British royal family news reveals that 95-year old Queen Elizabeth is a lifelong animal lover. At this point in time she is mom to three fur babies. According to Vogue, over the past 70 years Her Majesty has had more than 30 dogs share her digs, all corgis. The number may swell and dwindle over time but she has always had at least one devoted canine companion beside her.
There was a time in the 70s when she cared for seven dogs at one time, and as late as 2012, she was believed to have five pups. According to the outlet, her record for dog ownership at one time was a whopping nine corgis!
Royal Family News: The Queen Loves Corgis
The Queen’s love for corgis began in childhood and you can be sure that any pet of the Queen is one pampered pooch!
Queen Elizabeth’s passion for the ground hugging pooches was lit after King George VI brought a Pembroke Welsh corgi puppy home for his family. The corgi’s official name was Rozavel Golden Eagle, but he was called Dookie, a play on the word Duke.
Royal Family News: The Queen Bred Corgis
After Dookie came the Pembroke Welsh corgi named Jane. Sadly Jane died in 1944 after being hit by a passing car. The royal family eventually added the corgis Ching, Carol, and Cracker.
Queen Elizabeth was given her very own pet for her 18th birthday. At that time she was known as Princess Elizabeth and she was given a Pembroke Welsh corgi named Susan. According to the American Kennel Club, lucky Susan was the teen’s first corgi that was not shared with the rest of the family. Susan’s official name was Hickathrift Pippa.
Royal Family News: Susan the Corgi Was The Queen’s Very Own Pet
Susan was bred by the Queen, “starting a royal corgis dynasty that continued for over 80 years,” according to The List.
As Vanity Fair noted, “No world leader had been as widely identified with a particular animal as Elizabeth II with her corgis.” For her part the monarch has referred to her fur babies as “family.“
And as befits a member of the royal family, some of the Queen’s dogs have had a star turn themselves. For instance, during the 2012 London Olympics her dogs were seen in a sketch in which they escorted James Bond into Buckingham Palace.
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