At King Charles’ Coronation Parade A Special Group Of Dogs Stole The Show

In truth, the coronation of a new king being closely associated with man’s best friend isn’t entirely surprising. The royals have had a strong affinity for dogs for centuries, even going all the way back to 1649! For example, if legend is to be believed, Charles I insisted on having his spaniel Rogue by his side when he was executed during the English Civil War.

Charles I’s son Charles II was even more fond of spaniels, which explains why modern Cavalier King Charles spaniels are named in his honor. He would reportedly insist his 12 doggos went everywhere with him: even to court, to church, and to council meetings! In his diary, diarist Samuel Pepys griped, “All I observed was the silliness of the King playing with his dogs all the while, and not minding his business.” 

Fast-forward a few hundred years, and Queen Victoria was also a dog mom. She particularly loved a spaniel named Dash; he was given a truly poignant epitaph when he went to doggy heaven in 1840. It read, “His attachment was without selfishness, his playfulness without malice, his fidelity without deceit. Reader, if you would live beloved and die regretted, profit by the example of Dash.”

Incredibly, Victoria was said to have owned a mind-boggling 88 collies over the course of her long life. She also fell in love with a dachshund called Deckel, and another named Waldman VI. Indeed, according to the official royal family website, while Deckel may have come into her life first “it was Waldman VI who became known as ‘the very favourite dachshund of Queen Victoria.’”

By contrast, Edward VII’s favorite breed of dog was the Irish terrier. With bitter irony, one died on a trip to Ireland in 1903; Edward gave him an epitaph which read, “Here lies Jack, King Edward’s favourite Irish terrier, who only lived 12 hours after reaching his native land.” The dog most associated with Edward, though, was Caesar, a terrier who even padded behind his master’s coffin during his funeral procession.

King George VI was the first royal to introduce a corgi into the family in 1933; this breed would become synonymous with his daughter, later Queen Elizabeth II. Every single corgi she loved and cared for in her life was descended from Susan, the dog she was gifted in 1944 on her 18th birthday. Brilliantly, one of her corgis — the mischievous Berry — had a habit of photobombing official royal shoots!

Elizabeth had so many corgis scurrying beside her at all times that Princess Diana hilariously referred to them as “a moving carpet.” They stayed in a special room in her private apartment, with Penny Junor’s book All The Queen’s Corgis revealing, “There is a special corgi room where they have raised wicker baskets lined with cushions to keep draughts away.” Aww.

Charles himself is no stranger to pooches. When he was with Diana, they had a Labrador named Harvey. Then, when sons Prince William and Prince Harry came along, the family adopted a Jack Russell terrier named Tigga. These days, the breed is still Charles’ favorite. In 2012 he and Camilla welcomed terriers Bluebell and Beth into their home. Now that he’s King, they’ve moved into Buckingham Palace!

Given the King’s affinity for dogs, it’s tempting to wonder what he would have thought of the pup parade which took place just after his crowning. On a drizzly London day, the King’s Road was taken over by the padding of little paws, many of whom were sporting homemade crowns and other royal attire. Allow us to explain!

The King’s Road is an important royal location, you see. It was first constructed in 1694 and only the King was allowed to walk on it, to get from St. James’ Palace to Hampton Court. That was how things stayed for many years, but eventually this rule was relaxed a little. London’s rich aristocracy was allowed to walk on the road, provided they had been given a special token bearing the King’s initials.

It took 136 long years for the road to be fully opened to the public: until 1830, to be exact. Then, over the years, the King’s Road became one of the most famous walkways in the world. In the 1960s and 1970s, rock icons including The Beatles, the Sex Pistols, and The Rolling Stones — as well as fashion royalty such as Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood — made it one of the hippest and most happening locations in London.

Then in 2023 one Jenny Matthews organized an event which would see the famous road taken over by the pitter-patter of tiny paws. Matthews, who owns a pet grooming service and café located on the King’s Road, felt like she knew the perfect way to celebrate Charles’ coronation. She told NBC News, “I just thought, ‘This is a no-brainer.’” But what exactly was her brainwave?

