Queen Elizabeth had limitless love for corgis; here's how many she bred during her reign

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96 surrounded by her family at her home in Balmoral. Apart from her legacy as Britain's longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II was well known for her love of animals, and her passion for Corgis dated all the way back to her childhood.

The late monarch favored horses, of which she owned more than 100, but the queen's best friend may have been her corgis. According to Queen Elizabeth II, corgi dogs were the most loyal of all the monarch's servants, providing domestic companionship for nearly a century in the public glare.    

Queen Elizabeth's obsession with corgis

From lurking around in Buckingham Palace to featuring in official pictures, the little, mainly sandy-coloured dogs with pointy ears found their presence felt on various occasions. For those unknown, according to various media reports, the queen raised corgis in her 90s as she did not want to leave them orphaned after her death. Apart from this, the death of the Willow in 2018, the last corgi she reared herself, served as a reminder of the monarch's own mortality.

Page Six reported that the late monarch's obsession with the cattle-herding dog dates back to 1933 when the then-7-year-old princess specifically requested a Pembroke Welsh corgi after meeting her friend’s pet. Though it was never clear what made her get drawn to the breed, royal family insiders have told various media outlets that she enjoyed them because of their energy and spirit.

The puppy, named Dookie, became a member of the royal family. His arrival marked the beginning of a long relationship between Princess Elizabeth and corgis. Dookie was the first of 30 corgis and dorgis the monarch would go on to own during her lifetime and was later joined by another corgi named Jane. 

In 1944, on Queen's 18th birthday, she was given a Pembroke Welsh corgi puppy named Susan, who would become the royal’s faithful companion through some of her life’s biggest milestones. Susan accompanied the royal for her coronation, wedding, and even on her honeymoon with Prince Philip. 

The queen stopped breeding dogs as she reached her 90s, but 14 generations of Susan’s descendants lived with the queen until her last corgi Willow died in 2015. Much to the surprise of all, the passion for raising a particular kind of breed was quite special for the late monarch. In a 2013 book called Royal Pets by Appointment by Brian Hoey, some interesting facts were revealed about the queen’s corgis and the royal treatment they were given.  Hoey wrote the dogs were served dinner at 5 p.m. every night, dining on chef-made meals, such as filet steak and chicken breast, that were fit for a king or queen. The queen reportedly fed the dogs herself on occasion.

IMAGE: Instagram/TheRoyalFamily