- Queen Elizabeth II has had more than 30 corgis since 1945.
- They accompany her on vacations and are underfoot when she meets world leaders.
- Her last royal corgi, Willow, died in April.
The royal family has a thing for corgis.
Ever since 1933 when King George IV (then the Duke of York) acquired a corgi named Dookie, royals have considered the dogs part of the family. Queen Elizabeth II has had more than 30 corgis since 1945.
Meghan Markle even earned their approval during tea with the queen before their engagement. Prince Harry told the BBC in the couple’s engagement interview that: “The corgis took to her straight away. I’ve spent the last 33 years being barked at – this one walks in, absolutely nothing.”
Elizabeth’s last purebred family corgi, Willow, died in April before her 92nd birthday, and Whisper, a corgi she adopted from a former Sandringham gamekeeper, died Friday. She still has two corgi-dachshund crosses, known as “dorgis.”
Here are 24 delightful photos of the queen and her corgis through the years.
Queen Elizabeth II has loved corgis since she was a little girl.
Foto: Then-Princess Elizabeth (right) has a Pembroke Welsh corgi in her arms who is getting fed a biscuit by Princess Margaret Rose in 1936.sourceAP
They're practically part of the family.
Foto: Elizabeth poses with her family in 1968. From the left: the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, the queen, Prince Andrew, and Prince Charles. And a corgi, of course.sourceAP
The queen mother had pet corgis, too.
Foto: The queen mother holds down her wind-ruffled hair as she arrives at London Airport with corgis in tow in 1963 on her way to the Castle of Mey in Scotland.sourceVictor Boynton/AP
Sometimes they accompanied her on outings.
Foto: The queen mother passes well-wishers in her golf buggy as attendants usher her royal corgis on her 95th birthday in 1995.sourceSimon Kreitem/Reuters
Sometimes they just came along for the ride.
Foto: The queen mother arrives at London Airport in 1963 on her way to the Loire Valley in France. The dogs just went to the airport for the ride.sourceVictor Boynton/AP
The royal family's love of corgis dates back to 1933, when King George IV (then the Duke of York) acquired a corgi named Dookie.
Foto: Elizabeth and the queen mother take their corgis out for a stroll during a visit to Sandringham, England, in 1956.sourceAP
Elizabeth was then given a corgi named Susan as a birthday present in 1944.
Foto: Elizabeth and Prince Philip stroll around Windsor Castle in 1959.sourceAP
All of the queen's corgis have descended from Susan.
Foto: Elizabeth holds the leash of one of the royal corgis at Heathrow Airport in 1982.sourceAP
Her children grew up around the dogs.
Foto: Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, and their children Charles and Anne, play with corgis Sugar and Candy during the royal family's summer holiday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland in 1955.sourceAP
They had the corgis as playmates.
Foto: A seesaw provides amusement for the royal family during a visit to a sawmill on the Balmoral Castle estate in 1957.sourceAP
The corgis often accompanied the queen on her travels.
Foto: Elizabeth returns to London from a weekend in the country with her two pet corgis on January 18, 1965.sourceAP
They've been on many a private jet.
Foto: Two members of the royal household struggle with corgis belonging to the queen mother as they disembark from an aircraft at Heathrow Airport in 1995.sourceTim Ockenden/AP
They've tagged along to the royal family's traditional holiday getaway in Sandringham, England.
Foto: Elizabeth, Andrew (left), and Edward leave for Sandringham with two royal corgis in 1970.sourceJohn Rider/AP
And could be found roaming the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Foto: Charles and Edward join Elizabeth and a pet corgi on the grounds of Windsor Castle in 1969.sourceAP
They've taken the train to Sandringham for royal Christmas and New Years celebrations.
Foto: Elizabeth in Liverpool Street Station in London with Charles, Edward, Andrew, Margaret, Anne, and the corgis in 1966.sourceAP
And were seemingly intrigued by the idea of riding in President Barack Obama's car.
Foto: Elizabeth's corgis are taken for a walk as they pass President Barack Obama's car on the grounds of Buckingham Palace while he meets with the queen in 2009.sourceStefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images
The corgis are underfoot at royal events.
Foto: Elizabeth meets the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team with the royal corgis in attendance at Buckingham Palace in 2002.sourceKirsty Wigglesworth, Pool/Getty Images
They've sat in on high-profile meetings with world leaders.
Foto: Elizabeth speaks with Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key at Windsor Castle in 2015.sourceSteve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Sometimes they steal the show.
Foto: West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and his wife, Rut, are amused by the antics of one of the royal corgis in 1972.sourceDouglas Miller/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The queen also enjoys meeting other corgis on royal engagements.
Foto: Elizabeth stops to view a group of corgis following her visit to the Alberta Legislature in Canada in 2005. The queen spent several minutes talking with owners and petting the animals.sourceAndy Clark/Reuters
She always makes time to stop and pet them.
Foto: Elizabeth strokes a corgi during a visit to Sherborne Abbey in 2012 in Sherborne, England.sourceArthur Edwards - WPA Pool/Getty Images
The queen has also been known to visit kennel clubs abroad.
Foto: Elizabeth meets members of the Adelaide Hills Kennel Club and their corgis in 2002 in Adelaide, Australia.sourcePool/Getty Images
It's well known that Elizabeth holds a special fondness for corgis.
Foto: Elizabeth chats with corgi owners as she leaves Government House, where she unveiled a statue of herself in 2010 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.sourceJohn Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images
But they seem to love her, too.
Foto: Elizabeth meets a corgi named Spencer as she arrives at Welshpool train station in 2010 in Welshpool, Wales.sourceChris Jackson/Getty Images
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