Royal Foxes
The Royal Foxes are Lapérousian Redtail domesticated Borean Foxes owned by Queen Wilhelmina. She was fond of Borean foxes ever since she was a small child in Osfjord when her parents adopted a kit from their neighbor. Throughout her life, before and during her ascension to becoming the Queen-consort, she had always owned at least one fox throughout the years. Currently owning three foxes Snow, Flame and the youngest Olav’s Beard or O.B. for short.
The Royal Foxes has been globally published and commonly seen with her in photos at the palace. They have been featured in NNN, Red Dove Media and other news broadcasts. In 2023 for the Queen’s fifty birthday, Red Krone and United Krone issued special coins commemorating her birthday by having a fox included on it. There have been statues of the foxes with the Queen in various parts of the Norgsveltian Crown Realm and notably more statues of the foxes with the Queen than with Olav I himself.
History
Wilhelmina loved foxes ever since she was a small child, and her parents adopted a kit from a neighbor when their own fox had a child. Foxes in Akuanism are considered to be a sign of goodluck and were domesticated within Borea rather than wolves like the rest of the world.
During university Wilhelmina smuggled her pet fox Giggles into her dorm, keeping it with her throughout her time there. Only being discovered by the dorm’s resident assistant after Giggles chased then prince Olav I out of the dorm outside. Instead of having to get rid of her pet fox, the university allowed it after a discussion with then Prince Olav and a ‘considerable sum’ was donated from the Bjørn Trust for their efforts to accommodate Akuan students.
During Olav and Wilhelmina's wedding in 1997, she had Giggles and three years old Jørgen Bjørn act as flower scatters, for the path towards the wedding arch. Famously when Jørgen tripped and dropped the basket, Giggles helped pull the child up by pushing its head under the elven child and pushing up. Then rubbing its tail across the petals, Giggle spread the petals by wagging its tail while the two walked. When Jørgen started to cry, Giggles comforted the young elven child by rubbing their head against them and tugging on their sleeve to keep going. The whole incident being seen live on television across the Norgsveltian Crown Realm.
When later asked about it decades later in 2016, Prince Jørgen said he remembered the moment fondly now but when he was much younger he always felt incredibly embarrassed about it. Wilhelmina was also asked about it in the same year and said it was one-of the highlights of the wedding but understands why prince Jørgen felt embarrassed about it and is glad they both can laugh about it now.
Giggles died in 2000, but had two children. Queen initially refused to go on a talk show to discuss the manner however after being convinced by Olav I and being willing to go with her onto the talk show.
In 2007, 13 year old prince Jørgen was recorded to be chased around by Lykkelig in palace grounds during a visit from the Bjørn family. It was initially believed that Lykkelig was playing, however the expression from the young prince was one of being scared. This was until the mother of Lykkelig, Lady Foxenton, two other kits and Princess Ingrid joined in on chasing the prince. Further concerning the young prince, who ran into Wilhelmina’s arms seeking protection of the four foxes and Ingrid. Later in another interview in 2016, Prince Jørgen stated he was just playing with the foxes and was getting into character. Wilhelmina, when asked to reply to the Prince’s statements, stated that he was in fact, in fear for his life.
In 2010, Wilhelmina donated ten thousand United Krone to a fox adoption agency in Osfjord. The donation was given again every five years to various fox adoption agencies, with the Queen stating every home that can have a fox, should have a fox.
Domestic Life
Snow being the eldest out of the three current Royal foxes, being pictured with Queen Wilhelmina and King Olav during a Yule celebration in 2014, with making it into the cover of the Eyjarian Gossip Magazine, Fegurd og Sannleik. With Snow wearing a red bell around its neck during the photo. The foxes have become quite popular even outside the Crown Realm after Wilhelmina showed up in 2016 on a Kaldrbuthian morning show with them around her.
In 2018 they got the fox Flame, with being named by Princess Ingrid on her birthday. According to an interview done a year after, the Crown Princess stated that she named it Flame because it nearly knocked over a few candles when it was a small kit. With there being several pictures online of Flame playing with Queen Wilhelmina’s youngest child, Princess Ny’Kandenor.
O.B. being the youngest having gotten back in 2021, it was named by Princess Alexandra during Olav’s Birthday. With the Queen having stated her approval to the name. Despite it being meant to tease the King it has been reported to be the fox that is the closest to him. With O.B. having been seen to cuddle on top of the King’s Kaldrbuthian Mountain Dog, Tordensjeft.
Attacks
O.B. has been in trouble several times for their nipping and biting of one person in particular, the Jarl of Vakrestrender, Jørgen Bjørn. The young fox has only ever attacked the Jarl and only when Olav I is not in the room.
O.B. famously attacked the Jarl during a charity ball in 2021, when the young kit leaped out of the Queen’s arms and bit Jørgen’s hand. Then again later that night escaped from Princess Ingrid hands and seeked out the Jarl as he was on stage, nipping at his feet.
During a visit from the Queen in 2022, she brought O.B. who when seeing Jørgen jumped out her arms and attacked him again. However, Olav stopped their attack as Olav came into the room. The jarl was uninjured but stated his request for O.B. to be treated by an animal behavior therapist and offered to pay for it. Initially the treatment was a success and O.B. was held by the Jarl being photographed and posted to social media.
However in December 2022, O.B. attacked the Jarl at the Yule event held at the palace. Tearing the bottom of his coat. He stated on social media that he was disappointed but he thought it might happen again.
Influence
The Royal Foxes is well known in the Norgsveltian Crown Realm and in the larger Norgsveltian (and Frakanic) Speaking World, with them becoming closely associated with Queen Wilhelmina. With the foxes having numerous items dedicated to them, mostly within works of arts and statues. As a result of the Queen’s fondness of the Borean Foxes, an increased number of foxes have been adopted since 2007. With it being recorded that in 2022 that around 15% of Norgsveltian households have domesticated Foxes as pets, being the third most popular pet in the country behind only dogs and cats.
The Queen herself has been occasionally portrayed as a fox in political cartoons, most famously ones made by Gunnar Stormtalen for the Eyjarian left wing newspaper Eina’s Star. Though has been portrayed as such in animated media as well made in Vakrestrender, often in children animations.