“It’s our King Charles III’s coronation day,” Matthews explained. “What more can we do for him than to gather as many King Charles spaniel dogs as possible and parade down his road?” Charmed by the idea of a dog parade in honor of the King, she gauged interest. When the Cavaliers of London ownership group informed their membership of 5,000, excitement went through the roof.

David Lindsay — the mayor of the borough of Kensington and Chelsea — attended the furry festivities. He told NBC News, “It’s particularly poignant and special that we have a monarch, King Charles III, who has literally hours ago been crowned King, and to be here. It’s symbolic, it’s fun and it’s part of history, and we are but history in the making now.” History? More like woofstory!

In the end, 150 spaniels — and their devoted owners — turned up for the parade. The weather was a bit soggy, but that didn’t stop most of the canines from having a great time strutting their stuff. Remarkably, none of them were spooked by all the fanfare, which included food stalls, street performers, a steel drum band, and hundreds of people waving red, white, and blue Union Jack flags!

Matthews told Great British Life magazine, “One of the stipulations was, if you wanted to take part in the parade, and if your dog doesn’t mind, can you get them to wear a crown? We saw all kind[s] of crowns: homemade crowns, little shop-bought ones, paper crowns and everybody was really keen to comply, and we were hoping to create a spectacle… We wanted to really make sure that everyone knew why we were there.”

Amusingly, though, the dogs couldn’t be trusted to always stick to the plan. After a certain point, the “parade” devolved into a bunch of excited mutts doing whatever they pleased, regardless of the pleas of their humans! One of the organizers Candace Queathem chuckled to newspaper USA Today, “They are the most catlike of the dogs. But don't quote me on that!”

All in all, we’re not sure if Charles would have appreciated seeing two spaniels in red velour robes growling at each other. We don’t know whether he’d have been charmed to see one pushed down the road in a baby stroller. Maybe he would’ve loved seeing a small brown spaniel excitedly jumping and biting at the bubbles blown by his owner, though? If nothing else, he’d have surely got a laugh out of all the canine anarchy!

As for the less-than-ideal weather, even that somehow made the occasion more perfect! Matthews told Great British Life, “It was just pouring with rain, and I thought, ‘Yes, that’s so British.’ Come rain or shine they’re out with their dog and they didn’t care they were getting wet. In a way [it] did us a favor because I think everyone with a King Charles spaniel would have come out in force, and it would have been overwhelming.”

Yes, it's definitely a good thing that the parade wasn't overrun with dogs, although it's possible that the former Queen would've loved such a sight! When did this love affair with dogs begin, then? Well, it happened long before Elizabeth was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom. The year was 1933, and she was just a seven-year-old princess enjoying a childhood in the royal lap of luxury. One day, though, the future monarch had a surprising request for her mom and dad.

After noticing that friends of the family owned a corgi, Elizabeth wished to follow suit. So, not wanting to disappoint his young daughter, the Duke of York then started to look around to find the perfect dog breeder. His search ultimately led him to Surrey, England, where he met a woman by the name of Thelma Gray. She had an impeccable reputation in the breeding community.

Anyway, once the Duke outlined his daughter’s wishes, Gray went on to select three Pembroke corgis living at her kennel. From there, she took the dogs to his family home so they could pick out which one to adopt. In the end, the royals chose a tiny pooch named Rozavel Golden Eagle — and their decision wasn’t only influenced by his cute appearance!

Unlike the other two pups, Rozavel Golden Eagle had a tail. And while it was only small, that swayed the Duke and his family. Why? Simple: with the wag of his tail, the U.K. royals would have a better idea of his mood at home. Without one, that’d be a lot trickier! So, the young corgi was welcomed with open arms, and gained a new moniker along the way, too.

Yes, it’s said that Gray’s workers at the kennel dubbed Rozavel Golden Eagle as “Dookie” once they discovered the Duke was adopting him. After that, the name endured. And let’s be honest, it rolls off the tongue better! But while Princess Elizabeth and her family got to grips with the corgi, others saw a rather nasty side of him.

According to the BBC website, Dookie was a little menace behind the scenes, clamping his jaws around guests and royal aides alike. To say he had behavioral issues would be an understatement. Still, Elizabeth fell head-over-heels for the corgi. And a short time later, her family picked up another one from Gray. They went for a beautiful pup named Lady Jane.

