Queen Elizabeth II’s lifelong affection for Pembroke Welsh Corgis transformed the breed into a global symbol of royalty and whimsy.

Her bond with corgis began in 1933 when, at age seven, she received her first corgi, Dookie, from her father, King George VI .

On her 18th birthday in 1944, she was gifted Susan, who became the matriarch of a royal corgi lineage that lasted until Willow, the last of Susan’s descendants, passed away in 2015 .

Over her reign, the Queen owned more than 30 corgis, many of whom were direct descendants of Susan, establishing a unique and enchanting royal bloodline .

The Queen’s corgis lived lives of extraordinary luxury and care.

They had their own suite at Buckingham Palace, known as the "corgi room," complete with plush beds and fresh sheets .

Their meals were prepared by royal chefs and included gourmet dishes such as fillet steak, chicken breast, lamb, and even rabbit caught by Prince William and Prince Harry .

The feeding ritual was ceremonious: the corgis were served in a semi-circle around the Queen, who often stirred their food herself, highlighting her personal bond with them .

The dogs were allowed to roam freely within the palace and were rarely disciplined, reflecting the Queen’s indulgent care .

Corgis became cultural icons through their constant presence at royal events and in media.

They appeared alongside the Queen at public appearances, in official portraits, and even in playful sketches, such as the Queen’s Jubilee video with Paddington Bear .

The animated film "The Queen’s Corgi" (2019) and public tributes like the "Tour de Corgi" parade, which features a "Queen Elizabeth" costume category, further cemented their whimsical image .

During the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, images of corgis

Queen Elizabeth II’s lifelong affection for Pembroke Welsh Corgis transformed the breed into a global symbol of royalty and whimsy.

Her bond with corgis began in 1933 when, at age seven, she received her first corgi, Dookie, from her father, King George VI .

Title:

Content: King Charles Spaniel numbers are declining and the breed is on the Kennel Club's 'vulnerable list' - amid Corgi boom following Queen Elizabeth's death

  • Corgis have seen boom in popularity after Platinum Jubilee and death of Queen
  • Number of Pembroke Welsh Corgis registered with Kennel Club hit 30-year peak
  • But popularity of King Charles Spaniels is continuing to decline, hitting a low
  • Lovers of the breed are hoping sharing name with new King will boost the dogs

Interest in Corgis has boomed following the Platinum Jubilee and the death of Queen Elizabeth, according to the Kennel Club.

Numbers of Pembroke Welsh Corgis registered with the organisation have reached a 30-year high, the Times reports.

Conversely, King Charles Spaniels are continuing to see a decline in their popularity, with lovers of the breed reportedly hoping that sharing a moniker with the new monarch may give the dogs a boost (though the new king prefers Jack Russells).

The breed, which is on the Kennel Club's vulnerable list, hit a low in 2020, with just 56 registrations. This increased to 91 in 2021, but numbers so far this year are so low, it is likely to drop beneath 2020.

The number of Corgis registered with the Kennel Club has reached a 30-year high, with interest growing following the death of the Queen (pictured here in 1980 with three of the dogs)

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (as pictured) are doing well in terms of popularity, although their close relative the King Charles Spaniel (not pictured) is seeing a decline

However, it notes that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, the original breed from which King Charles diverged in the middle of the century, is doing well, with 3,772 registrations last year.

The original Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog breed was developed from toy spaniels. Popular as women's pets, they were also beloved of King Charles II, who was said to be so fond of his spaniels, he could not be parted from them.

Although Corgis were on the Kennel Club's vulnerable list in 2014, they are now one ofthe UK's most popular breeds, and the Queen is credited with boosting their popularity (pictured: Queen Elizabeth with one of her beloved corgis, Candy)

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi has become known as a symbol of British royalty thanks to its long-standing association with the Queen

Lovers of the ailing King Charles Spaniel may look to the influence the Queen had in turning around the fortune of corgis in recent decades.

The breed was listed as 'vulnerable' in 2014, and the Kennel Club credits Her Majesty's love of the dogs as the major factor in making them one of the UK's most popular breeds today.

Corgis, which have four short legs, a long snout and two huge pointed ears, are famous for being a symbol of British royalty.

