The Queen is known worldwide for her fierce love of corgis, and was even assisted by Princess Margaret in creating the 'dorgi' when one of her beloved corgis spent time with her sister's dachshund, Pipkin. Whilst it is not documented quite so much, other members of the Royal family have an affinity for certain dog breeds, and Prince Charles is particularly fond of Jack Russell terriers.
At present, the Prince of Wales owns two furry friends, Bluebell and Beth, with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall. Back in the 1990s, Charles owned two other Jack Russell terriers, named Pooh and Tigga, with the former truly leaving him heartbroken.
The Royals often spend their holidays at Balmoral Castle, which has been in the family since Prince Albert bought it for Queen Victoria in 1852, having been first leased in 1848. And it was at the Aberdeenshire estate that Prince Charles experienced heartbreak when his beloved dog went missing, the Express reports.
In 1994, The Lady Magazine reported that Charles' four-legged friend Pooh went missing for a few days whilst the family was staying at Balmoral. The Prince of Wales, upset that his beloved companion had gone missing, is said to have offered a £30 reward to find Pooh at the time.
Terrier breeds are known to be keen hunters of rabbits, and it is believed that, heartbreakingly, Pooh may have got stuck in a rabbit hole after chasing a rabbit. She was never found.
But Pooh, and later Beth and Bluebell, are not the only Jack Russell terriers the Prince of Wales has loved. Lady Salisbury gifted Tigga, another Jack Russell terrier to Prince Charles as a puppy.
Tigga was a much-loved member of the household, and often appeared in family portraits and Christmas cards, and was a loyal companion to not just Charles, but his sons, William and Harry. One of Tigga's offspring, Freddy, was the canine companion of the Duchess of Cornwall.
Sadly, in 2002, Tigga had to be put to sleep after a period of illness, at the old age of 18. The Jack Russell was then buried in the grounds of Highgrove House, Prince Charles' Gloucestershire residence.
In a touching tribute to his much-loved companion, Charles commissioned Emma Stothard to create a stunning willow sculpture of Tigga. Visitors to the gardens, of which the future king is very proud of, can admire the immortalisation during trips to the royal residence.
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