Lively and faithful, we reveal 10 of our favourite facts about Her Majesty’s loyal subjects: The Queen’s corgis.
1. A Banquet fit for Royalty.
They eat gourmet meals created by a chef Forget bagged dry food and canned wet food — according to Brian Hoey in the 2013 book "Pets by Royal Appointment" the Queen's Corgis are fed promptly at 5 p.m. each night and dine on a filet of steak and chicken breast that has been expertly prepared by a chef.
The menu, created from scratch with fresh ingredients, is typed up daily and placed in the kitchen. Their meals are hand delivered to them by a footman, while sometimes the Queen herself pours gravy over their feast before they begin eating.
2. No jokes when Corgis apply
Queen Elizabeth doesn't tolerate pranks at her pets' expense. The Queen may get a laugh from Prince Harry's practical jokes, but she doesn't have the same sense of humor when it comes to pranks on her pups. In 1999, a footman
"was demoted for spiking the dogs' food with whiskey and gin as a practical joke,"
according to the 2012 book "Amazing & Extraordinary Facts: Royal Family Life."
3. Time for Walkies
The Queen herself walks them daily After they receive their lunch, the Queen takes her pack out for their second walk of the day around the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Their first one, when they wake, is accompanied by a footman.
4. Non-Corgis beware
At Christmas in 2013, the Queen reportedly made it very clear that William and Kate's Cocker Spaniel Lupo was banned from the yuletide festivities at Sandringham. A royal attendant told The Telegraph,
“The Duchess is especially fond of the puppy and was sad that he could not accompany them. He had to sit it out at her parents’ home in Berkshire.”
The Lupo ban came after one of her Corgis attacked Princess Beatrice's Norfolk Terrier, Max, the previous summer. Max suffered flesh wounds and almost lost an ear as a result of the scuffle.
5. She spoils them at Christmas.
The Queen is said to make stockings for each of her beloved dogs each year for the holiday. She fills them with toys and treats fit for a royal pup.
6. No rules for her Corgis.
Brian Hoey wrote in his book, "Not In Front Of The Corgis,"
"Nobody is allowed to raise a finger or a voice to any of the dogs. They cock their legs and do what Corgis do wherever they want — on antique furniture, priceless carpets."
It's for this reason that royal staffers have blotting paper on hand in case of accidents.
7. They travel in style
It's common knowledge that the Queen's Corgis travel with her, and she couldn't resist bringing her first pup on her honeymoon in 1947! Elizabeth's father, King George VI, first introduced Corgis to the Palace in 1933, and they've been a fixture ever since.
For her 18th birthday in 1944, Elizabeth was given Susan, her first Corgi. She is said to have hidden Susan in the open carriage she and Philip took from London to Hampshire after their wedding.
8. There is a royal Corgi bloodline
For half a century, all of the 88-year-old royal's Corgis descended from her first pup Susan. In 2009, she made the decision to cease breeding after two of her favourite dogs succumbed to cancer. When she announced the decision, the Queen had six corgis. She now has two: Willow and Holly.
9. There is a royal cemetery for the Queen's dogs.
All of Elizabeth's Corgis, beginning with Susan, have been buried at the Sandringham estate in Norwalk. The graveyard was first used by Queen Victoria after her Collie Noble died in 1887. Elizabeth commissioned grave stones for each of her deceased pups; Susan's reads, "For almost 15 years faithful companion to the Queen."
10. Love hurts
The Queen has gone to the hospital on account of her beloved Corgis. In 1991, the monarch received three stitches in her left hand after breaking up a fight between her 10 lovable companions.