HISTORY OF THE CORGI BREED

The word 'Corgi' is Welsh for 'Dwarf Dog', and there are two types; the Pembroke, which is the Queen's breed, and the Cardigan Corgi, a descendent Teckel family of dogs, which also produced the Dachshund

Pembroke Welsh Corgis originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales from the Spitz family of dogs which are characterised by long, thick fur and pointed ears and muzzle

Corgis are a cattle herding breed that can be traced back as far as 1107 AD, thought to have been brought to Wales by  Flemish weavers

They are the type of herding dog referred to as 'heelers', meaning that they would nip at the heels of cattle to keep them moving

The combination of their low height off the ground and the innate agility of Welsh Corgis would allow them to avoid the hooves of the larger animals

They were officially recognised as a native British breed by The Kennel Club in 1928, but Cardigans and Pembrokes weren't seen as separate breeds until 1934

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The Queen owned more than 30 of the sandy, short-legged dogs throughout her reign.

She was gifted her first corgi, called Susan, for her 18th birthday from her late father King George VI. Ten generations of her corgis then descended from Susan.

Her dogs were given the Royal treatment having their own rooms with elevated wicker baskets and meals of beef, chick, rabbit, liver, cabbage and rice being prepared by a chef each evening.

Sometimes the Queen herself made the dog's meals. But her late husband was said to have 'loathed' the dogs' yapping.

She left behind two dogs - Sandy and Muick - who are now cared for by Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York at their Royal Lodge home.

Muick, pronounced Mick, joined the royal family at the start of 2021 along with a so-called 'dorgi', a cross between a corgi and a dachshund, called Fergus.

Fergus, who had been named after the Monarch's uncle who was killed during battle in the First World War, died after just five months.

He was later replaced with a new corgi called Sandy, as a 95th birthday present from Prince Andrew and his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

Meanwhile Muick was named after Loch Muick on the Balmoral Estate.

Palace sources speaking to the Daily Mail previously revealed the beloved corgis were 'with [the Queen] in the room' at her deathbed when she died on September 8 at Balmoral.

They then touched people's hearts when they made a poignant appearance at Her Majesty's funeral on September 19.

As the late monarch's coffin made its way from London to its final resting place in Windsor, Muick and Sandy waited for the processional to pass, to see the Queen for one last time.

The dogs were seen waiting in the quadrangle with two aides before the late monarch was laid to rest in St George's Chapel.

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King Charles Spaniel numbers declining amid Corgi boom following Queen Elizabeth's death

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Content: Sunday, Sep 11, 2022

Annual ‘Tour de Corgi’ event to include new ‘Queen Elizabeth’ costume category to honour the monarch

“We all have a very strong affection for her as a fellow corgi lover," Tour de Corgi founder Tracy Stewart was quoted as saying

Queen Elizabeth II is seen walking in the private grounds of Windsor Castle, in England, on steps at the rear of the East Terrace and East Garden with four of her dogs: clockwise from top left Willow (corgi), Vulcan (dorgie), Candy (dorgie) and Holly (AP/PTI)

As a tribute to the late UK monarch Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away at the age of 96 at her Balmoral estate in Scotland on September 8, after reigning for 70 long years, the Tour de Corgi parade — an annual event that celebrates the dog breed corgi — will include a new element this year that is likely to make fans of the British royal family and corgi lovers happy.

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It is no secret that the queen was extremely fond of dogs, especially corgis, from a very early age, and that she had been breeding them until 2018, when she finally realised that she may have to leave some of them behind after her death.

According to Country Living, the queen had four dogs at the time of her death: two Pembroke Welsh Corgis, a Dorgi (Corgi-Dachshund mix), and a Cocker Spaniel named Lissy, who joined the family only this year, in January 2022.

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In her lifetime, she reportedly bred 14 generations of corgis, and even famously declared: “My corgis are family.”

According to an Independent report, Queen Elizabeth‘s love for her four-legged friends was well-documented during this year’s platinum jubilee celebrations in the UK, when the sky above Buckingham Palace was lit up with images of the dog breed.

