Queen is ‘hit hard’ by death of beloved corgi
The Queen has reportedly been hit “extremely hard” by the loss of her corgi, Willow, who died on Sunday – ending Her Majesty’s close association with the breed, dating back eight decades. The dog, which was 14th generation and reportedly descended from the Queen’s first dog, Susan, had been suffering from a cancer-related illness.
THE QUEEN has reportedly been hit “extremely hard” by the loss of her corgi Willow who died on Sunday, ending Her Majesty’s close association with the breed dating back eight decades.
The dog, which was 14th generation and descended from the Queen’s first dog Susan, was suffering from a cancer-related illness.
It’s understood the Queen didn’t want Willow, who was almost 15, to suffer any further. Insiders said she was hit “extremely hard” by the loss of Willow, who had become her most devoted companion. As a descendant of Susan, who was an 18th birthday present when she was then Princess Elizabeth, Willow had a particularly close link with the Queen.
On her 90th birthday, when she posed for portraits with her grandchildren, she also let her dogs share the limelight. Willow was one of four dogs at the time who featured in a picture with her, taken on steps in the grounds of Windsor castle.
The dog also featured in the now infamous James Bond sketch with Daniel Craig for the London Olympics opening ceremony, alongside Holly, who died at Balmoral aged 13 back in 2016.
A Buckingham Palace source told the Daily Mail: “She has mourned every one of her corgis over the years, but she has been more upset about Willow’s death than any of them… It is probably because Willow was the last link to her parents and a pastime that goes back to her own childhood. It really does feel like the end of an era.”
She does still have one last corgi, called Whisper, which she agreed to adopt after the death of his owner, who was a former Sandringham gamekeeper. She also has two dorgis – corgi-dachsund crosses – called Vulcan and Candy.
It was reported that the Queen was still feeding and exercising Willow until the weekend, but the dog’s condition worsened.
A vet was then said to have been called on Sunday afternoon, when Prince Philip was able to rejoin her after nearly two weeks in hospital following a hip operation.
In 2015, The Queen decided to stop breeding Pembroke Welsh corgis over fears she might trip over them and hurt herself. It was also reported that she didn’t want to leave any behind when she dies.
Yet during her time looking after them, she has had more than 30 corgis stemming from Susan’s puppies Sugar and Honey, who were born in 1949.
The Queen has previously said that “my corgis are my family” and is said to feed them herself and take them on daily walks.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the reports, saying it would be a private matter.