A History of Their Royal Highnesses' Hounds
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"Noble by name by nature too
Faithful companion sympathetic true
His remains are interred here"
This was the lovely inscription placed upon the gravestone of Queen Elizabeth's beloved border collie, Noble, after his untimely passing whilst at Balmoral in 1887. It provides a good illustration of the prominent place that man's (and woman's) best friend has had in the hearts of the Royal Family over the years.
From pugs to greyhounds to Kings Charles Spaniels, the monarchy has a long and brilliant history of having canines as their cuddly companions. The most prominent breed, of course, is the Corgi. This tradition began back in 1933, when King George VI purchased one as a gift for his daughters from a local kennel. Dookie, as he was named, became the object of the girls' overwhelming affection straight away. He was said to have been "unquestionably, the character of the Princesses." Soon after, the King purchased a second Corgi called Jane.
The current Queen Mother has continued carrying the torch of this tradition with great enthusiasm. She is a proud owner of four Corgis (Linnet, Monty, Willow and Holly) and three Dorgis -a Dachsund/Corgi mix- called Cider, Candy and Vulgan. The most notable Royal Dorgi, called Pipkin, was a gift from the Queen Mum to Princess Margaret.
In addition to her Majesty, other Royal Family members own various breeds of their own, from the Duchess of Cornwall's Jack Russell Terriers to the Prince of Wales' very appropriately named King Charles Spaniels. And this adorable lot of four-legged mates all have one common denominator; they never leave the sight of their Royal masters. Wherever her Majesty goes, her Corgis tend to be right beside her. And as the massively hyped and anticipated Royal Wedding approaches, one wedding detail has us wondering with anticipation: will her Majesty's Corgis have reserved seats for William and Kate's nuptials? Is Kate a dog-woman or (heaven forbid) a cat fancier? Prince William had a black Labrador, Widgeon some years ago, but we haven't heard or seen of him for some time and he would be very old if still living... but surely we as a nation couldn't conceive of a dogless Monarch?
From tea to polo matches to Aston Martins to Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family is associated with an extraordinary amount of iconic symbols. And the dogs of the Royal Dynasty are, undoubtedly, the most precious part of the Crown Jewels.
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