The publication mentioned that the Tour de Corgi parade this year — which has been taking place in Fort Collins, Colorado since 2014 — will include a “Queen Elizabeth and her corgis” costume competition, in “memorium and to honour her”, quoting the event’s organisers who shared this with a local newspaper ‘The Coloradoan‘.

This is a May 12, 1973 file photo of Queen Elizabeth II sitting with her corgis, at Virginia Water to watch competitors, including Prince Philip in the Marathon of the European Driving Championship, part of the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Tour de Corgi founder Tracy Stewart was quoted as saying, “We all have a very strong affection for her as a fellow corgi lover. I think it is just, you know, our dogs are such a big part of our hearts that it creates a very heartfelt connection.”

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The aforementioned event will take place on October 1, 2022, and will conclude with a corgi parade through the town.

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According to a Reader’s Digest report, the queen was fond of corgis because of their “energy and untamed spirit”, and the fact that her parents welcomed the family’s first corgi, Dookie, in 1933. Eleven years later, in 1944, the queen’s father gifted her a corgi named Susan for her 18th birthday. The pupper even accompanied her on her honeymoon, and gave birth to a pair of puppies in 1949, which reportedly marked the beginning of the royal line of corgis.

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First published on: 11-09-2022 at 07:10:45 pm
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On her 18th birthday in 1944, she was gifted Susan, who became the matriarch of a royal corgi lineage that lasted until Willow, the last of Susan’s descendants, passed away in 2015 .

Title:

Content: It's no secret that Queen Elizabeth is a huge dog lover, so it comes as no surprise that her pet pooches live very lavish lifestyles.

Her Majesty, 95, has taken care of numerous dogs throughout her 70-year reign, and she is currently the owner of two corgis, a dorgi called Candy, and a cocker spaniel named Lissy.

The Queen's pet corgis have been a constant throughout her time on the throne, and it's believed that she's had around 30 dogs throughout her lifetime.

Like any other dog owner, the Queen wants the very best for her pet pooches and that includes a tailored menu, special travel arrangements, and a specific feeding ritual.

Here we take a peek into the lives of Her Majesty's pampered pooches...

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Tailored menu

It's no secret that members of the royal household have their own weekly menus and that also includes the Queen's pet dogs, too.

Her Majesty is very particular about what her pet dogs eat and she reportedly insists that they have their own personal menus.

Former royal chef Darren McGrady revealed what the pooches' diet entails, saying: "The corgis have their own menu. One day they'll have lamb, one day beef and then another, chicken."

He also added: "We had to make sure that all the meat was cut very finely and diced so there were no bones because we couldn't have them choking."

The Queen has also created her own special gravy recipe, specifically for her beloved pups.

In the book All The Queen's Corgis, author Penny Junor explained the dogs' diets consists of a "variety of fresh, cooked meat, vegetables and rice, prepared specially for them in the royal kitchens, topped with a little biscuit, homoeopathic and herbal remedies when required, and a special gravy that, legend has it, is the Queen's own recipe".

Feeding routine

It's not just their meals which are specially prepared, as the dogs also have a strict feeding ritual.

Animal psychologist Dr Roger Mugford previously worked for Her Majesty, and has opened up about the pooches meal times at Buckingham Palace.

Speaking to Town and Country magazine, he said: "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."

Author Penny Junor also wrote in her book, All The Queen's Corgis: "Whenever possible, she [the Queen] feeds them herself and it is an afternoon ritual; but not an unruly frantic free-for-all.

"A footman brings the food and bowls on a silver tray and lays out a plastic sheet to protect the carpet.

"The Queen then sits them in a semi-circle around her and does the rest."

Travelling

The Queen regularly has to travel, but her beloved pooches are never left behind.

She ensures they also travel in style, with previous photographs showing her pets sitting on her lap while travelling in the car.

Her dogs have also been spotted at airports with her, and were once seen at Aberdeen Airport preparing to head off to the Balmoral estate, located in the Scottish Highlands.

Sleeping arrangements

As well as tailored menus and lavish travel arrangements, the Queen's pet dogs also have their very own quarters at the palace.

The dogs reportedly have their own spacious room where they sleep in luxurious raised wicker beds.

And that's not all, as their beds also have fresh sheets put on them daily – a tradition which was first started by the Queen Mother.