Around the beginning of World War II, sadly Dookie passed away. By then, the family also had one of Jane's puppies, a dog named Crackers. But they were soon dealt another emotional blow. In 1944, Jane was accidentally run over, a trauma that deeply affected Elizabeth. Still, she forgave the driver and acknowledged that it wasn’t his fault.

Mind you, it could be argued that Elizabeth’s unadulterated love of the breed wasn’t solidified until she turned 18 in 1944. Why’s that? Well, at that point, her dad gifted her with a different corgi — the dog’s name was Susan. The pair became inseparable from that moment on, staying by each other’s sides whenever they could. And that’s not an exaggeration, folks.

For instance, following Elizabeth’s wedding ceremony with Prince Philip in 1947, Susan snuck aboard their royal carriage. She hid underneath one of the rugs and remained undetected as the newlyweds headed off for their honeymoon. The cheeky dog was found a little while later. We get the feeling that no one else would get away with gatecrashing that particular event!

Anyway, as time went on, Elizabeth decided to extend Susan’s family line. So, she got in touch with Gray again, who scanned her kennel for a suitable mate. The breeder eventually selected a corgi named Rozavel Lucky Strike. After that, the canine pair got together and produced two puppies in 1949. They were called Honey and Sugar. But the breeding didn’t stop there.

If we were to go into all the details, this breeding program might resemble some super-secret government scheme or something straight out of a secret society. Although there weren’t any official written rules, everyone involved knew this was a very strict procedure. Overseen by Her Majesty’s watchful eye, breeders involved weren’t allowed to talk about the program in public.

The new Windsor Pembroke corgi line spanned for another 14 generations, with each new litter joining Elizabeth at different stages of her life. And Susan was still there for part of that, including her owner’s coronation as Queen. Sadly, she passed away in 1959 — and it broke the monarch’s heart. The dog was subsequently laid to rest at Sandringham’s pet cemetery.

Susan’s growing family line must’ve come as some comfort to Elizabeth during that tough time. At least some part of her was still around. And boy, did the royals become familiar with them! You see, the Queen didn’t sell a single puppy from any of the various litters. She either kept the dogs herself, or handed some off to her family, close pals, and fellow breeders.

But Elizabeth’s reluctance to sell couldn’t just be attributed to keeping Susan’s memory alive. It also tied back to her childhood with her beloved dad. The Queen adored that “carefree” period in her life, and each new pup served as a big reminder of it. Away from that, though, the U.K. sovereign didn’t just create a royal corgi line.

Back in the 1970s Elizabeth’s sister Princess Margaret owned a dachshund called Pipkin, who got close with one of the corgis. Very close. As a result of that, a new dog breed was created — the dorgi. The Queen couldn’t take her eyes off the puppies! So, she and Margaret brought Pipkin and the corgi together once more to establish a different line of royal dogs.

Going back to Elizabeth’s overall connection to dogs, though, a royal writer raised a very interesting point. Penny Junor suggested the Queen’s love of canines also offered her a welcome chance to bond with people she otherwise mightn’t have. The author went into more detail on that front in the book All The Queen’s Corgis. What a title!

Junor penned, “Dogs and horses are [Elizabeth’s] passion and it’s with them, and the people who share that passion, that she truly relaxes. Horses are a rich man’s game but dogs are not. They’re a great leveler, they attract people from all walks of life. And, over the years, the Queen has had strong and genuine friendships with many of her fellow dog enthusiasts.”

Elizabeth was also very public in her support of charitable organizations centered on animals. To give you a couple of examples, she was the patron of The British Horse Society and the Dogs Trust. Plus, we can’t forget that the Queen backed the RSPCA as well, following in the footsteps of her great, great grandma Victoria.

As we mentioned earlier, Elizabeth had no issue broadcasting her love for animals. And in the RSPCA’s case, the chief executive highlighted just how integral that was following her passing. In a blog post, Chris Sherwood wrote, “The Queen’s continued involvement has given important recognition to our work, and made a powerful statement that animals have a vital role in our society.”

