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Queen Elizabeth II

OBITUARY: Willow – The Queen’s last corgi

The Queen’s last remaining corgi, Willow, died this week at the age of 14 after being put to sleep following a cancer-related illness.

The fawn coloured dog, who was about to turn 15-years-old, was Her Majesty’s last corgi.

The 91-year-old Monarch made the decision to stop breeding dogs a few years ago due to her advancing age.

Corgis have been a part of The Queen’s life for eight decades, with Willow being a direct descendent of Her Majesty’s first pet corgi, Susan.

Willow was known around the world after her appearance in a James Bond sketch for the London 2012 Olympic Ceremony.

The four-legged-animal appeared in the film alongside two other corgis, Monty and Holly.

The corgis greeted James Bond in the sketch, who was played by Daniel Craig, and performed tricks which included tummy rolls and watcher as a helicopter took off for the Olympic Stadium.

Monty died a few months later, and Holly was put to sleep in 2016.

Corgis have played an immense part in the private life of The Queen. Her parents gifted her with Susan when she turned 18. And the corgis she has bred ever since have been direct descendants of her first dog.

Sugar and Honey were her first puppies born just four years later. Over the last seven decades, The Queen has owned over 30 corgis.

It was thought the Queen had 13 corgis at one time, however, she has now stopped breeding them due to her advancing age.

The dogs got underfoot of staff and guests alike. On average, these dogs only live 12 to 13 years. However, Kelpie, a favourite of Her Majesty’s lived to the ripe old age of 17.

Her Majesty still owns two dogs, Vulcan and Candy. These dachshund-corgi crossbreeds are affectionately known as ‘dorgis’ and were introduced to the royal household when Princess Margaret’s dachshund Pipkin mated with one of The Queen’s dogs