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Over her reign, the Queen owned more than 30 corgis, many of whom were direct descendants of Susan, establishing a unique and enchanting royal bloodline .

The Queen’s corgis lived lives of extraordinary luxury and care.

They had their own suite at Buckingham Palace, known as the "corgi room," complete with plush beds and fresh sheets .

Title:

Content: Prince William reassures fan that Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved corgis are ‘fine’

As Prince William surprised mourners waiting outside Westminster Hall to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday, one had a pressing question on her mind: How are the late Queen’s beloved corgis faring?

“I saw them the other day,” the recently anointed Prince of Wales, 40, said in response.

“They’re being looked after fine. They’re two very friendly corgis. They’ve got a good home, they’re being looked after very well.”

The woman looked rather relieved to hear this, offering her condolences to William before he continued down the line.

It’s widely known that Queen Elizabeth harbored a lifelong adoration for the dog breed.

When she died on Sept. 8 at the age of 96, she left two of them behind: Muick and Sandy, along with a cocker spaniel named Lissy. Another one of her much-loved pups, an elderly dachshund-corgi mix named Candy, reportedly passed away just months before the Queen‘s death.

As Prince William alluded, Muick and Sandy have already safely moved in with Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson – with whom he still cohabitates – at their shared residence in Windsor. Meanwhile, Lissy is reportedly staying with her trainer, per E!.

As previously reported, it was back in 1933 when Queen Elizabeth II received her first corgi, Dookie. The pooch was gifted to the then-7-year-old by her father, George VI.

The late Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 corgis throughout her life, getting her first one in 1933 at age 7.

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The late Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 corgis throughout her life, getting her first one in 1933 at age 7.

Getty Images

The late Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 corgis throughout her life, getting her first one in 1933 at age 7.

Getty Images

The late Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 corgis throughout her life, getting her first one in 1933 at age 7.

Bettmann Archive

The late Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 corgis throughout her life, getting her first one in 1933 at age 7.

Bettmann Archive

The late Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 corgis throughout her life, getting her first one in 1933 at age 7.

Getty Images

The late Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 corgis throughout her life, getting her first one in 1933 at age 7.

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Then, on the Queen’s 18th birthday in 1944, her parents gave her another corgi-pup, this one named Susan.

It’s been reported that, of the more than 30 corgis Queen Elizabeth was said to have owned over her lifetime, many were Susan’s descendants. The lineage sadly ended in 2015, however, when her last living progeny, Willow, died at the age of 15.

The Duke and Duchess of York brought Muick – along with another pooch named Fergus who tragically succumbed to a congenital heart defect very shortly thereafter – into the Queen’s life in March of 2021 to cheer her up in light of her late husband Prince Philip’s declining health. The late Duke of Edinburgh died at the age of 99 that April.

From there, Sandy found her way to Buckingham Palace on the occasion of the Queen’s 95th birthday.

She seemed to have no problem fitting right into the royal lifestyle, easily making her way into the monarch’s heart after the loss of her husband.

Their meals were prepared by royal chefs and included gourmet dishes such as fillet steak, chicken breast, lamb, and even rabbit caught by Prince William and Prince Harry .

Title:

Content: Throughout her life, the Queen has made no secret of her love for her corgis and dorgis. The monarch has often been seen alongside her furry friends, and it is thought that she has looked after more than 30 of the dogs over the years.

As you can imagine, the Queen’s beloved pets have been treated to lives of pure luxury, with their meals more extravagant than most. The pampered pooches obviously couldn't just eat any old normal dog food, but instead are said to feast on the best ingredients produced by top chefs.

The corgis' diet is thought to be made up of luxurious meals such as fillet steaks and chicken breast. Royal biographer Brian Hoey revealed the details of the corgi’s luxurious diet in his book Pets by Royal Appointment.

READ MORE: Prince George's incredibly normal hobby that could see him play against members of the public and they won't even know

The biographer also revealed how the carefully prepared meals are delivered by a footman and then covered in gravy that is poured by the Queen herself. The pampered pets are also reportedly off limits when it comes to discipline. Brian wrote in his book that nobody is allowed to raise a finger or a voice to any of the dogs.

