With the Platinum Jubilee just around the corner, Britons are gearing up to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen's seventy year reign with a long weekend jam-packed full of celebrations. Up and down the country, memorabillia to commemorate the very special occasion is being sold in supermarkets, and there is one symbol, aside from crowns and the British flag, that sticks out from the rest - the corgi.
The Queen's love of dogs, which she inherited from her late father, King George VI, has been heavily documented over the course of her lifetime. In 1933, when the then-Princess Elizabeth was around seven years old, her father brought home the family's first corgi, Dookie, who took an immediate liking to the young princess.
Over the course of her reign, Her Majesty has owned over thirty corgis, and has become heavily associated with the dog breed. But what some people may not be aware of is that Her Majesty is actually credited with inventing a new breed of dog through her love for corgis.
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In 2015, when Her Majesty's corgi, Willow, passed away, and she decided to stop breeding corgis, she was left with two canine companions - Vulcan and Candy - who are known informally as 'dorgis'. After saying goodbye to Vulcan in 2020, The Queen currently has four dogs - two corgis, one dorgi (Candy), and a cocker spaniel.
The Queen is credited for the invention of dorgis, a dachshund-corgi cross, a breed which was created when one of Her Majesty's corgis spent some time alone with Pipkin, Princess Margaret's dachshund. The Queen and the rest of the royal family were so delighted with the results of the dogs' romantic rendezvous, that they continued to breed them, and have had a number of dorgis over the years: Cider, Rum (who belonged to Princess Margaret), Berry, Candy, Brandy, Chipper, Harris, Pickles, Piper, Tinker, and Vulcan.
Her Majesty, 96, extends her love for pooches beyond the realms of her royal residences. The Queen is the Patron of Dogs Trust, and has allowed her love of dogs to trickle down to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, own two rescue dogs, Jack Russell terriers Bluebell and Beth. Prince Charles has established himself as a firm Jack Russell terrier lover over the years, and previously owned two others, Pooh and Tigga. Sadly, Pooh got lost in the forest at Balmoral, whilst Tigga, who lived to be 18, is immortalised in the form of a willow sculpture in the gardens of Highgrove House.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on the other hand, appear to have a love for cocker spaniels. The pair had a four-legged friend join their family last year, after their beloved dog, Lupo, passed away, although they have not revealed the name of their new family member.
The cocker spaniel puppy was born into a litter raised by Kate's brother, James Middleton, whose dog Luna, the sister of Lupo, gave birth to 'six healthy pups'. James did not keep any of the puppies for himself, and shared on Instagram that they 'all had lovely homes waiting for them'.
Pula and Guy are the beloved pooches of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex; the couple adopted the black Labrador and beagle shortly after they got married in 2018. During the couple's engagement interview, Harry revealed a sweet anecdote that suggested Meghan is something of a dog whisperer, especially when it comes to corgis.
When Queen Elizabeth was first introduced to the Duchess of Sussex, Her Majesty's pack of corgis were lovingly waiting around her, but soon took a liking to Meghan. Harry said: "The corgis took to her straight away,
"I've spent the last 33 years being barked at — [Meghan] walks in, absolutely nothing."
Meghan added: "They were laying on my feet during tea!"
Her Majesty's first corgi to call her own was gifted to her on her 18th birthday by her father. The young princess was so in love with the corgi, named Susan, that she reportedly brought her along on her honeymoon with Prince Philip.
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