Born into a life of LUXURY
The Queen’s latest corgi puppy, Rex, rapidly finds his gilded existence shattered as he discovers the challenges of life beyond the Palace walls. This fun-filled, animated adventure is set to be a family favourite
‘MEET REX, THE CORGI PUPPY THAT STEALS THE HEART OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN’
HE’S CUTE, confident and capable of causing chaos: meet Rex, the corgi puppy that steals the heart of Her Majesty the Queen (voiced by Julie Walters). He’s usurped a trio of long-favoured pooches in royal affections and, having upset the canine pecking order, it doesn’t take long for this confident little character to ruffle a few proverbial feathers.
‘In the first part, Rex is a bit arrogant, reckless,’ says Ben Stassen (The Son of Big Foot, Fly Me to the Moon, Sammy’s Adventure), co-director of The Queen’s Corgi. ‘He takes advantage of his royal position to be a star but he must embark on a personal journey: once betrayed and away from Buckingham Palace, he has to fend for himself. You end up sympathising with him, because, after all, he does learn from his mistakes.’
A coming-of-age story for a younger generation, the premise of this light-hearted, London-based animated adventure is that Rex (Jack Whitehall) has to lose the attitude and gain some humility in order to be accepted back in to the royal fold. ‘It was important to show that Rex was a character who could evolve,’ explains Stassen’s co-director, Vincent Kesteloot. ‘He is ingenuous, naïve, too spoiled and, above all, rude. But he hasn’t “lived enough” to appreciate his privileges and build his character in adversity.
‘He’s mischievous and pushes Palace
staff to the limit with his playful escapades. But for the audience it’s a wonderful opportunity to discover life behind the gilded doors of Buckingham Palace: in never-before-depicted scenarios, we witness the Queen and Prince Philip sharing their bed with Rex, and enjoy real insight into life in the royal household.
President’s visit
WHEN President Trump and his wife Melania arrive at Buckingham Palace for a private dinner with the Queen, she suggests that one of her corgis might prove a suitable mate for their own dog, Mitzi. However, when she shows an interest in Rex, hilarity ensues as she pursues him around the art-laden corridors of the palace, resulting in a somewhat embarrassing diplomatic incident.
He is truly in the proverbial doghouse. Hanging his head in shame, Rex is mortified that he has let the Queen down, providing an opportunity for his disgruntled canine peers to put him in his place once and for all.
Betrayed by a fellow corgi determined to win back his place as the Queen’s top dog, we find a disgraced Rex living as a stray on the streets of London and enjoy a fun-filled caper as he attempts to redeem and build a future for himself. Faced with great danger in the murky canine underworld of the capital, a humbled Rex makes new friends and slowly pieces together a new life.