Kirsty Wigglesworth/APA swan is examined for any sign of injury, commonly caused by fishing hooks and line, after being caught during the annual swan census Monday on the River Thames near Shepperton, England.
The annual Swan Upping dates from medieval times, when the Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans at a time when swans were considered an important food source for banquets and feasts. Today, the Crown retains the right to ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, but the queen only exercises her ownership on certain stretches of the River Thames and its surrounding tributaries. This ownership is shared with the Vintners' and Dyers' Companies, who were both granted rights of ownership by the Crown in the 15th century. Nowadays, the swans are counted and marked, but they are rarely eaten, except occasionally at state banquets.