As the world mourns the beloved Queen’s death, an increasing curiosity about her majesty’s treasured furry companions emerged. Now that she’s gone, it has been reported that Prince Andrew, Duke of York who is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh will take the corgis. This, along with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson whom he was married to from 1986-1996. The two remaining dogs were gifted to the late monarch by the Prince.
The Queen Elizabeth Corgis love affair dates 90 years after they were gifted to her as pets as a little girl. Nine decades later, her majesty remains an iconic pet lover known to have spoiled and pampered her royal canines until the last days of her life. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and see how it all began.
Dookie and Jane
Does Queen Elizabeth still have corgis? Absolutely! Young Elizabeth’s love for corgis started during her early years when her father, George VI, brought a Pembroke Welsh corgi pup for the family in 1933. Rozavel Golden Eagle was its official title, but he was fondly known as Dookie. Shortly after Dookie’s arrival, another royal family member was added—another Pembroke Welsh corgi by the name of Jane. She stayed with the family until a tragic accident took her life in 1944 when she was hit by a passing car.
Why does Queen Elizabeth like corgis? You see, she had other canine friends during her childhood namely Carolo, Ching, and Cracker. However, she did not have a pup to be considered hers alone until her 18th birthday. This was the time that she was gifted a Pembroke Welsh corgi named Susan, the first dog that truly belonged to her, and not the family.
The pup was officially registered as Hickathrift Pippa. She was initially called Sue, but eventually evolved into Susan. Elizabeth’s deep fondness for Susan led to the breeding of her pet, which started a royal corgi dynasty that lasted for over 80 years.
End of a Dynasty
All the corgis that became part of the royal family were reported to have come from Susan’s lineage. This finally came to an end in 2018 when her last remaining descendant, Willow, passed away. Willow had a cancer-related illness and had to be put to sleep to end the pup’s suffering.
The dog’s passing was very difficult for the Queen because of its connection to Susan. How many corgis has Queen Elizabeth owned? Throughout her reign, her majesty was estimated to have owned at least 30 corgis or more. The lineage of royal corgis began when Susan gave birth to two puppies namely, Sugar and Honey. Sugar continued the line, which ended with Willow. She was the 14th generation of Susan’s descendants.
World’s Most Famous Corgis
Queen Elizabeth corgis devotion to her beloved fur babies was evident in the way they were integrated into royal affairs as well as international events. Take for example the London Olympics back in 2012 when a sketch featured the royal corgis escorting James Bond into Buckingham Palace. And in 2014 at Christmas time the Palace gift shop was overflowing with adorable stuffed animal corgis for pet lovers who wished to emulate the Queen.
Dawn of a New Breed
Anyone can claim to be a dog lover, but how many of those can say they created a new breed? Her Majesty the Queen can surely say this as she has reportedly been credited for inventing a new breed called the dorgi- although it was completely accidental.
Vanity Fair reported that these dogs came into being back in 1971 when her royal corgi Tiny mated with Pipkin, Princess Margaret, and Queen Elizabeth’s only sister’s dachshund. This resulted in six of the cutest hybrid pooches now famously known as dorgis.
Queen Elizabeth and the entire royal family loved their new pups so much that they continued to breed these animals. This led to even more dorgis. Some of these famous fur babies included Tinker, Rum, Cider, Candy, Berry, Harris, Brandy, Chipper, Piper, Pickles, and Vulcan.
However, all good things—even the best pups naturally come to an end. Vulcan died of old age in 2020, but before he died he was one of the four royal dogs who made it to the cover of Vanity Fair. Here, her majesty the Queen was photographed for the magazine’s 2016 issue.
Beloved Companion, Forever Friend
If there was anything constant throughout Queen Elizabeth’s reign, it is her love for her four-legged companions. Corgi Susan was even with her during a three-week honeymoon with Prince Philip. They are also avid travelers as these pups are frequently featured along with her majesty’s travels. These dogs are so well-trained that they never had a single “accident” on any of their flights.
A life of luxury, fed on plenty, and genuinely loved like family, these pups are nothing short of lucky. Here’s to hoping they would continue to have the same fate in Prince Andrew’s care.
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