He claimed they cock their legs and do what corgis do wherever they want — on antique furniture, priceless carpets. They are also said to have their own room and they are allowed to wander around freely. According to Mail Online, the dogs never eaten tinned food and have even been given homeopathic remedies when they get sick.

The monarch’s close relationship with the corgi breed of dog goes back to 1933 when her father brought home a corgi that would later be named Dookie. When she was younger the Queen also had a corgi called Susan, who was gifted to her in 1944 for her 18th birthday, and quickly became a close companion.

Many of the Queen’s later corgis are said to be descendants of Susan, as the Queen continued to breed the line of dogs over fifty years. She even went on to create a number of 'dorgis', after cross breeding one of her dogs with Margaret's Dachshund, Pipkin.

Last year the Queen welcomed two new dorgis, one called Fergus and one called Muick, but the former sadly died from a heart defect in May. In June 2021, Prince Andrew and daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie gave the Queen a new puppy, named Sandy, on what would have been Prince Philip's 100th birthday.

According to Hello!, one of the Queen's closest aides, Angela Kelly, has told how the pets "always brought a smile to everyone's faces" in a new chapter for her book The Other Side of the Coin, The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe. She said: "I was worried they would get under The Queen's feet, but they have turned out to be a godsend. They are beautiful and great fun and The Queen often takes long walks with them in Home Park."

Angela revealed that the dogs accompanied the Queen on a flight to Balmoral in August 2021. She told: "They were very well behaved, with Louis the footman on hand. Candy, who is an old hand at flying – she must have been on hundreds of flights in her lifetime – ambled about and kept her eye on the young pups. The puppies stayed close to The Queen but occasionally sniffed around your feet as they hoped for a nibble of something tasty from our lunch."

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Content: Jump directly to the content

SNAFFLING down a rabbit freshly caught by Prince Harry or Prince William, it’s not their wives or family but the Queen’s corgis.

The pampered pooches are probably the best-fed pets in Britain with each of their gourmet meals being prepared by the same chef that does Her Majesty’s food.

Each offering sees them given meat, rice and a selection of vegetables to ensure their digestion is perfect.

Former palace chef Darren McGrady told The Sun: “The animals really do get spoilt. The corgis when I was there even had their own menu

“[There was] chicken, liver, beef, rabbit. Prince William and Harry used to go shooting rabbits in the great park and those rabbits would then be sent to Windsor and we’d have to clean them, draw them and poach them.

“If beef is on the menu, the beef comes in from the local butcher. Then it’s boiled, no salt, no seasoning, it’s just the plain beef and it’s boiled away until it’s really tender and then it goes into the larder kitchen to cool down.”

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Every meal is prepared with fresh ingredients every single day.

He added: “There’s always a bowl of rice because sometimes the dogs need a little help and there’s cabbage for the other way. That has to be prepared every day in the same kitchen the Royal Family’s nosh is prepped.

“You’re going to start by cutting it into a brunoise, which is an eighth of an inch die, a really fine dice, but when you’re doing things like rabbit and chicken, you’ve got to make sure you chop it really fine because imagine if there were bones in there that got stuck in the corgi’s throat. The royal chef’s off to the tower, I mean seriously.”

Once footmen delivered the food to the dog bowls, the Queen would stir it all together before putting it down for her canines to enjoy.

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Mr McGrady also claimed that for a special treat, Her Majesty would also crumble scones on to the carpet during afternoon tea for the pups to enjoy.

While the sweet snack isn’t a usual treat for dogs it went down well with corgi breeder Kevin Dover’s seven pups.

The 64-year-old, from Ross-on-Wye on Herefordshire, has also met the Queen after the palace decided to breed from one of his dogs.

He said: “The knowledge that she possessed about the breed and bloodlines, it was like talking to somebody that you meet at the dog shows every week.”

The corgi's luxurious treatment doesn't end there as they are even treated to individual bedrooms and fresh bedding.

A source of comfort

The Sun's Royal Correspondent Matt Wilkinson said: "They have their own bedrooms, their own wicker baskets to sleep. It's also said that they also have fresh sheets to sleep with.

"It's the treatment they have because they have the Queen as their owner. They travel in luxury, they live in castles and palaces, and they also get to often meet very important people."

