Noble pups! Meet the royal dogs of the British monarchy

For many of us, our dogs play a major – if not the most important – role in our families. Royal dogs are no different, minus all the public engagements they get to attend – like charity events and council meetings. For generations, royal dogs have played an iconic role in public and private life for many members across the royal family tree. Whether it be King Charles II who was rumoured to not go anywhere without a minimum of three spaniels or Queen Victoria who owned a whopping 88 smooth-haired Collies in her lifetime, royals certainly have a history of loving their dogs.

Today, the British royal family is known for having a plethora of furry four-legged friend – Queen Elizabeth’s corgis and King Charles III’s dogs are a few of our famous favourites. Here are a few of today’s royal dogs that are beloved by many.

Royal owners: originally Queen Elizabeth II, now Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York

Queen Elizabeth was known for her devotion to her country, service and, of course, her love of corgis. The Queen received her first corgi from her father on her 18th birthday, and while the exact number of corgis during her 70-year-rule is only known by a select few, experts estimate England’s longest monarch had over 30 in her lifetime. Muick and Sandy also played a special role for the Queen. Prince Andrew gifted the two adorable corgis to Queen Elizabeth to provide her with comfort while Prince Philip was in the hospital in early 2021. Now, due to the Queen’s passing, her pups will fondly be taken care of by Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson.

Royal owners: King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla

Meet the new pups of Buckingham Palace!  Like his mother, King Charles III has a favourite dog breed and has owned many Jack Russell Terriers. Queen Consort Camilla adopted Beth and Bluebell in 2017 from a rescue centre, and these pups even made history as the first rescue pets to ever live in Buckingham Palace! We can’t wait to see how these two will make history next.

Meet the new dogs that have moved into Buckingham Palace.

Royal owners: Prince William and Princess Kate

The Prince and Princess of Wales are the proud owners of a black cocker spaniel named Orla, who the couple’s children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – absolutely adore. Black cocker spaniels have a reputation for getting along well with children due to their calm and kind nature. The newest member of the family was actually gifted from Kate’s brother, James, whose dog gave birth to six puppies. Orla also has a sentimental role in the family, as she was bought to help bring joy and energy to the couple’s elderly dog, Lupo, in his old age before his passing in November of 2020.

Check out the British royal family’s pets: which is your favourite?

Royal owners: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla aren’t the only members of the royal family with a love for rescue dogs. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s latest pup, a 7-year-old beagle named Mamma Mia is the couple’s second beagle in addition to Guy, as well as their black Labrador Pula. Prince Harry recently discussed how the couple’s dogs are all emotional support dogs “when they’re behaving,” he joked.

Here are 10 of the best emotional support dogs.

Royal owner: Princess Anne

Similar to her brother and mother, Princess Anne is another royal with an affinity for a specific dog breed: bull terriers. During her time as a royal, Princess Anne owned several bull terriers – one of her bull terriers even made history, causing Princess Anne to be the first royal member charged with a criminal offence after her dog, Dotty, attacked two children in Windsor Great Park.

Read on for some things you never knew about Princess Anne.

Royal owners: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

The two daughters of Prince Andrew aren’t shy about their affection for Norfolk Terriers – an adorable, tiny and energetic breed. In fact, Princess Beatrice loves Norfolk terriers so much that she offered to gift two to her grandmother, birthed by her very own Norfolk Terrier named Ginger. Unfortunately, the Queen was worried about tripping over the pups and getting hurt, so she declined. The granddaughters of the Queen seem to get their love of dogs from her. A recent Instagram photo Princess Eugenie posted after the Queen’s passing shows Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice sitting with the Queen and petting a dog. The caption fondly wrote: “For now dear Grannie, all we want to say is thank you.”

Royal owners: Prince Edward and Sophie

The Queen’s youngest child, the Earl of Wessex, and his wife own two pups; a black Labrador and a Cocker Spaniel. The Countess of Wessex is known for her love of dogs – she has been seen walking the dogs on the grounds of Windsor Castle and attended the Guide Dogs National Centre in Britain. Fun fact: dogs aren’t the only pets the Earl’s family owns! In a recent video interview, Prince Edward revealed that the family has “two dogs and we’ve also got a tortoise, who basically runs the house.”

Sign up here to get Reader’s Digest’s favourite stories straight to your inbox!

Source: RD.com