The Windsors and Their Pets

The public has long either praised or censured the royal family for their love of their pets. Praised them for the interest they take in them and the way they spoil them so. Censured them by saying that they treat their animals better than they treat the human members of their families. I have neither praise nor censure for their treatment of their pets. It seems that their pets fill a void that most of us don’t have in our lives – that of many close human relationships and the ability to be spontaneous. Let’s face it, if the Queen feels the need to get away for an hour, it’s not as if she can call a girlfriend and meet at the local hotel or restaurant for afternoon tea. No, these meetings need to be cleared in advance, security needs to be dispatched, etc., etc. She can, however, take her dogs for a stroll or her horses for a ride whenever she has the time – without causing too much of a stir.

Think of the Queen’s life overall. She was born and schooled at home. She was allowed to join the Girl Guides and also given permission to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) during the war, but who among we mere mortals could meet the future Queen of England in these circumstances and behave in any manner other than sheer awe? Certainly, not I.

A pet doesn’t have such issues. A dog is happy to see you enter the room. A dog is happy to go for a walk. A dog is happy to have his head on your lap even after you’ve tired of stroking it for him. A dog would never worry that he had on too casual a collar for meeting the Queen or what he would do if he suddenly needed to use the loo. Neither would a horse or a bird or a cat. Probably even more important than that, when have you ever seen a pet betraying family secrets to the tabloids? An animal certainly has its advantages.

Well, since George V is the founder of the House of Windsor, perhaps it’s best to start with him and his views on animals - he seemed to prefer them to humans. He kept Seelyham Terriers, Cairn Terriers, horses and a pink-grey parrot named Charlotte that was a gift from his beloved sister, Victoria. As Charlotte always traveled with George V, she had a perch in his study at Sandringham as well. From this perch she would oversee the King presenting awards in the form of bibles to the local school children who no doubt had never seen such a thing as a grey-pink parrot. While he was passing along his pearls of wisdom during these informal award ceremonies, more likely than not, the children were wondering if the parrot could speak and if it could what it would say. Hmmm, that is a good question… perhaps, ‘God save the King?’

George V was also a keen rider and felt strongly that all members of his family needed to be good riders as well. In his memoirs, the Duke of Windsor says that his father, George V, once told him, ‘The English people like riding, and it would make you very unpopular if you couldn’t do so. If you can’t ride, you know, I am afraid people will call you a duffer.’ He also purchased a pony for his granddaughter, the current Queen Elizabeth, when she was only three years old and was quite proud to see how quickly she learned to ride it well.

Queen Elizabeth is said to have acquired her love of horses from her grandfather, George V. Since he did give her a pony at three, he would appear to deserve the credit. She is also said to have a great eye for their physical appearance and studies their lineage. This skillset can be credited to her grandmother, Queen Mary, whose lady in waiting, Cynthia Colville once wrote Crawfie, ‘Queen Mary feels that genealogies, historical and dynastic, are very interesting to children and for them really important.’ She was, of course, referring to the family tree, but the skills did dovetail nicely with her husband’s emphasis on the importance of horsemanship.

A love of Cairn Terriers was passed from George V to his eldest son, known to the family as David. In 1934 while Prince of Wales, David purchased a Cairn puppy for Wallis Simpson, the woman he loved. They named the puppy Slipper. Slipper played a very sentimental part in their lives when, as Edward VIII, he chose to abdicate in order to marry Wallis. Wallis left Slipper with her beloved David while she fled to France in the wake of the crisis. He later wrote in his memoir how grateful he was for Slipper’s companionship. ‘He followed me around The Fort; he slept by my bed; he was the mute witness of my meetings with the Prime Minister.’ Tragically, Slipper died of snakebite.

The Queen has always had Corgi’s in her life as well. This is most likely due to her mother’s, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, love of the breed. Marion Crawford, Queen Elizabeth’s governess has told several stories about one particularly ill-tempered Corgi. She wrote, ‘Perhaps Dookie, the Queen’s (Queen Mother) devoted Corgi, might take a nip at a passing leg. Dookie adored the taste of strange trousers.’ ‘He was devoted to the Queen, poor Dookie, but very sour-natured otherwise. He bit me once quite severely, and on another occasion took a piece out of Lord Lothian’s hand. With great fortitude Lord Lothian said it was nothing! It did not hurt him at all. ‘All the same, he bled all over the floor,’ Lillibet (QE II) pointed out.’

Crawfie shares another anecdote about Dookie during George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s trip to Canada and the USA. Each night the King and Queen would call their daughter’s on the "transatlantic telephone". They (Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret) would end each call by putting Dookie to the phone and making him bark. This small detail shows that little Dookie was as much a part of the family as anyone else’s pet would be.

Another mention of the childhood pets of the Queen comes as Crawfie describes the preparations for the trip to Scotland each summer. "The children’s ponies were sent on ahead by ordinary horse box. Their endless dogs, including the Queen’s bad-tempered Dookie, went with them." There is no mention however, of the animals enjoying the 14-hour trip!

Crawfie writes the ways she had the school day arranged so that after a break they could saddle up George, the pony, and the children could take turns riding him. She also mentions the entourage that would greet the King and Queen on Friday evenings at Windsor Castle during the war years. "Very often the Princesses and I would take Jock, the highland pony, on a rein and Hans, the Norwegian pony, and three dogs – Crackers, Susan and Ching – along an avenue leading to one of the main gates to meet Mummie and Papa."

To this day the Queen surrounds herself with Corgis who continue to bring her great joy and provide some levity in her life. Her eye for horses has become quite renowned and she has passed her love of riding down to her children and grandchildren as well. Princess Anne has represented her country in the Equestrian division at the Olympics and her children are said to be great riders. Prince Charles is a keen Polo player while his son, Prince William, has recently been criticized for riding in a hunt. On his fourteenth birthday Prince William received a gift of a black Labrador retriever, Widgeon, from his late mother, Diana Princess of Wales. William and Widgeon have been photographed together on several occasions. The royal passion for animals continues into the next generation.

Thanks to our reader, Lesley, who suggested a column on the Windsor’s pets and requested an anecdote for a collection of pet stories she is currently compiling. She was kind enough to share another collection she created with me, letters from students regarding their feelings about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. It is a fitting and lovely tribute to a beautiful person. Keep up the good work Lesley!

Thanks also to our reader, Maria, who was kind enough to scan in some old photographs of the Queen and email them to me. They’ll come in handy for future columns.

All the best,