Since the sad news broke of the the Queen's passing on Thursday, thousands of people have flocked to pay their respects at various royal sites across the UK. Revered for her kind spirit and brilliant sense of humour - Queen Elizabeth II was also known for her vehement love of corgis, as she owned more than 30 of them during her 70-year reign.
Her sweet obsession with the pedigree breed began at the age of 7, when she enviously swooned over her friend's furry companion and asked her father for one. Her first short and stout canine, named Dooki, cemented her affection for the breed, as Her Majesty went on to enjoy the company of many corgis throughout her life.
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One regal pooch, named Susan, was the catalyst to the Queen's extensive Corgi family tree - as the late monarch bred the corgi after she was gifted her on her eighteenth birthday. Most of the monarch's dogs consequentially descended from Susan.
While her passion for corgis remained strong throughout her life, the late Queen made the painful decision to stop breeding them in 2015.
The Queen's last corgi, Willow, died in 2018 after she had privately stopped breeding the dogs. She even politely declined a gift of two dogs from her granddaughter Princess Beatrice due to being scared of tripping over the small pets as she got older.
In 2014, Beatrice asked her grandmother if she would like two Norfolk terriers, born to her own dog Ginger.
Due to concerns over her age, the late Queen rejected the offer, as she was worried that she would injure herself if she fell over them.
At the time, a senior courtier told the Daily Express : "The Queen thought it was a lovely offer but she politely declined.
"The fact is she worries about too many dogs around her feet and the danger she will trip up and hurt herself badly. She is after all 88 and not getting any younger.
"Her corgis are getting on a bit and move along at a sedate speed but a young dog would obviously be very lively and much more active.
"Her main fear is that if she fell and broke her arm or even a leg she would not be able to perform her duties for many weeks if not months, and that would upset her greatly".
The Queen was also reportedly concerned that puppies would outlive her - this played a major part in her heartbreaking decision to stop replacing her pets when they died.
Since the Queen's death, many people have expressed concern over what may become of her living corgis, but it has recently come to light that her beloved pets will be kept in the family.
The Duke of York and his ex-wife have confirmed they will look after the Queen's dogs. A spokeswoman for Prince Andrew said he and Sarah, the Duchess of York will take on Muick and Sandy – two canines the late monarch received as gifts from her son.
This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get both pullouts.
