion brand Chanel, of which she has been an ambassador since 2020.
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“Horses are intelligent, complex and easily frightened individuals. They are not fashion accessories accustomed to walking on a catwalk under bright and warm lights, accompanied by loud music. It is truly absurd that this could have happened purely for commercial purposes,” said Elisa Allen, PETA UK president.
People also expressed their disgust at the ‘stunt’ on social media. “Animals are not made to entertain people in the fashion, sports or entertainment world. It is not without reason that there has been a fight for so long to remove animals from a circus or even a zoo where they are locked in a cubicle. That a well-known fashion house like Chanel now chooses to open their show with an animal is incomprehensible. Charlotte is a good rider, but as an ambassador of the brand she should not have lent herself to this.”