But while the Queen made a legacy of supporting animal rights at large, not everyone in the royal sphere has been a fan of her corgis. On more than one occasion, the dogs attacked royal staff. Once in 1954, one or more of the Queen Mother’s corgis sunk their teeth into a police officer. A postman was also bitten in 1968, which prompted the British Labor Party’s Peter Doig to call for Balmoral Castle staff to put up a “Beware of the dog” sign.

As if this wasn’t enough, Elizabeth herself was once attacked by her own dogs. There’s a story from the early 1990s when she tried to stop a massive dogfight reportedly involving a total of ten dogs, two of which belonged to her mother. According to the newspaper the Toledo Blade, she “was bitten on her left hand during the dogfight at Windsor Castle” and suffered wounds requiring three stitches.

But with such a feisty nature also comes fame. After all, who could ever resist a pack of pretty-looking royal corgis? Probably their most famous appearance was for the James Bond 2012 Summer Olympics sketch involving Daniel Craig and the Queen at Buckingham Palace. For this occasion, Willow, Monty, and Holly were next to Her Majesty, keeping a close eye on Mr. Bond.

Here’s a pertinent question — did the Queen take care of the dogs by herself? Well, obviously not. Back in the day, there was gamekeeper George Hallett who did all the corgi-related work. But when he retired, Bill Fenwick and his wife Nancy moved in and took over. They were the most famous people involved in this corgi business.

In particular, it was Nancy who became known as "The Keeper of the Queen’s Corgis." Along with Bill, she took great care of all the dogs, even meticulously preparing rabbit meat meals for the pampered canines every day. On top of that, Nancy was available at any time of day or night for the privileged pooches. Needless to say, she and the Queen became close. And when Nancy and Bill passed away, Elizabeth took on the couple’s own dogs.

Being a monarch in the U.K. came with an incredibly strict set of rules. Yet for Nancy’s funeral in 2015, Elizabeth didn’t send a representative, as was the usual protocol for non-royals. Instead, she attended the funeral herself, along with her son Prince Andrew, Duke of York. This just shows how much her dogs and everything about them meant to her.

But what happened to her surviving corgis in the days and weeks that followed the Queen's death? At the time she had two left by the names of Sally and Muick. But neither of them was part of Susan’s family line. The final descendent from that group lost their life in 2018, as the U.K. monarch decided to bring breeding to a halt.

Instead, Sandy and Muick were gifted to Elizabeth in 2021 by her granddaughters and their father Prince Andrew. So where did they end up, then? Well, it didn’t take long until it was revealed that the pair would go home with Andrew and his former spouse Sarah Ferguson. The exes still live together in Windsor. But that news might’ve come as a surprise to some.

As noted in Junor’s book, Andrew had a rather frustrating history with some of his mom’s old corgis in the past. Apparently, Elizabeth called upon her canine chums whenever she needed a bit of breathing room from stressful affairs. It gave her an avenue to escape, and her son felt the effects of that during a tricky period in his life.

Junor said, “[The Queen’s] family refers to it as ‘the dog mechanism.’ If the situation becomes too difficult she will sometimes literally walk away from it and take the dogs out. Prince Andrew is said to have taken three weeks to fight his way past the dogs to tell his mother that his marriage to Sarah Ferguson was in trouble.”

As it happened, a source told CNN that in addition to Prince Andrew's complicated history with the corgis, Sarah Ferguson was one of the Queen's regular dog-walking pals. Sarah maintained a close relationship with her mother-in-law after her divorce and had a front-row seat to how much she loved her prized corgis. So no doubt, the Queen trusted Sarah to care for and make decisions for the dogs in her absence.

Then Sarah Ferguson updated the corgis’ fans on their status following the Queen's passing when she posted their photo on her Instagram. It was the first time the famous pups had been seen after the monarch's passing, and it left fans relieved to know they were being cared for by family members that already knew them.

By accepting the responsibility, Andrew and Sarah are continuing another dog-themed royal tradition that Elizabeth started. Yes, when relatives or close friends passed away during her life, the British monarch would sometimes welcome their dogs into her inner circle at home. One of the more famous examples of that was back in 2002, after her mom, the Queen Mother died.

At the time of her death, the Queen Mother owned a trio of corgis. And they remained at Clarence House in the aftermath, until Elizabeth came to see her. As per Vanity Fair, the sovereign then collected all three of the dogs and brought them back to the palace. It seemed she had absolutely no intention of leaving them behind.

