The Queen was a known animal lover, with a long tradition of breeding horses and dogs. At the time of her death, she left behind more than a 100 horses and four dogs.
The young monarch was surrounded by dogs for most of her adolescent life and wanted her own after falling in love with the Royal Family’s first corgi, Dookie, who was adopted in 1933.
Her first dog, Susan, was a corgi gifted by her father, The Duke of York, on her 18th birthday in 1944. She produced 30 offspring, all of whom became a part of The Queen’s family.
"She loves animals, and she absolutely adores dogs. She always has done, they were her first love, and they will be her last," Ingrid Seward, royal biographer, told U.S.-based magazine, Newsweek, before news of the monarch's death was revealed.
The Queen also bred her corgis with dachshunds to create a breed called dorgis. According to the BBC, this was the result of an unplanned rendezvous in the 1970s between one of The Queen’s corgis and Princess Margaret’s dachshund. Both sisters eventually mated the dogs again, leading to 10 more pups being born over the years.
Her corgis even had their own special room in The Queen’s private residences at Buckingham Palace, according to royal author Penny Juror’s book, "All The Queen's Corgis."
In 2015, Monty Roberts, an animal trainer and close associate of The Queen told The Independent that she allegedly didn’t plan to continue breeding her corgis, not wanting to leave any behind after her death. Her last corgi passed away in 2018.
The Queen had two remaining dorgis, but after one of them passed away in 2020, the monarch was left with Susan’s last remaining descendent.
When Prince Philip was in the hospital in 2021, her son Prince Andrew gifted her two new puppies —a dorgie and a corgi. Unfortunately, the corgi didn’t survive and died just weeks later.
The Queen received a new corgi dog in 2022, named Sandy, as a gift for her official 95th birthday from Prince Andrew and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Today, along with her children, she is survived by two corgis, one dorgi and an award-winning cocker spaniel.
The Queen’s will and testament will determine who will officially inherit her dogs, but for now, it is assumed they will pass on to her successor, King Charles, who is expected to move to Buckingham Palace.
All dogs are currently still residing under the care of Buckingham Palace’s staff.
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