The Queen’s Corgis 

All eyes are on Britain this week, with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled longer than many of us have been alive. As you may know, the monarch was known for her love of corgis: specifically, the Pembroke Welsh Corgis. A local vet discusses these pampered pups below. 

Pampered Pups

As you can probably guess, being the Queen’s pet is a pretty sweet gig. The 30-some corgis that the monarch owned over the course of her life slept in cushioned baskets, and ate things like steak, rabbit, and chicken from silver platters. The pups, who had names like Plover, Disco, and Mint, were always fed in order of seniority. They also each got their own Christmas stockings.

Beloved Pooches

It’s not hard to see why so many Brits fell in love with these cute pups. However, not everyone was enamored with them. Princess Diana once referred to them as a ‘moving carpet’!

A Furry Legacy

The Queen stopped breeding corgis in 2015, because she didn’t want to leave any behind. However, she made an exception in 2021, when Prince Andrew, along with his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, gave her a puppy to mark what would have been Prince Philip’s 100th birthday. 

Plucky Pups

These cute little pooches are extremely intelligent, and are actually known for herding cattle. Given that said cattle are quite a bit larger than corgis are, that’s pretty impressive!

History

Queen Elizabeth was first enchanted by corgis at a young age, when she was charmed by the pups owned by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. On her 18^th birthday, her father gave her a corgi of her own. That dog, Susan, accompanied her on her honeymoon. All of her other corgis were descended from Susan’s puppies.

Movie

The royal corgis were the inspiration for a movie. In the film, aptly titled The Queen’s Corgis, the Queen’s favorite pooch gets lost and ends up in a dog fighting club, and must find his way back home.

Scandals

True to royal form, the corgis have had a few scandals of their own. Apparently a footman was demoted for pouring booze into the pups’ bowls, and watching them stagger about “with great relish.” We definitely agree with the Queen’s anger on this one. Alcohol is actually very dangerous to dogs!  

Do you have questions about your furry friend’s health or care? Contact us today!