The British Royal Family and Their Pets: Which is Your Favorite?
Updated: Feb. 08, 2023The British Royal Family love their dogs and horses, but they've had some unusual pets, too, (can you guess who had a crocodile or a bear cub?). Here's the low-down on those pampered royal pets.
The Queen
The Queen’s love of the Pembrokeshire corgi is legendary. On her 18th birthday, her father gave her a corgi named Susan, and since then every royal corgi (more than 30 of them) descended from her original pet.
In 2018, after her last corgi died, the Queen decided to stop breeding corgis due to her age, but when her gamekeeper died, she decided to adopt his corgi that she had been dog-walking for the last two years.
The Queen also has dorgis – a cross between a corgi and a dachshund.
The royal dogs have their own room, and food specially prepared by a chef, but the Queen feeds them personally at 5 p.m. sharp each day and walks them herself.
If you want to treat your dog like royalty, check out these mind-blowing dog houses.
Prince Philip
Of course, the royal family members are often given exotic animals as pets when on their international visits. Prince Philip was once given a pair of pygmy hippopotami as a gift from President Tubman of Liberia. The Prince sent them on permanent loan to London Zoo! He was also given a baby elephant when visiting Sri Lanka, which also found a forever home at London Zoo.
It’s not only the British royal family that have bizarre pets. American presidents have had their fair share, too!
The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge
William and Kate have carried on the royal tradition of owning a dog: a black cocker spaniel named Lupo. However, Prince George caused something of a scandal when he was photographed offering Lupo a lick of his ice cream (not considered good for dogs). You might be surprised of the things that you have in your house that are hazardous to your pets.
The Cambridges also have a pet hamster, said to be a great favorite with Princess Charlotte because the whiskers tickle her face.
We don’t recommend ice cream for hamsters either, but fresh fruit is a different story. Here are 15 clever pet products you can make at home for your pet.
The Duke & Duchess of Sussex
Meghan was said to be broken-hearted at having to leave her beloved rescue lab Bogart in Canada, as he was too old to settle in a new home. But she brought her other rescued pooch, a beagle named Guy, with her.
It’s rumored that the Sussexes have recently welcomed another dog into the family, this time a Labrador retriever.
Beagles and retrievers both shed their hair readily, so regular grooming is important. Take a look at our other tips for cleaning up after your precious pets.
The Duke & Duchess of Cornwall
It caused a bit of a scandal when Prince Charles admitted that he preferred labradors to the traditional royal corgi as a breed, but he’s owned several in his time. One beloved lab Tigga lived to be 18 years old, before dying in 2002.
Camilla is also a fan of rescue dogs, owning two Jack Russells she adopted from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
Sometimes our older pets need a little more support to live comfortably each day. If your dog is struggling to jump up onto the bed, why not build them a dog ramp to give them a helping hand?
The Princess Royal
Best known for her love of horses – Princess Anne competed for Great Britain at the 1972 Olympics – the princess also own bulldogs. Known as a tough and hardy breed, bulldogs are strong and loyal, and the princess can often be seen walking them herself.
The Princess Royal is no stranger to unusual pets either. In 1956, she was given a 3-month old bear cub by Russian President Nikita Khrushchev. The cub was named Nikki, presumably after the president himself.
Some dogs are resilient enough to be kept outside rather than in the home. If you want to be sure your dog is warm enough when the cold strikes, here are our top tips.
Zara Tindall
As the Princess Royal’s daughter, it’s hardly surprising that Zara Tindall inherited her mom’s love of horses, and she too represented Great Britain in the Olympics, winning a silver medal at London 2012.
Although not strictly a pet, Zara was devoted to her horse Toytown, and they won many equestrian events together. When he died in 2017 at the age of 24, Zara herself said she was “heartbroken.”
The Duke of York
On a visit to The Gambia in West Africa, the Queen was once given a crocodile as a pet for Prince Andrew. It’s said that her Private Secretary, Sir Martin Charteris, was persuaded to keep the reptile in his bathtub before it was sent on to London Zoo!
Now, Prince Andrew’s pets are more mainstream – he has five Norfolk Terriers.
We don’t know about keeping pets in a bathtub, but you might need to give your pets a bath.
Princess Michael of Kent
You might think it would be a brave royal who preferred cats to dogs, but Princess Michael (while owning dogs and horses), has a deep love of cats. She owns several Siamese and Burmese cats, as well as supporting rhino and elephant conservation organizations in Africa.
If you’re a cat lover too, here are some of the best cat furniture ideas to keep your furry feline happy.
