I keep forgetting that not only is Queen Elizabeth turning 90 years old this year, but she’s going to do tons of big events to celebrate. The younger royals will be sent out on tour to mark her landmark birthday, and we can expect tons of retrospective coverage of all thinks Queen Elizabeth II. Town & Country has gotten a early start on the celebration by devoting their March issue to the Queen… and her corgis! You can read T&C’s issue preview here. Here are some fun facts/details about the Queen’s magical corgis, in a piece written by animal psychologist Dr. Roger Mugford, who worked for the Queen for decades.
The corgis are treated like royalty: They are fed by dispensing succulent dishes of steak, rabbit or chicken from individual menus and served from silver and porcelain borne by a liveried servant. A stickler for protocol, she employs a rigid pecking order, with each receiving their dishes in order of seniority.
Dr. Mugford says: “At feeding times, each dog had an individually designed menu, including an array of homeopathic and herbal remedies. Their food was served by a butler in an eclectic collection of battered silver and porcelain dishes. As I watched, the Queen got the corgis to sit in a semi-circle around her, and then fed them one by one, in order of seniority. The others just sat and patiently waited their turn.”
Fun facts: the Queen has owned “about 30” corgis in her lifetime, and her first was Susan, a gift from her father on her 18th birthday. Princess Margaret had a dachshund and the girls cross-bred a corgi and the dachshund to create a “dorgi.” The Queen’s corgis are enormously popular in the UK and abroad, and one of the most commonly asked questions is “What are the names of the Queen’s corgis?” on the monarchy’s website.
Mugford praises the Queen’s deep compassion for animals: The Queen “took a dim view of US President Lyndon Johnson, who picked his dogs up by the ears.” And, Mugford writes: “When she’s talking about her dogs or her horses, you see a completely different side to her: she relaxes. Dogs are great levellers, and they’re not influenced by social status, which must be a great relief to her. No wonder she enjoys being around them.”
I can’t imagine having a group of dogs so well-behaved that they would patiently wait for their food to be served to them by age-hierarchy. And not to nitpick the Queen, but why would it be such a big deal to feed the dogs all at the same time? Anyway, I wish I could say that I’m surprised by how the Queen spoils her dogs, but any dog owner/mother/father will tell you… when it’s your fur baby, you end up doing stupid things. My dog eats on real dishes too, not a dog bowl. He just hated his dog bowl so much, and it’s sort of easier for me to feed him on a real dish (although I’m not using fine china or silver or anything).
Queen Elizabeth II and her first corgi puppy Susan, 1944 pic.twitter.com/As9IcdE11l
— Visualographyco (@visualographyco) February 14, 2016
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN & Town & Country.
Now THAT is how to pose for a photo! Take notes, Duchess of Fly-away Skirts! Look at her. wow. I love that she loves those dogs.They all look smarter than Phillip.
That’s how a wolf pack eats.
I love Elizabeth! Say what you will about the monarchy, she has lived a remarkable life and is, (IMHO) the last of the greats.
Recently I’ve read this about her. Seriously on a left side car. LOL .
http://www.ryot.org/queen-elizabeth-feminist-driving-saudi-arabia/918849
Thanks Eleonor! Awesome lady
I’m with you on that.
Plus that corgi puppy (in the 1944 photo) is adorbs.
I prefer Kate, who cares about Queen, u think she cares about u? The egotistical, vanity is insane. Bow to her, don’t give her your back, don’t speak unless spoken to. Sorry, no one for me is above us mete mortals, living off our taxes.
Do I think she cares about me? Ummmm, no because I’m not a crazy person. And, you do understand that Kate lives off the taxpayers too right? I admire the Queen because she took her position seriously and put her duties ahead of her personal life. Yes, she is amazing and remarkable.
I love this story and the pictures!!! I think one of them shows their efforts of creating a Dorgi.
That’s it – If I ever hit the lotto, I’m hiring a butler to feed my cats.
In my next life I want to be an overspoiled royal fur baby.
If it’s not George and Charlotte, it’s corgis!
The Royal Family were a unifying force during World War II. That’s a long time ago now. Memories fade and people die. The Royal Family desperately needs something more than adorable babies and corgis.
Full disclosure: I’m an American so maybe I profoundly just don’t get it.
I’m American too and I Do. Not. Get. It. What I heard is a bunch of dogs eat better than probably a good chunk of the people footing the bill for them. Full disclosure: I have a dog and I’m perfectly aware she eats better than some people, but she’s eating dog food and I do give to charity and food banks and I’m not living off other people’s backs.
I love how the corgi is looking at her. “I love you, Mom.”
THAT is my fave thing Like : Mum??
There was a very interesting article in VanityFair a few months back re her breeding program for her Corgis. I highly recommend it. Per it, these are the Queen’s last group of Corgis- she doesn’t want to leave any young dogs behind😢.
The cover photo of her on the horse is stunning. It really defines “regal” to me.
@Tig
You said what I was going to. but here’s link.
It is quite and enduring story.
http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2015/07/queen-elizabeth-corgis-a-history
See the ridiculous stuff Kate could get away with if she actally did her royal work? It’s a job with choice benefits, but only if you do the work.
Gosh, I do love the Queen. Genuinely will be gutted the day she passes.
My Lulu is a four-legged princess, who has 2 beds, 10 stuffed animals, who eats gourmet dog food and sleep 90% of the day. That’s just how she rolls. So keep up the spoilage, Queen Elizabeth!
She’s riding sidesaddle in that cover pic, isn’t she? Always amazes me things women did whilst riding sidesaddle. Including jumping while out on the hunt.
And she kept her seat when that nut job fired a gun in that failed assassination attempt however many years ago.
When the article mentioned the dogs being fed in order of seniority, I don’t think it means that the oldest eats his/her food completely first before the next dog even gets served his/her dish. I think it means that she puts their food dishes down in front of them in order of seniority and each eats at his/her own pace. I seem to recall seeing an old documentary of TQ which included a segment with her feeding her corgis in this fashion.
The Vanity Fair article from last year about her corgi breeding activities was fascinating. TQ may not be the brightest bulb, but she was highly regarded among corgi enthusiasts and produced many lovely dogs. What I would not give to pick her brains about dogs…and I am a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel person!
When she’s relaxed, she has one of the world’s great smiles!
I am friends with most of the neighborhood dogs, and a CKC is my current favorite. She is the sweetest little girl in the world, and still a pup so I don’t blame her for peeing on my feet a little.
I don’t know our local Corgi, but have admired her. Their fur looks so thick and smooshy.
I recall reading that making a dog wait patiently to be fed is an important part of establishing alpha-ness. I think the queen is probably right on with her animals.
I trust her the same way I would trust anything Charles has to say about gardening.
Can’t say they have no skills.
We feed our dogs this way – it helps enforce who is the “top dog” and keeps them from fighting as much. Our dogs are all rescues and we really work hard make sure they are well trained.