The Royal Pet Cemetary, Sandringham Estate, England, UK

Gravestones of the royal corgis overlooking Sandringham House. Daily Mail photo

The last of a legacy died over the weekend. Willow, the last royal corgi of the Queen's own line was put to sleep. Willow suffered from a cancer-related illness. Taking stories from the headlines and talking about personal pet cemeteries is a little different from what I envision this blog covering. But, while its in the news, I'd like to take a minute to talk about the  Queen's corgis, and their graves.

The royal corgis and Her Majesty's knees, circa 2012. Vanity Fair Photo

Elizabeth and Margaret with Dookie.
Royal Collection Trust Photo

Queen Elizabeth II's love of corgis is well recorded. They often announce her arrival by trotting in just before she enters a room, and she has called them a part of the royal family. The dogs have roamed the castle since 1933 when she was young. When her father (who would be George the VI) was Duke of York he invited a corgi breeder to show the family some puppies. They chose two called Dookie and Jane. The young Elizabeth fell in love with the dog and the breed. She received her own corgi, Susan, as an eighteenth birthday present. The gift of the dog changed the young royal's life. Susan even went along on Elizabeth and Phillip's honeymoon. Elizabeth became a devoted and respected breeder of corgis. She bred Susan and her progeny, becoming well known within the corgi breeding community, although breeders who dealt with her did not discuss it in public. Her dogs won awards and the line itself was considered to be impressive, regardless of its royal associations. Susan has been the common ancestor of all the Queen's corgis until recently; she now owns a corgi formerly owned by the late groundskeeper at Sandringham. She also owns two Dachshund/corgi mixes known as Dorgis, a designer breed the Queen herself pioneered (possibly accidentally). Like corgis, the Queen's favor has made dorgis a popular breed in Britain.

Willow was the last purebred of her line owned by the Queen. She has said that she fears tripping over puppies at her age, and some have speculated that she doesn't want to leave the dogs behind when she dies. But the line is not completely gone. Susan's children and grandchildren have been associated with the royals for fourteen generations. They have been gifted to nobility, actors and CEOs over the years.

Susan's gravestone. Daily Mail photo

The royal corgis were known to be feisty; Susan bit the royal clock winder and a grenadier, and one policeman suffered minor injuries and torn trousers. But the corgis were the best propaganda the Queen could have wanted. They humanized the royal family, showing them to be stable and family minded after Edward VII abdicated his rule to marry Wallis Simpson, and when the monarchy has been criticized, the dogs may have been the most beloved members of the family. Recently the dogs have been featured on the cover of Vanity Fair and in an excellent article available here. They starred with their famous master and Daniel Craig in the Bond-inspired opening of the Olympics in London. That adorable clip is available here.

 So what happens to the royal animals when they die? The answer to that begins with Edward VII who began the royal kennels at Sandringham Estate. Acquired by the royal family in 1862 the estate became- a country home for the Monarch. In 1887 he added kennels to house hunting dogs. His daughter, Queen Victoria had a propensity for collies, famously naming four of them Noble. Victoria also had a collie named Sharp. Her dogs were the first to be buried in a secluded corner of the estate. When Susan died in 1959 Queen Elizabeth revitalized the pet burial plot. Susan received a gravestone with the inscription "for almost15 years the faithful companion of the Queen. Many royal pets have been buried there over the years. You can visit the graveyard on tours of the estate. Hopefully I'll be able to make the trip someday and tell you more about it here.

Graves of some of the Queen's corgis. Daily Mail photo

This wall commemorates some of the other royal pets, dating back to the Victorian era. Daily Mail photo

Sandringham Fern is one of the older monuments in the royal pets graveyard. Daily Mail photo

Another Victorian royal pet, "a gentleman among dogs." Daily Mail photo

Sherry of Biteabout, one of Elizabeth's non-corgi pets. Note that the dates include 19- to designate that they are part of Elizabeth's revitalization of the graveyard. Daily Mail photo

Sources:
Vanity Fair article 
Royal Collection Trust article
Time Article
Daily Mail Nov. 2012
Sandringham Website