The Queen's first corgi of her own was Susan, who was given to her when she turned 18 and until this year, all of her other pups have been bred from Susan.

Currently, she owns Muick who was a present from Prince Andrew following the death of her husband Prince Philip.

The pets have provided a source of comfort during the incredibly difficult grieving period for the monarch.

Mr Wilkinson added: “We know that on the day Prince Phillip died she was actually out with her corgis in the gardens and also after the funeral she was out with the corgis. They are a very important part of her life.”

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The feeding ritual was ceremonious: the corgis were served in a semi-circle around the Queen, who often stirred their food herself, highlighting her personal bond with them .

The dogs were allowed to roam freely within the palace and were rarely disciplined, reflecting the Queen’s indulgent care .

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‘I love writing for children’: Emma Thompson and Axel Scheffler on their amazing shaggy dog story

The Oscar-winning actor and the Gruffalo illustrator have teamed up to create a tale about a scruffy hound. They discuss corgis, comic books and how their friendship began

Axel Scheffler was an unknown illustrator, working largely for Good Housekeeping magazine, when he received a letter in response to a small exhibition of his work. It was from Emma Thompson, a young actor who had begun to attract attention with TV series such as Fortunes of War and Tutti Frutti. Neatly written in fountain pen, it inquired whether he would accept a commission. “Ken Branagh, my chap, runs his own theatre company,” it explained. He was playing Hamlet to her sister Sophie’s Ophelia and she wanted something to commemorate a moment in time. “I have a vague notion of what you charge for your work, which doesn’t seem to me to be enough,” it went on. “I enclose a picture of Ken and Sophie in case it’s of use.”

Scheffler still has the letter and has brought it along 34 years later to an interview to mark their first literary collaboration, on a children’s picture book, Jim’s Spectacular Christmas. “That’s amazing,” says Thompson of the letter, which predates her six-year marriage to Branagh and was written from the flat they shared in 1988. Then she trumps it, by announcing that she still has the envelope in which Scheffler sent the two pictures. It was decorated with a picture of Hamlet sitting on a skull “looking really depressed” and it sits framed above a loo in her home to this day.

So began a correspondence that continued over the years with requests to Scheffler to design letterheads for both Thompson and her actor mother, Phyllida Law. Though they never actually met in person, they exchanged gifts on the birth of their first children; hers to him was a food hamper; his to her was a picture of a pig wheeling a pram. A pig? Yes, she explains, a pig is her letterhead emblem. When she later became a dame he drew her a picture of a pig wearing a dame badge. “So, without ever meeting, Axel has been part of the illustration of my la-i-ife.” She draws the vowel out into a camp diphthong as part of a running joke with Scheffler as to which of them will seem most exciting to the children for whom their new book is intended: the actor who starred as Nanny McPhee and now as Mrs Trunchbull in the film of Matilda the Musical or the illustrator of the mega-selling Gruffalo books.

We’re sitting in a grand upstairs room at the V&A museum, having skittered along corridors, through porticos and galleries just like the protagonist of their book. He’s a small scruff of a dog named Jim, with a “gamey whiff” and a “rheumy eye”. He’s based on a terrier that was, in real life, the faithful companion of the V&A’s founder and first director, Sir Henry Cole, who left a handy sketch of him and commemorated him with a plaque in the museum. In Thompson’s telling, Jim is rescued from life as a canine chimney brush after tumbling down a flue in a cloud of soot into a gathering of museum worthies. From that inglorious beginning he goes on to become part of the 19th-century invention of Christmas, presenting Queen Victoria with the world’s first commercial Christmas card.

The card, drawn to Cole’s design by his artist friend John Horsley, still exists and copying it has given Scheffler an unprecedented opportunity to depict a child drinking wine: “That’s really not allowed in children’s books,” he points out. Other historical details include the small printing press on which the cards were produced for Cole, an innovator who was also instrumental in introducing the world’s first postage stamp, the penny black. Humorously told and drawn though it is, this is a history book as well as a shaggy dog story – a delicate balancing act that became clear when it came to the portrayal of Queen Victoria, whose chest is being dabbed by her solicitous husband, Albert, to rid it of a tea stain when Jim catches his first glimpse of the royal family. “I thought she was still very young but you describe her as round, so I made her a little bit more – well – round,” says Scheffler.

