When we picture royalty, we usually think of crowns, castles, and fancy parades. But, what about dogs? Yep, dogs. As it turns out, the British royal family has always had a bit of a soft spot for their four-legged companions, and honestly, we get it. Because who wouldn’t want to snuggle a spaniel after a long day of ruling an empire?
From regal corgis to pampered pugs, dogs have been quietly stealing the show behind palace walls for centuries. Let’s dive into this delightful legacy of loyalty and ever-present companionship.
Corgis and the Queen: A royal obsession
If you’ve ever looked at a photo of Queen Elizabeth II and thought, “Wow, that corgi looks like it runs the place,” you’re not entirely wrong. The Queen and her corgis were essentially inseparable. Over her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 corgis and dorgis, and she was essentially inseparable from them.
It all started with Dookie and Jane, followed by Susan – the corgi gifted to the Queen on her 18th birthday. Susan wasn’t just a cute birthday present; she became the matriarch of a whole royal line of corgis.
And then came the dorgis. Yes, that’s a real thing – part dachshund, part corgi, 100% adorable. Tinker was one of the Queen’s most loved dorgis, often spotted padding through Windsor Castle like he owned the place. Honestly, he probably did.
That’s not just dog lover territory – that’s dog royalty.
Royal dogs of yesteryear: Charles II and his spaniels
Queen Elizabeth II may have ruled with corgis, but King Charles II was the original royal dog dad. His breed of choice? The now-famous King Charles Spaniel. These lapdogs were so attached to the King that they followed him everywhere. Literally. They even made an appearance at Parliament. (We can’t confirm, but we like to imagine a spaniel snoozing through a budget debate.)
Charles’s spaniels were even painted by the likes of Sir Anthony van Dyck, which is the 1600s equivalent of booking a Vogue cover shoot for your dog.
Queen Victoria: The original dogfluencer
Fast forward a bit to Queen Victoria – another monarch with a serious love for dogs. She didn’t play favourites when it came to breeds. Dachshunds, pugs, collies – she had them all. Her childhood spaniel Dash was her constant companion, and later, Eos the greyhound was her trusted sidekick.
Victoria wasn’t just into dogs; she loved to show them off. She had her favourites painted by Sir Edwin Landseer and even entered her fluffy Pomeranians in the very first Crufts dog show in 1891. If mobile phones existed back then, you’d know her camera roll would be full of puppy pics.
The royal kennels and fancy breeding
Did you know the royals had official kennels? Like, real, royal-level dog homes. Queen Victoria established the royal kennels at Windsor Home Park in the 1840s, where dogs were bred and pampered with top-tier care.
The tradition didn’t stop there. Queen Elizabeth II kept the family legacy alive, making the royal family one of the most respected breeders of Pembroke Welsh Corgis in the world. If there were a dog family tree, the Windsor pups would have the gold-plated branches.
Animal welfare with a regal touch
It wasn’t all just grooming and dog biscuits. The royal family has also always been huge on animal welfare. Queen Victoria helped outlaw tail docking in her kennels and supported organisations like the RSPCA.
And the compassion didn’t stop there. Her son Prince Leopold adopted a pup from Battersea Dogs Home – an act that helped shine a light on rescue dogs long before it was actively spoken about.
To this day, it is common for members of the Royal Family to rescue their pups, and the current Queen Camilla is patron to Dogs Trust!
Dogs in royal art and paparazzi moments
It’s one thing to love your dog, it’s another to make sure they’re immortalised in oil paint. From Landseer’s detailed portraits to fancy Fabergé sculptures of King Edward VII’s pets, royal dogs were basically the art world’s favourite muses.
Later, as photography came into the picture (pun intended), moments with royal pups became even more intimate. King George VI would capture precious moments of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret playing with their dogs, offering the public rare peeks into royal downtime. If you see them, they are just as heartwarming as you’d think.
The modern royal pack
The tradition of dog-loving royals is alive and well. Today’s royal family continues to share their lives with some truly lovable pups:
These pups may not wear crowns, but they’ve certainly earned a spot on the throne of their humans’ hearts.
Long live the (royal) dogs!
Royal dogs aren’t just pampered pets – they’re part of history. They’ve offered companionship to monarchs, starred in paintings, shaped breed popularity and even inspired better animal welfare.
But more than anything, they’ve reminded us that behind all the pomp and protocol, royals are just like us… totally obsessed with their dogs.
Whether you’ve got a Pembroke corgi, your new bestie from the shelter, or a spaniel who thinks they should be royalty, one thing’s clear: dogs truly are a monarch’s best friend.
