Queen Elizabeth Owned More Than 30 Corgis Throughout Her Life. Here's Everything to Know About Her Beloved Pups
Queen Elizabeth Owned More Than 30 Corgis Throughout Her Life. Here's Everything to Know About Her Beloved Pups
Zoey Lyttle, Samantha StutsmanSun, April 19, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC
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Queen Elizabeth with one of her corgis.Credit: Bettmann -
Queen Elizabeth fell in love with corgis in 1933 when her father, King George, brought home a dog named Dookie
The late monarch, who died in September 2022, owned more than 30 corgis or corgi mixes over the course of her lifetime
Queen Elizabeth is survived by three dogs: Sandy, Muick and Lissy
Queen Elizabeth spent much of her life surrounded by one beloved constant: her corgis.
Her affection for the breed began in 1933, when her father, the future King George, brought home a corgi named Dookie. That early introduction sparked a lifelong bond — one that would see Queen Elizabeth care for more than 30 dogs over her lifetime.
Corgis weren't just beloved within palace walls — they became a symbol of Queen Elizabeth herself. Their likeness appeared in tributes and artwork honoring the monarch, including in 2002, when the United Kingdom released a commemorative coin for her Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years on the throne, featuring the Queen alongside one of her dogs.
The breed even had a pop culture moment on the global stage. During the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, a playful short film showed the Queen being escorted to the Games by Daniel Craig in character as James Bond — with her corgis making a memorable cameo.
Across her lifetime, the monarch remained devoted to her pack, building a daily routine around their care. Following Queen Elizabeth's death on Sept. 8, 2022, photographer Annie Leibovitz reflected on that ritual, sharing a portrait taken at Windsor Castle.
"The Queen went out walking with her dogs every day," Leibovitz wrote on X alongside an image of the late monarch and her pups.
Here's everything to know about Queen Elizabeth's lifelong love of corgis — and where her famous companions Sandy and Muick are today.
Queen Elizabeth owned more than 30 dogs during her lifetime
Queen Elizabeth with two of her dogs in 1936.Credit: Lisa Sheridan/Studio Lisa/Hulton Archive/Getty
Queen Elizabeth received her first corgi, Dookie, in 1933 from her father. Soon after Dookie arrived, another furry friend, Jane, joined the family.
According to Vanity Fair, these first corgis kept Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, company as they fled to Windsor Castle during World War II.
Atop the royal corgi family lineage sits Susan, whom the Queen received as a gift for her 18th birthday. Susan gave birth to Honey and Sugar, and from there, the corgi family tree expanded to include dozens of dogs.
The Queen was a dog mom to more than 30 corgis and dachshund-corgi mixes known as "dorgis." As she surrounded herself with more and more corgis, the Queen developed a preference for the breed's specific features.
Diana King, the Welsh Corgi League's former chairman, told Vanity Fair in August 2015 that the Queen liked their coats to be a darker red color, with "not too much white on them." King even recalled a time her own dog, Oliver, crossed into the Queen's line of sight.
"Oh, he's got a lot of white on him, hasn't he?" King remembered the monarch, noting in a tone traced with "faint disapproval."
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Queen Elizabeth's corgis lived a life of luxury
Queen Elizabeth with four of her dogs in 1969.Credit: STF/AFP via Getty
As one might guess, Queen Elizabeth's pets lived lives of luxury, from the food they ate to the attention they received.
According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, the pooches could expect an elaborate, rotating menu featuring beef, lamb, rabbit and chicken.
"The Queen would feed them herself, I think, after she'd had her tea," McGrady told Hello! in April 2022.
During the holiday season, the corgis followed the Queen to her estate at Sandringham, where, according to the BBC, "They each have their own stocking, filled by the Queen herself."
The corgis often rested with Queen Elizabeth in her private quarters, in "a special corgi room where they have raised wicker baskets lined with cushions to keep draughts away," wrote Penny Junior in her book All The Queen's Corgis.
Queen Elizabeth's corgis weren't beloved by everyone
Queen Elizabeth with one of her dogs in 1952.Credit: Bettmann
With such a prominent presence, the royal corgis have not gone without scandal. In 1968, an overzealous pup nipped a postman delivering mail to Balmoral Castle. This prompted British politician Peter Doig to suggest the Queen's staff hang a "Beware of the Dog" sign outside of her properties.
In 1999, Buckingham Palace reportedly penalized a footman for allegedly pouring booze into the dogs' food and water bowls, calling it his "party trick" and relishing in the humor of watching the corgis "stagger about when they were a bit tipsy."
Queen Elizabeth is survived by three dogs
Queen Elizabeth with Corgi Sue in 1944.Credit: Lisa Sheridan/Hulton Archive/Getty
The monarch opted to stop taking on corgis in the mid-2010s because, according to The Telegraph, she did not want to leave any dog behind when she died.
In 2021, however, she did welcome new additions to the royal corgi pack. After receiving two puppies in March 2021, not long before Prince Philip's death — and suffering the loss of one dog just weeks later — Prince Andrew gifted his mother a new puppy on what would have been Philip's 100th birthday.
The Queen is survived by three dogs: a cocker spaniel named Lissy and two Pembroke Welsh corgis, Sandy and Muick.
The corgis, Sandy and Muick, were placed in the care of the former Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. They continue to live with Andrew on Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate, a source recently told PEOPLE.
Meanwhile, Lissy reportedly stayed with her trainer, Ian Openshaw, per The Mirror.
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