Like her late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth, Queen Camilla is also a huge dog lover, so it’s fitting she's served as patron of the charity Medical Detection Dogs since 2014. Princess Kate’s brother, James Middleton, has made dogs his life’s work, and the duo caught up at a Clarence House reception—along with some four-legged friends.
Dog breeder James, who founded premium pet food company James & Ella, is also working with Medical Detection Dogs, and The Queen greeted him with a hug and kiss at the event.
“It’s lovely that you are supporting them, you are doing some feed for them, aren’t you?” Queen Camilla said, per the Daily Mail. Middleton replied, “Yes, treats,” adding he felt “really fortunate to be involved.”
The Queen, James and other guests witnessed demonstrations of the “incredible” work the medical detection dogs do, such as spotting when people are in distress or even sniffing out specific conditions like bowel cancer.
“I’m mind-blown by what they do,” Middleton told Queen Camilla. “It’s incredible. We can learn from dogs as much as they learn from us.”
While James breeds cocker spaniels, Queen Camilla is a fan of Jack Russell terriers and also has a mixed-breed rescue dog, Moley. The tiny dog even starred in a 100th birthday video for Sir David Attenborough last week along with a cast of wild animals.
At the reception, one woman named Lucy told Queen Camilla about the impact her own medical detection dog has had, with The Queen replying, “They are extraordinary the way they change your life.”