Thompson, who has always taken her historical research seriously, points out that Victoria would indeed have still been young by 21st-century standards – she was only 42 when Prince Albert died and he is still very much alive in the story – but by that time she was somewhat altered by having given birth to nine children in 17 years. Underpinning Jim’s story is the bigger history of the creation of Albertopolis, the west London museum quarter that was dreamed up by the prince as part of a vision of culture for the masses and is now the home to the Science and National History museums as well as the V&A. “When you start reading about Albert you realise what an incredible bloke he was,” says Thompson. “He was so much more cultured and sophisticated really than our lot are. It was a great tragedy that he died so young, because I think he would have made lots of changes.”

Royal corgis do not come out of it so well: Thompson depicts a stoutly entitled one chasing poor Jim out of the palace. “I just feel as though the corgis might be a bit spoilt,” she says. “But I think actually it’s very likely that the Queen [Elizabeth] was quite fierce with them and that they were very well trained.” This isn’t entirely a matter of conjecture. “I did actually see her do this once. She opened her handbag, in which she had an unwrapped dog biscuit, and when she drew three circles over the head of three corgis they all rolled over. It was like a circus trick, but the thing I really loved was that she had an unwrapped dog biscuit in her handbag. I thought, well, that’s got to make your hankie smell a bit.” This prompts a bit of banter between the duo as to what else she might have kept in her omnipresent bag: carrots for the royal horses, perhaps.

Thompson writes like she talks: irreverent, refreshingly un-grand and with a comic timing that is accentuated in the book by Scheffler’s deployment of mini-tableaux: Jim having a bath, reading a book or slurping up a bowl of custard. The actor was an early connoisseur of comic-book humour, who once wrote a fan letter to the creators of Asterix and received the reply that they were delighted to have made a small English girl laugh. Scheffler, growing up in Germany at around the same time, was a devotee of a comic-strip bear called Petzi, by the Danish husband and wife team Vilhelm and Carla Hansen.

It was Thompson who brought Scheffler in on Jim’s Spectacular Christmas, having already written the story, complete with character sketches, and folded them up into a little book. Though an award-winning screenwriter, she had no ambition to diversify into picture books, she says. But she agreed to this one because it was pitched to her as an invitation from Henry Cole himself, just as the three Peter Rabbit books she has previously written were pitched as invitations from Peter: “There’s still a little bit of me that thinks it was Peter Rabbit himself who asked me,” she says. “I love writing for children. I think it’s perhaps a legacy from dad.” Her sister, Sophie, also now writes books for children. Their father, Eric Thompson, presented the children’s TV programme Play School and went on to create and narrate The Magic Roundabout.

The question is not if, but when, Thompson and Scheffler will collaborate again – they circle around the idea during the interview as if neither can quite believe that the other would actually stoop to it. When time’s up we’re ushered out along the corridors to a staircase that museum staff have identified as the exact one that Scheffler has depicted, where an excited gaggle of east London schoolchildren awaits.

Settling herself on the steps in their midst, beside a large cardboard cut-out of Jim, Thompson asks who has heard of the Gruffalo and a rafter-rattling cheer goes up. Scheffler lurks in the shadows as she starts to read from the book. “Now what,” she asks, “do you think ‘a gamey whiff’ means?”

Jim’s Spectacular Christmas, written by Emma Thompson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, is published by Puffin (£14.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply

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Corgis became cultural icons through their constant presence at royal events and in media.

They appeared alongside the Queen at public appearances, in official portraits, and even in playful sketches, such as the Queen’s Jubilee video with Paddington Bear .

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Content: Queen Elizabeth II is known to have had over 30 different dogs during her reign as the head of the monarchy until her passing last week, Thursday September 8th 2022.

The Queen who has been succeeded by her son, the now His Royal Highness King Charles III, was a big animal lover, but had a definite soft spot for dogs, and in particular, the breed Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

On the day she passed, Queen Elizabeth II had four dogs, two Pembroke Welsh Corgis, one Dorgi — a cross between a Dachshund and a Corgi — and one Cocker Spaniel.