Elizabeth had a similar reaction after losing Bill Fenwick as well, who used to serve as Windsor’s “head gamekeeper.” Both he and his spouse, Nancy, owned a corgi named Whisper while they were alive, with the Queen then taking it in. So knowing how much she loved the breed, it’s heartwarming that Muick and Sally are staying in the family. But what about the Queen's other dog that wasn't a corgi?

That's right. Queen Elizabeth had another beloved dog, a cocker spaniel named Lissy, who was largely left out of the conversations surrounding the corgis' future. But that doesn't mean Lissy is any less impressive. She's a champion in her own right, taking home the title of winner of the 91st Kennel Club Cocker Spaniel Championship. But her recent achievements aside, would Lissy also end up with Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson?

At the time of the Queen's passing, Lissy was in the care of her trainer Ian Openshaw. While the final word about Lissy's new home hasn't been made official, it's believed she'll remain with Openshaw for the time being and not join the corgis at Royal Lodge. In any case, the Queen would've seen fit that her pets were taken into the right hands. Though, her plans for her other non-corgi were dashed in the months leading up monarch's death.

The only other non-corgi pooch in the royal household was a charming dorgi, a dachshund-corgi mix named Candy. The public was introduced to Candy when she nonchalantly interrupted the Queen's memorabilia viewing at Windsor Castle’s Oak Room before her Platinum Jubilee. “And where did you come from?” the Queen asked Candy before knowingly offering her a treat. The moment tugged at heartstrings, but only a few months later, the 18-year-old Candy tragically died.

Palace insiders said the news of Candy's passing "hit the Queen hard” and left her "distraught." After all, Candy was her longest-surviving dog, and her loss left a major impact on the royal's heart in the months before her own passing. But the loss came with the territory for the lifelong pet lover, who loved more than 30 corgis alone since taking the throne. But even beyond her pets, the Queen also impacted the breed's global popularity for decades.

Broadly speaking, the royal corgis weren’t the only ones to benefit from Queen Elizabeth’s affection. The breed as a whole became exceptionally popular in the United Kingdom thanks to the growing association with the crown as well. It’s been evident even as far back as the mid-1930s — the Dookie and Lady Jane years. And the stats make for compelling reading.

According to the Kennel Club, Pembroke corgis were in huge demand in 1936, before the next big bump in 1944. Yep, that’s when Susan was gifted to Elizabeth. Meanwhile, the greatest spike arguably came during the ’60s, when the new monarch posed for family snaps that also included her beloved pups. Apparently, there were close to 9,000 annual “puppy registrations” then.

In a sense, Elizabeth was like the influencers of today — just with more corgis! But it hasn’t been plain sailing all the way. There was a substantial dip in interest towards the end of the 1990s, and it culminated in a truly horrible year in 2014. Only 274 pups were born during that spell due to the breed’s low demand.

Thankfully, there was a resurgence three years later in 2017. And once again, it could be attributed to Elizabeth, albeit not directly. Yep, that was just 12 months on from The Crown’s successful small-screen debut. The drama, which details the Queen’s life, was a huge hit, with corgis front and center alongside the main cast. They were firmly back in the spotlight.

Puppy registrations jumped by 16 percent going into 2017 following the opening season. Then, the next year, it rose by nearly 50 percent. And while King Charles III doesn’t share his late mom’s love of corgis, there’s a hopeful belief that they’ll continue to endure thanks to their ties with Elizabeth. Given the life she lived, that is a fitting legacy! However, one of the Queen's surviving relatives made an interesting claim about her pups in 2023.

According to Sarah Ferguson, the corgis are usually on their best behavior, thanks to their excellent training and the many treats she doles out. But when the dogs do act out, Sarah suggested — perhaps in a half-joking way, though it's hard to tell — that an otherworldy force is to blame.

In fact, the Duchess of York went so far as to imply that the corgis react to Elizabeth's ghost! "I always think that when they bark at nothing, and there's no squirrels in sight, I believe it's because the Queen is passing by," she explained. Well, it's a bit of a stretch, but unless the dogs learn to talk and share their reasoning with us, there's no way of knowing for sure.