The queen’s dogs: the fate of Elizabeth II’s favorite corgis has been revealed

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, who died on Thursday at the age of 96, has not only numerous relatives and grieving subjects, but also a flock of four-legged pets.

Throughout her long life, Queen Elizabeth II was regularly photographed with a Welsh Corgi at her feet, a dog breed that has become almost synonymous with the British monarch.

“They wandered around Buckingham Palace as if the place belonged to them,” writes The Washington Post about the Queen’s pets. The royal chefs cooked their meals. They were treated by psychologists, biographers documented their lives. They slept in soft wicker baskets. At Christmas they each had their own gift stocking… Many of the corgis owned by Queen Elizabeth II during her seventy-year reign were fluffy little monarchs in their own right, as iconic as her brightly colored hats and her wicked sense of humour. She has had over 30 squat herding dogs in her lifetime with names such as Plover, Disco and Mint. A flock of them ran ahead of her wherever she went, in what Princess Diana once described them, perhaps not too affectionately, as “a moving carpet.”

According to Reader’s Digest, the Queen loved Corgis because of their “energy and wild spirit.”

The Queen’s passion for corgis dates back to her childhood when she fell in love with her father, King George VI’s dog, Dookie. In 1944, when she was 18, Princess Elizabeth was given a Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppy named Susan. Such was her affection for Susan that she reportedly took her with her on her honeymoon in 1947. Susan died in January 1959.

The Queen has owned dozens of Corgis during her lifetime. One of the dogs, Willow, appeared with her in a James Bond skit she recorded for the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony. When Willow was euthanized at the age of 14, the Queen lost her original Corgi’s last offspring, Susan.

But while every detail of what happens after the death of the British Queen has been carefully planned, little is known about what lies ahead for her beloved pets, who will now be looking for new owners.

Queen Elizabeth II reportedly had four dogs at the time of her death.

According to the American Kennel Club, she had two Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Muick and Sandy, as well as an older mixed dorgi named Candy. It is reported that in January of this year, the cocker spaniel Lissy joined this “gang”.

The Queen is often credited with creating the Dorgi breed when her Corgi was bred to a Dachshund owned by her sister, Princess Margaret.

Joe Little, royal biographer and managing editor of Majesty magazine, told CNN that he believes the dogs will be cared for by the royal staff before they are taken in by the late Queen’s children, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew.

“Princess Anne had her own corgis in the past,” the expert explained. “The last two additions came from the Duke of York and his daughters, so perhaps they could go to him. It is unlikely that they will separate.”

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward also suggested that the dogs could go to the children of Elizabeth II. “My guess is that the dogs will be looked after by a family, probably Andrew, since he gave them to her,” Seward told Newsweek. “They are very young, corgis and dorgis.”

As Elizabeth II began to age, she seemed uneasy at the prospect of her dogs having to live without her to take care of them. At some point, she decided to wind down the multi-year Corgi breeding program she oversaw at Windsor Castle, where 14 generations of dogs have been raised and trained. According to the American Kennel Club, the program appears to have ceased by around 2002, following the death of the Queen Mother.