A dog owner has told of her 'shock' after learning her pet is the brother of one of the late Queen's much-loved corgis. Nadia Smith, 28, got her corgi when he was a puppy back in February 2021, and then she learned that Wilbur had a very special connection to the Royal Family.
After spotting a post on a Facebook group about the Queen's newest corgi Muick, the penny dropped that her dog and the Queen's had come from the same breeder. Nadia and her partner had also considered adopting Wilbur's brother too - but decided against it, and the Queen ended up with the cute corgi instead. After seeing pictures, it was obvious to Nadia that Wilbur and Muick were brothers - and the breeder confirmed they were the only two in the litter.
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When they realised who Wilbur's brother was, Nadia and her partner sent a letter and photos to the Queen to tell her and she received a letter back from Paul Whybrew, the Queen's loyal Page of the Backstairs, thanking her.
The letter said it was good to know that Wilbur is happy and doing well.
Nadia said: "I was in shock when I realised. I originally thought it was a weird coincidence. You never think anything like this will happen to you. It's such a strange way to be connected to her.
"We loved corgis because of The Queen. From seeing her with all her corgis, we thought if they're good enough for her, they're good enough for us!
"With her passing, it's so surreal, you somehow never think it'll actually happen. Everything stood still. When we went to get Wilbur, we picked up and cuddled the other puppy too. We held the Queen's actual corgi - and we own his brother!
"The Queen's dog chewed my shoelaces' is not something you ever expect to say!
"I felt quite bad that his brother is in a palace and Wilbur is not, but he really is the best. He's so funny, and has so much personality.
"He's kind and sweet but also quite sassy. He makes people earn his trust, and teases people before letting them pet him, but everyone loves him - he has more friends than me!"
Now the Queen has died, Prince Andrew has confirmed that he will be taking care of her corgis - one of which is Muick, who is related to Wilbur.
He and Sarah, the Duchess of York will take on Muick and Sandy – two dogs the late monarch received as gifts from her son.
Throughout her 70-year reign, the Queen owned more than 30 corgis and was known for her love of the breed.
You can now buy the historic Daily Mirror commemorating the death of the Queen here: mirror.co.uk/commemorative
