Is this the end of the line for the royal corgis?

is reporting that the Queen has decided to stop breeding corgis. Recently, the Queen lost two corgis to cancer, and allegedly she is so devastated by the loss that she will not be replacing her dogs. There seems to be some discrepancy as to how many corgis and dorgis (corgi-dachshund crosses) that the Queen now owns; one article says that there are now seven dogs.

Additionally, none of the other members of the Royal Family are fond of corgis, and if the Queen were to be survived by a doggie herd, it may prove difficult to find a comfortable home for her aging pets. Prince Philip, who has shared royal quarters with corgis since 1947, is known to have complained that the Queen kept too many dogs. Princess Michael, the only royal known to favor cats, said she sometimes felt like shooting the dogs (the Queen commented that the dogs behaved better than Princess Michael, although that comment probably applies to other members of the family as well). Other royals prefer other breeds of dogs.

The first royal corgi was a gentleman named Dookie, selected by Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose. Dookie apparently wasn’t much of a breeder. The grand dame of the royal corgis was Susan, an 18th-birthday gift from George VI to his daughter. Susan even traveled in the carriage of the newlyweds Elizabeth and Philip in 1947 on their way to the honeymoon. Susan’s line produced over 30 royal corgis; unfortunately, she was as unruly as her progeny (one of which once allegedly knocked Paul Burrell unconscious – at least they seem to have doggie good taste!). Among Susan’s misdemeanors was taking a bite out of the leg of the royal clock winder. A grandson tore out the seat of a Guard Officer’s trousers, and in 1991 the Queen was bitten while trying to break up a dog fight.

Life as a royal corgi must be pretty plush. A daily menu for the dogs is typed and posted on the kitchen wall. In addition to dog food dished up by the Queen, royal corgi food might include chuck steak, rice and vegetables; rabbits shot by the Wales princes; or poached chicken. Then there’s fresh-baked scones with butter crumbled for them by the Queen during tea, or toast and marmalade with the Queen at breakfast. The dogs are also frequent travelers, and were often spotted being carried off planes by servants like Paul Burrell and Billie Tallon. And they must enjoy a cuddle on a royal bed, although they reportedly sleep in a former boxroom. When Michael Fagan’s break-in at Buckingham Palace was investigated in 1982, a forensic scientist reported finding dog hair in the Queen’s bed covers.

Read more about this story, along with photos, here and here. For a thread about the Queen’s dogs, click here.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Animals, Corgis, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Pets.