A group of approximately 20 royal enthusiasts and their pet corgis organized a parade outside Buckingham Palace in London to commemorate the upcoming first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death. The corgis were dressed up for the occasion, wearing crowns, tiaras, and other royal attire.
Agatha Crerer-Gilbert, who coordinated the memorial event, expressed her hope that this parade would become an annual tradition. She said, “I can’t see a better way to remember her than through her corgis, through the breed that she loved and cherished throughout her life.” Queen Elizabeth passed away on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96.
Crerer-Gilbert and her husband, Fernando, own a 5-year-old Cardigan Welsh corgi named Ruffus, who participated in the parade in costume. They pledged to continue the royal tradition of owning corgis, as corgi owners feel a deep gratitude to the Queen for her lifelong affection for the breed.
Caroline Perry, the author of The Corgi and the Queen, explained that the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s passing is a significant moment for corgi owners. The Queen’s love for corgis began in 1933 when her father, King George VI, brought home a corgi named Dookie. She later received a corgi named Jane and, on her 18th birthday, her beloved corgi puppy Susan, who became the matriarch of a corgi dynasty.
In addition to corgis, Queen Elizabeth also had “dorgis,” dachshund-corgi mixes, a breed she is credited with creating. She was known for personally caring for her dogs, hand-feeding them from an elaborate menu and taking them on daily walks, even riding with them in limousines and private planes.
Ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s committal service following her state funeral, her corgis were present to welcome her coffin at Windsor Castle. The Queen’s special bond with her corgis was evident in the way she organized every aspect of her funeral, including having her two corgis, Muick and Sandy, wait for her coffin as it entered Windsor Castle.
Following her passing, Queen Elizabeth’s corgis were taken in and cared for by Prince Andrew and his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, who affectionately referred to the corgis as “national icons.”
A statue immortalizing Queen Elizabeth’s connection to her corgis will be erected in England’s East Midlands. The seven-foot-tall sculpture depicts the Queen in ceremonial robes with one of her corgis at her feet. The statue aims to reflect her regal status and warmth as a monarch.
Sculptor Hywel Brân Pratley is adding two more corgis to the sculpture, symbolizing the Queen as the “mother of a nation” and providing shelter for both her dogs and her subjects.
Recommended reading:
