So, did we all know that the Queen invented a dog breed?
When it comes to the Royal Family, we love a random fact as much as the next person (for example: did we all know that Meghan Markle can speak Spanish? Or that Prince William once took part in a drug raid at sea?). Ready for another? Did you know that the late Queen Elizabeth II was basically a dog whisperer – and it's thought that Her Majesty was responsible for inventing her very own breed of pooch.
As reported by PEOPLE, the story goes that HRH, who was a big fan of a corgi (as we all know), played a part in creating a hybrid breed of dog known as a 'dorgi', which is a cross between a corgi and dachshund. The latter of which being a breed favoured by her sister, Princess Margaret... essentially, one thing lead to another when one of the Queen's pooches, Tiny, was left alone with Margaret's dachshund, Pipkin, and thus, the dorgi was born!
The mix proved so popular with the royals that they continued to breed them for decades thereafter.
Elizabeth II really was a big fan of canines, who throughout her lifetime owned over 30 corgis since taking the throne as Queen of the Commonwealth realms in 1952.
Back in 2007, the Queen's royal brood of pups consisted of five corgis – Monty, Emma, Linnet, Willow, and Holly – five cocker spaniels (charmingly named Bisto, Oxo, Flash, Spick, and Span), and four dorgis, called Cider, Berry, Vulcan, and Candy.
Three of her corgis, Monty, Willow and Holly even had a star turn during the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics, as part of a sketch which saw Daniel Craig (in character as James Bond) tip up to Buckingham Palace to accompany Her late Majesty to the sporting event.
Last summer, around the time of what would've been Philip's 100th birthday, the royal family gifted the Queen two more pooches, Sandy and Muick, to cheer her up, and since Her Majesty's passing on 8 September this year, they have gone on to live with Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York in Royal Lodge. It's also reported that Sandy and Muick were by the Queen's side when she passed away in Balmoral, and those who watch Her Majesty's funeral would've spotted them there too.
So there you go, not only did the Queen own all the dolphins in the UK (and a colony of bats), but she was also responsible for inventing an entirely new type of animal. That's quite the legacy, I'm sure we can all agree!
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