The Late Queen Elizabeth Owned 30 Descendants Of Her Favorite Corgi Susan

Sep 15, 2022

It was a big year for Queen Elizabeth II, who in February celebrated 70 years as Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 Commonwealth realms. This was not only a milestone for her but for the entire world, as she was the first British ruling monarch to reach the seven-decade mark. In fact, she already made history and was the fourth longest-serving monarch ever. She was only bested by one other ruler, Louis XIV of France. 

However, tragically, Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8, 2022. She passed away while at her home in Balmoral after Buckingham Palace had earlier announced that she was under medical attention.

Despite making it to an incredible 96 years of age, the queen proved there was no slowing her down.

Before her passing, although the queen had accomplished many wonderful things- she had also experienced great loss. 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 came after two months of ill health. Philip's passing ended 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.

After the heartache of her husband's death, the queen needed something to lighten up her life when she wasn't busy performing royal duties. To bring her happiness, aside from her family and ruling a country, the queen focused on her love for her new Corgi, which was given to her as a birthday present in 2021.

Elizabeth was 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 Jun. 12, 2021, the queen was given a corgi by Prince Andrew and his daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, as a present. 

Moreover, Jun. 10, 2021, 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 Jun. 9, 2021. Nine News Australia reported that a Windsor Castle source was quoted as having said:

"The Queen has had a rough time, and she is absolutely delighted to have a new corgi." 

The new addition to her brood filled 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 2021.

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 five months due to heart problems. Fergus' death came as another painful blow to the queen that 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."

Queen Elizabeth II had a very long relationship with her love for corgis. According to BBC, she fell in love with the breed of dog around the age of seven years old when her family friends had gotten a corgi. She eventually received her own dog, Dookie and Jane, when she was growing up in London. Dookie was known to be a troublemaker with poor manners, but she loved him nonetheless.

Eventually, she received another corgi for her 18th birthday named Susan, who she was deeply fond of. "I had always dreaded losing her," the queen once said. The two were inseparable leading up to Susan's death in 1959. "But I am ever so thankful that her suffering was so mercifully short," she added. Over the next six decades, she would go on to own 30 of Susan's descendants. 

Ciara Farrell told BBC that "dogs and horses are her passion and it is with them, and the people who share that passion, that she truly relaxes. Horses are a rich man's game but dogs are not. They are a great leveller, they attract people from all walks of life and, over the years, the queen has had strong and genuine friendships with many of her fellow dog enthusiasts."

The queen loved her dogs as if they were her children. Farrell went on to say that the dogs slept close to their owner. Out of the 775 rooms in the palace, they slept in her private quarters. "There is a special corgi room where they have raised wicker baskets lined with cushions to keep draughts away," Farrell said. 

Can you believe that the late queen owned so many corgis?! We think they are so adorable! If you enjoy reading insight into the royal family— make sure to send this to others who do too!