Queen Elizabeth II Receives New Corgi Pup From Duke Of York

Jun 14, 2021

The past few months have been difficult for Queen Elizabeth due to the death of Prince Philip on April 9, 2021. His passing sent the United Kingdom into mourning, especially ardent supporters of the British monarchy. The queen's husband of over seven decades was a well-loved member of the royal family, but his death at the age of 99 comes after two months of ill health.

Philip's passing ends his reign as the longest-serving royal spouse, having served alongside Queen Elizabeth II for 65 years and having been married to the monarch for 73 years in total. Members of the family have described his passing as peaceful.

His last days were reportedly also as peaceful as could be as per a royal insider, who spoke to Daily Mail reporter Richard Kay. While Philip spent many of his last days resting and sleeping, he did find time to spend with his beloved wife, Elizabeth, despite her hectic schedule. Moreover, the insider reports that his failing health did not stop him from keeping true to himself, and it certainly did not affect how independent and dignified he was. Until the end, Philip remained the noble and steadfast man he has always known to be. 

While Elizabeth has resumed her royal duties since May 2021, it may not be easy to rule the UK without her loyal companion by her side. In an effort to buoy her spirits, her son, the Duke of York, has presented the queen with another Corgi to mark her "official" birthday on June 12, 2021. 

Elizabeth is known for her love of Corgis and has had many dogs over the course of her life. For her "official" birthday, which was celebrated on June 12, 2021, the queen was given a corgi by Prince Andrew and his daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice as a present. Moreover, June 10 marked what would have been Prince Philip's 100th birthday, which might have been a trying time for the royal family. 

The Sun reported that the six-week-old puppy was presented to Elizabeth on Thursday, and he is still unnamed. Nine News Australia reported that a Windsor Castle source was quoted saying, "The Queen has had a rough time and she is absolutely delighted to have a new corgi." 

The new addition in her brood will be filling the hole left by dachshund-corgi cross Fergus, who was one of a pair also given to her by Andrew as the Duke of Edinburgh fought illness in the hospital in February.

While Philip was recovering from heart surgery before his death, Andrew gifted Elizabeth a dachshund-corgi (dorgi) pup and a corgi to cheer her up. Fergus was gifted to the queen along with a second dorgi, Muick. However, Fergus died unexpectedly after only 5 months due to heart problems. Fergus' death came as another painful blow to the queen this year. 

According to The Sun, a Windsor Castle insider said:

"The Queen is absolutely devastated. The puppies were brought in to cheer her up during a very difficult period. Everyone concerned is upset as this comes so soon after she lost her husband."

Dorgis are a cross between a Welsh corgi and a dachshund, and the breed is actually specially attributed to the queen. The hybrid began when one of Elizabeth's corgis had puppies with a dachshund named Pipkin that belonged to Princess Margaret. Over the decades, the queen has owned at least ten different dorgis, including Cider, Berry, Vulcan, Candy, Brandy, Chipper, Harris, Pickles, Piper and Tinker. Dorgis have short-hair coats and range in color from black to brown to gold. 

After the queen's beloved dorgi Vulcan died last October, it was thought that the queen had given up on owning new pets after losing the pup she had since 2007. However, the gifted puppies from Andrew countered this claim.

According to The Sun, Fergus the dorgi was named after the queen's uncle, Captain Fergus Bowes-Lyon. Bowes-Lyon had led an attack on German lines at the Battle of Loos in France during the first world war and died at the young age of 26 in battle during 1915. Unfortunately, the death of Fergus the dorgi came at a tough time for the queen as she had just gotten back to her royal duties after mourning the death of Philip.

In many ways, Elizabeth has become synonymous with the Pembroke Welsh corgi, having been surrounded by this breed her entire life. Nine News Australia reported that she was given her first corgi, who was named Susan, by her parents when she turned 18.

We hope that the new corgi brings a lot of happiness into the queen's life!  

Did you know that the queen has had several dorgis and corgis over the course of her life? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to let others know about hr new addition as well.