The Queen's last corgi has died - ending Her Majesty’s close association with the breed dating back eight decades. Whisper, a 12-year-old corgi, had become a loyal companion to the royals after the Queen adopted him in 2016 following the death of his owner - a former Sandringham gamekeeper. Her Majesty had become fond of the dog, who would follow her from room to room at Buckingham Palace, according to the Daily Mail. But it is understood Whisper died on Saturday, of meaning the Queen no longer owns any corgis. In April, it was revealed that Willow, a 14th-generation descendant of the Queen’s first dog Susan, was put down having suffered from a cancer-related illness. It is understood The Queen did not want Willow, who was almost 15, to suffer any further. Insiders said at the time she was hit “extremely hard” by the loss of Willow, who had become her most devoted companion. Whisper had filled the void over the past few months, but now the last remaining corgi has passed away. In 2015, the Queen decided to stop breeding Pembroke Welsh corgis over fears she might trip over and hurt herself. It was also reported that she didn’t want to leave any behind when she dies.<doc-sep>The sad news has surfaced today that the Queen's last corgi, a 12-year-old pup named Whisper—died last week at Windsor Castle. It's been a hard year for fans of the Queen's canine companions. Just this past April, the British monarch lost Willow, the last descendant of the Queen Elizabeth's original corgi Susan. Then-Princess Elizabeth was given Susan as an 18th birthday gift, and for decades she kept the dog's line going, breeding several generations of corgis. Sadly, in her old age she had to stop, for fear she might trip or fall over a young pup. Queen Elizabeth with some of her dogs in 1980. PA Images Getty Images Whisper, however, came into the Queen's life through other means. She took the corgi in after the dog's original owner, a gamekeeper at her country retreat Sandringham House, passed away. The corgi reportedly bonded quickly with the Queen. "Whisper was a friendly chap and followed her everywhere," a source told the Daily Mail. A friendly chap! Though she'll surely miss her beloved Whisper, the monarch can take comfort in her two remaining canines, Candy and Vulcan. They're not pure corgis, but dachshund-corgi mixes—and apparently, two short-legged breeds make for quite the hybrid. Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with Sugar, one of the Queen's corgis. PA Images Getty Images Still, it's sad that the Queen's corgi days have come to an end. The monarch is so identified with the breed, and it's sad to think that she won't have any of them around. There is one thing that might help us heal: a new animated movie, starring the Queen and her set of corgis, "coming soon" to theaters. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>According to multiple sources, Queen Elizabeth was left heartbroken this week when Whisper, her last corgi, died. The 12-year-old dog passed away at Windsor Castle. Whisper wasn’t one of her “OG” corgis—or, the ones descended from her first corgi, Susan, and who the monarch raised from birth. He was an adopted fellow. When his original owner, a former caretaker at Sandringham, died in 2016, the Queen took him in, and they developed a strong bond over the resulting two years. “Whisper was a friendly chap and followed her everywhere,” a source told The Daily Mail. In April of this year, another one of the Queen’s precious corgis, Willow, passed. It’s said the Queen chose not to breed any more corgis because she was unsure who would look after them when she was gone. Over the last 74 years, the Queen is estimated to have had over 30 corgis—meaning the death of Whisper is the end of era. But fear not, dear reader! It is not all doom and gloom at the kennels of Windsor. The monarch may have no corgis, but she has . . . dorgis, a cross between a corgi and dachshund. Their names are Candy and Vulcan, and you can see them in these Annie Leibovitz portraits. Did they star alongside James Bond in an Olympics opening ceremony video? Well, no. Have they had fictionalized counterparts in The Crown? Also no. But they are cute, devoted dogs. And, frankly, now they’re all we got.<doc-sep>
The Queen's last corgi, Whisper, has died at the age of 12, bringing an end to the monarch's 74 year long association with the dog breed. Originally owned by one of the royal family's gamekeepers, Whisper was adopted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2016 and reportedly became extremely special to her after the death of 14-year-old Willow in April. Willow was the 14th generation descendent of the Queen's first dog Susan, and the Telegraph reports the monarch was hit hard by the loss of her most devoted companion. Vulcan and Candy, two dorgis-corgi-dachshund crosses, remain alive and happy, but Whisper's death on Saturday means the Queen no longer owns any corgis. The monarch's had a long history with the dog breed, dating back to her father's corgi Dookie. After forming a bond with Dookie, Elizabeth was given Susan and subsequently owned more than 30 corgis throughout her reign, with most direct descendants of Susan. The corgis themselves have become synonymous with the Queen, frequently appearing with her when out in public or in photographs. Willow famously appeared in the 2012 James Bond sketch filmed with the Queen for the London Olympics opening ceremony. In 2015, the then 90-year-old Queen stopped breeding the Pembroke Welsh corgis after fears she may trip over one and hurt herself. She also didn't want to have any left behind when she died. Prince Harry revealed in an interview last year that his then-fiancé Meghan Markle had quickly charmed the dogs. "The corgis took to [her] straightaway. I've spent the last 33 years being barked at, [Meghan] walks in, absolutely nothing," he said. In 2015, Sir John Key was pictured with the Queen as two of her dogs ran past.