The Queen’s Last Corgi Has Died, But She Still Has Her Dorgis!
Keep calm and carry on, everyone.
It’s hard to imagine Queen Elizabeth II without her furry, four-legged sidekicks at her feet. Ever since her father, King George VI, brought a pointy-eared pup back to Buckingham Palace in 1933, the Welsh breed has been the official animal accompaniment to Her Majesty and Co.
Until now…(*reaches for tissue*.) Sadly, after 85 years of constant companionship, the last of the Queen’s corgis has passed away. Willow, who turned 15-year-old this year and previously starred in a James Bond skit, was put to sleep after a long battle with canine cancer. Willow is a descendent of Susan, a corgi that HRH received as a gift for her 18th birthday. Having bred and pampered 14 generations of corgis, it was announced in 2009 that she would stop, later revealing she didn’t “want to leave any behind.” “want to leave any behind.” (*Reaches for another tissue*.)
The question now on everyone’s mind: how is the Queen doing? Will Britain take a national week of mourning? Will the Union Jack fly at half mast? Will she have the emotional strength to show up at her grandson’s wedding, less than one month away? “She has mourned every one of her corgis over the years, but she has been more upset about Willow’s death than any of them,” the Palace source told The Daily Mail. “It is probably because Willow was the last link to her parents and a pastime that goes back to her own childhood. It really does feel like the end of an era.”
But not all canine love is lost. The Queen—who at one point is reported to have had more than a DOZEN corgis—still has two dorgis, Candy and Vulcan, keeping her company. A dorgi is, of course, the result of cross-breed intercourse between a corgi and dachshund. The Queen “invented” the novel mix when Princess Margaret’s dachshund Pipkin mated with one of her dogs. If you’re wondering what a dorgi looks like (because of course you are), here is a picture. Essentially, it’s just a corgi with long hair and floppy ears.
Rest in peace Willow, you have made your master—and the country, colonies and subjects she rules over—very proud. And to Her Majesty’s dorgis: may you live long and prosper!
 Sadly, after 85 years of constant companionship, the last of the Queen's corgis has passed away. Willow, who turned 15-year-old this year and previously starred in a James Bond skit, was put to sleep after a long battle with canine cancer. Willow is a descendent of Susan, a corgi that HRH received as a gift for her 18th birthday. Having bred and pampered 14 generations of corgis, it was announced in 2009 that she would stop, later revealing she didn’t “want to leave any behind.” “want to leave any behind.” (*Reaches for another tissue*.)
[caption id="attachment_338879" align="alignnone" width="3514"] September 28th, 1952: Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle with one of her Corgis. Photography by Lisa Sheridan/Studio Lisa/Getty Images.[/caption]
The question now on everyone's mind: how is the Queen doing? Will Britain take a national week of mourning? Will the Union Jack fly at half mast? Will she have the emotional strength to show up at her grandson's wedding, less than one month away? “She has mourned every one of her corgis over the years, but she has been more upset about Willow’s death than any of them,” the Palace source told The Daily Mail. “It is probably because Willow was the last link to her parents and a pastime that goes back to her own childhood. It really does feel like the end of an era.”
But not all canine love is lost. The Queen—who at one point is reported to have had more than a DOZEN corgis—still has two dorgis, Candy and Vulcan, keeping her company. A dorgi is, of course, the result of cross-breed intercourse between a corgi and dachshund. The Queen "invented" the novel mix when Princess Margaret's dachshund Pipkin mated with one of her dogs. If you're wondering what a dorgi looks like (because of course you are), here is a picture. Essentially, it's just a corgi with long hair and floppy ears.
Rest in peace Willow, you have made your master—and the country, colonies and subjects she rules over—very proud. And to Her Majesty's dorgis: may you live long and prosper!){kind=link}