Queen Elizabeth Mourns Death of Her Last Corgi, Willow

Queen Elizabeth is mourning the loss of her beloved dog, Willow, the last remaining Corgi descended from Susan, the corgi given to the Queen by her parents when she was just 18-years-old.

With the passing of Willow, a 14-generation canine dynasty has come to an end.

Queen Elizabeth is reportedly been hit “extremely hard” by the loss of Willow, who died at age 15 on Sunday after a lengthy bout with cancer. The dog’s passing ends the Queen of England’s close association with the breed dating back eight decades and the tie to cherished Susan.

The Queen’s love of the dog breed began when she was 7 years old when her father’s Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Dookie came into their home. At 18 years old, Princess Elizabeth received a Pembroke Welch Corgi – Susan – as a birthday present from her parents.

Since that time, she bred on from Susan with 14 generations of Corgis resulting. She is said to have raised more than 30 corgis throughout her life.

Willow sprung into the public’s view in 2012 when she appeared next to Queen Elizabeth in the James Bond video recorded with Daniel Craig for the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony. The corgi was also pictured at the Queen’s side for her 90th birthday photos taken by Annie Leibovitz in 2016.

Willow’s grave will reportedly be marked with a headstone that reads, “A faithful companion of the Queen.”

The Queen still has a few dogs around her, however. Two dachshund/corgi mix named Vulcan and Candy and Whisper, a corgi, she adopted from an estate worker at Sandringham.

And here are some few more interesting facts about the Queen’s corgis.