It's the first time since 1957 that white mute swans have arrived in Lakeland by plane. That was the year Queen Elizabeth II gifted two swans to the city.

Male swans can be territorial and, during breeding season, aggressive. Youngsters – identified by their pale, pinkish beaks and patchy brown-and-white plumage – are unwanted rivals. Belligerence ...

So when Matthew Bourne cast Swan Lake with solely male dancers he was tapping into ... Even today the Queen has the right to claim any unmarked mute swan swimming in open water.