FAITHFUL FRIENDS
The royal family are known for their passion for pets, from horses and dogs to hens and bees – and their love for their animal companions is being passed down to new generations
When it comes to British animal lovers, the royal family leads the pack. A love of pets has spanned the generations since Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold became the first British royal to house a rescue dog when he rehomed a fox terrier named Skippy from Battersea Dogs Home in 1882.
Among modern-day royals, Queen Elizabeth II set the standard as a devoted pet owner, passing on a passion for animals to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Her first corgi, Susan – an 18th birthday present from her father George VI in 1944 – ignited her love of the small Welsh dog breed that would go on to become a mainstay at Buckingham Palace and later Royal Lodge and Windsor Castle.
Elizabeth, who couldn’t bear to part with her corgis, even took Susan with her and Prince Philip on their two-part honeymoon to Hampshire and Scotland in 1947. Later, the dogs accompanied the couple to Scotland for their annual summer break at Balmoral.