Why does The Queen love corgis and how many does she have?

Queen Elizabeth II with Corgi
The Queen is often pictured with her beloved corgis (Picture: Getty)
It’s no secret that Queen Elizabeth II is an animal-lover, particularly horses and her beloved pet corgis . Her Majesty has been pictured with her many corgis and dorgis – a dachshund cross with a corgi – since she was a young girl. The 94-year-old monarch was recently given two corgi puppies to help her cope with Prince Philip’s illness . So, when did The Queen’s love for corgis begin, and how many does she have now?

Why does The Queen have corgis?

By all accounts, The Queen’s love of corgis stems from her childhood.
At a very young age, she and her sister Princess Margaret fell in love with the corgis owned by the children of the Marquess of Bath.
Queen Elizabeth II as a child in 1936 hugging a corgi
Queen Elizabeth II received her first corgi when she was seven (Picture: Lisa Sheridan/Studio Lisa/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
In 1933, when Her Majesty was seven years old, her father King George VI brought home Dookie, a Pembrokeshire Welsh corgi. Legend has it The Queen and Princess Margaret chose Dookie from a litter of three, remarking that his long tail would help them see whether he was pleased or not. Dookie’s unusual name came from the original owner, Thelma Gray, who took to calling the pup ‘the Duke’ once he had been selected to join the Royal Family .

Make a DIY Dog Sling for Added Support. Does your dog have arthritis or weak limbs? If your dog needs some extra support getting up & around you can make your own dog sling to help.

On her 18th birthday, The Queen was gifted a corgi named Susan, from whom the rest of her corgis are said to be descended.

Since then, she is believed to have owned at least 30 corgis throughout her 68-year reign.

Queen Elizabeth II in Windsor Park with corgis in 1960
The Queen has had at least 30 corgis (Picture: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

How many corgis does The Queen have now?

Currently, The Queen three corgis – the eldest one being called Candy.

Sadly, many of The Queen’s older corgis have passed away in recent years.

One pet, Holly, was believed to be put down at Balmoral. Purebred corgi Willow died in August 2018.
The Queen adopted corgi Whisper after the death of former Sandringham gameskeeper Bill Fenwick. The 93-year-old and wife Nancy, who has also passed away, were originally gifted Whisper by Her Majesty. Sadly, Whisper died after a short illness , not long after Willow. Beloved dorgi Vulcan – a Pembrokeshire Welsh corgi crossed with dachshund – passed away in December 2020 .
The Queen visits Battersea Dogs And Cats Home, meets a corgi
The Queen currently thee has three corgis (Picture: Ben Stansall – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Candy is no longer the only pup in the royal household. In early March 2021, reports revealed that the Queen was recently given two corgi puppies as a present.

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: Forty-five percent of pet owners say they occasionally (or frequently) buy presents for their animals.

A source told The Sun: ‘Both are said to be bringing in a lot of noise and energy into [Windsor] Castle while Philip is in hospital.’

The pups’ names and genders have not yet been revealed.

Follow Metro across our social channels, on , and Instagram.

Sign Up for News Updates

Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more

Not convinced? Find out more »