The Queen’s canine dynasty shows that dogs are a ma’am’s, as well as a man’s, best friend.
Some 15 generations of Her Majesty’s corgis were all descended from Susan, the pup she was given on her 18th birthday.
The dog was hidden under blankets in the royal carriage on her honeymoon in 1947. But the Queen’s love of Pembroke Welsh corgis began even earlier.
When she was seven her parents, the Duke and Duchess of York, registered a corgi named Rozavel Golden Eagle with the Kennel Club. Its name was soon shortened to Dookie when kennel staff realised he would be going home with the Duke.
The Queen owned 30 corgis and the breed quickly became one of the enduring symbols of the British monarchy.
Kennel Club chief executive Mark Beazley said: “The Queen was a world-famous dog lover and really did symbolise the love and affection that our nation holds for their dogs.”
Corgis are known for their loyal, bold and friendly temperament. There was a spike in ownership when they appeared in Netflix drama The Crown.
Tobias Menzies, who played Philip, said they had been “quite mischievous”.
Susan died in 1959 and has a gravestone at Sandringham.
Her Majesty once informed a Crufts visitor that one of her dogs was trained in moving cattle, the breed’s historic role.
The final litter of royal corgis was born in July 2003, with two kept by Her Majesty.
She was heartbroken when Susan’s final descendent, Willow, died in 2018.
She continued to own her favourite dogs up until her own death.
The Queen was given two puppies in February 2021, a mixed-breed named Fergus and a Pembroke Welsh called Muick.
Three months later, Fergus died, but Prince Andrew gave her a new pembroke welsh corgi puppy called Sandy.
She also had an older mixed-breed dog who was named Candy.
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This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get both pullouts.
