In some interviews, Queen Elizabeth II’s children made it clear that their mother was an unapproachable person for them. On the other hand, the relationship between the late British queen and her four-legged companions may have been different. The Queen was particularly enthusiastic regarding dogs and horses up until the old age of 96. Maybe because there wasn’t a strict protocol when dealing with the animals. How much she loved horses, for example, was also shown by one of her rare, public appearances at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, during which the Queen personally examined her horses. And this despite the fact that for only the third time in her 70-year reign she had canceled the opening of parliament ceremony in London, which had taken place just a few days earlier.
Already at the age of three Elizabeth was enthusiastic regarding horseback riding. Her grandfather King George V gave her her first Shetland pony named Peggy just a year later. A love that was to last a lifetime, as the queen sat in the saddle well into old age. But the monarch also celebrated successes in breeding. The absolute highlight must have been that in 2013 her horse “Estimate” was able to secure victory in the royal horse race Ascot.
It was also well known how infatuated Elizabeth II was with her corgis. Corgi puppy Susan made the start. She was a gift from her father, George VI, and the dog captured the heart of then 18-year-old Elizabeth. Since then, the dogs with the big ears and short legs have not only been constant companions of the Queen, but also royal icebreakers and animal seismographs of royal sensitivities. By November 2021, concerns regarding Her Majesty’s health were growing, in part because The Sun reported she no longer even walks her corgis.
If you look at the characteristics of the queen and the dog breed, you can certainly find similarities. Like the herding dogs, the 96-year-old has been trying for decades to keep the herd together and bring black sheep to their senses – sometimes with more, sometimes less success. “My corgis are family,” she once said. And Queen biographer Graham Turner wrote in his book: “She likes dogs, horses, men and women – in that order.”
Perhaps the queen’s love of animals was so great because animals don’t make a difference. Or it was simply put into her cradle. Already Queen Victoria, the Queen’s great-great-grandmother, surrounded herself with a large number of dogs. She also had the animal cemetery laid out at the country estate at Sandringham in Norfolk. Here Corgi Susan was buried in 1959 and in 2018 her last direct descendant Willow. The end of an era as the Queen decided to end breeding. It was still not completely quiet in the “Barkingham Palace”. Corgi Muick, Dorgi Candy (Dachshund/Corgi mix) and Cocker Spaniel Lissy kept the “Bell Floor” busy in the last few months of the Queen’s life.
But corgis and horses are not the only royal animals. In theory, Queen Elizabeth II was also allowed to lay claim to all unmarked swans swimming around in the open waters of the UK. The majestic birds aren’t the only animals entitled to the crown: sturgeon, dolphins and whales in the waters around the British Isles are also among them. The law from 1324 has not been repealed to this day.
Gifts to Queen at London Zoo
Not quite as well known as the breeding of racehorses or the weakness for short-legged dogs is that the Royals also breed racing pigeons. And then there are the animals that were given as gifts: in past centuries, allies even sent a cheetah or a giraffe to London. Among other things, the Queen got two sloths, giant tortoises and an elephant. They don’t have to live in the palace but have been given to London Zoo.