Read more: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle set to fly children Archie and Lilibet to the UK for Queen Elizabeth's funeral

It has been confirmed that her two remaining Corgis, named Muick and Sandy, will now be looked after by her son, Prince Andrew The Duke of York.

He will look after the dogs alongside his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York. Despite divorcing in 1997, they remain cohabiting.

The animals will live alongside The Duke and Duchess at their Royal Lodge in Windsor.

The change of ownership was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Duke of York.

Both dogs were gifted to the late monarch by the prince, and so will be returned to his ownership.

During lockdown, Prince Andrew gave Queen Elizabeth two dogs, Muick and Fergus. Sadly, Fergus died last May, and he was replaced with Sandy.

Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, posted an emotional statement following the loss of her former mother-in-law.

"I am heartbroken by the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy: the most fantastic example of duty and service and steadfastness, and a constant steadying presence as our head of state for more than 70 years," she penned.

"To me, she was the most incredible mother-in-law and friend. I will always be grateful to her for the generosity she showed me in remaining close to me even after my divorce. I will miss her more than words can express."

Queen Elizabeth II was renowned for her love of dogs, and other animals including horses.

She began her love of Pembroke Welsh Corgis back in 1933, when she was first given a little corgi named Susan as a gift for her 18th birthday.

All of the subsequent royal corgis bred by the monarch descended from Susan, the original.

It is not known or publicised who will care for Candy and Lissy, the previously mentioned Dorgi and Cocker Spaniel.

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The animated film "The Queen’s Corgi" (2019) and public tributes like the "Tour de Corgi" parade, which features a "Queen Elizabeth" costume category, further cemented their whimsical image .

Title:

Content: A corgi named Florence has captured the hearts of social media users after her owner, Jacqui, shared a snap of her looking 'emotional' while they watched the Queen's state funeral.

Posting on Twitter as @vanbommelj, Jacqui uploaded an image of five-year-old Florence (also known as Flo) spread out on the floor in front of the television, with the Queen's funeral procession on in the background.

She captioned the tweet, writing: "It's been an emotional week for a corgi too."

Dozens of people have since liked the tweet, with Jacqui following it up with an image of Flo also stealing the show during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer.

You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here

The image, taken at a street party, shows a cardboard cut out of the Queen, with Florence's lead around it's hand, and the pooch sat obediently below, looking up at the cardboard monarch's face.

Speaking about Florence, Jacqui told The Mirror: "This is Florence a pedigree corgi who we bought from Mary Davies, a breeder in Wales. Mary Davies is part of the Welsh Corgi League and was in the documentary on the Queen’s Corgi’s as her kennel provided a sire for the Queen’s corgi’s.

"Florence has just turned five years old and is lovely natured, she qualified for Crufts but then ruined her looks by knocking a tooth out. She is much happier running on the beaches and wild spaces of the south coast where we live."

Jacqui continued to say: "She is our daughter Ruby’s dog.

"Six years ago Ruby researched the best small dog to fit our family. She settled on Corgis as at the time they were on The Kennel Club's endangered breed list, plus they are known as being a big dog in a small body. Ruby saved all her babysitting and pocket money and did a paper round to pay for half of Florence. The other half being in lieu of three birthday and Christmas presents."

Jacqui added: "Now Florence spends her time out walking every day, promoting the breed to everyone she meets letting them know that Corgis are strong obedient little dogs bred for cattle herding and will happily trek for miles which helps with weight control.

"Her other duties include keeping an ear alert for anyone passing by and attending our street parties (also posted on twitter).

"She was pictured stealing the show as we watched the funeral with my 80 year old parents who watched King George's funeral together as children. They were in the same house crowded around a small black and white TV, my mum remembers this fidgety boy, they later married and had five children. But that’s another story..."

This comes as the Queen's corgis were seen waiting for the coffin to arrive back at Windsor Castle.

Prince Andrew was seen with his late mother's dogs, Muick and Sandy as they were walked inside the grounds of the castle ahead of the Committal Service.

You can follow more updates on the Queen's funeral on our live blog here.

During the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, images of corgis