Remembering HM Queen Elizabeth II and her love of animals
September 16, 2022
As the nation prepares to say its final goodbyes to the late HM Queen Elizabeth II over the next two weeks, our teams at Edgewood Vets in Chelmsford, Maldon, and Burnham-on-Crouch want to take a moment to celebrate her life, her reign and, importantly, her love of animals.
From a young age, Queen Elizabeth held a deep love and connection to animals. From her own huge array of Corgis, Dorgis, and Dachshunds, to her over 100 horses and her sponsorship of wild animals in London Zoo, the late monarch was a passionate animal lover who will be sorely missed.
A young princess Elizabeth was gifted her first dog, a Corgi named Susan, for her 18th birthday in 1944. She would go on to own more than 30 Corgis and (Dorgis) over the next 78 years! A final two Corgis, Muick and Sandy, were gifted to the Queen in 2021 by her children in the wake of her beloved Prince Philip’s death. It has this week been confirmed that these two young dogs will remain in the care of her children.
Queen Elizabeth’s passion for horses was also both well-known and borne from an incredibly young age. Throughout her life she owned winning racehorses to traditional Highland ponies; her first horse, a Shetland, was a gift at just age 4! Queen Elizabeth also brought Monty Robert’s Natural Horsemanship movement in the United States over to the UK in hope of mainstreaming a kind, gentle approach to horse ownership and behaviour – a practice that continues to grow in popularity and increase the welfare of horses today, and one which shows her genuine compassion and love for animals.
More than just animal ownership, Queen Elizabeth was actively involved in several animal organisations. A patron of both the RSPCA and of our very own Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, RCVS – she held a life-long dedication to not just the ownership, but the welfare of animals. Queen Elizabeth was a patron and steadfast supporter of the RCVS since 1952, a connection that our team and our profession are deeply respectful and proud of.
On behalf of everyone at Edgewood Vets and within our veterinary profession, we send our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family and look forward to Queen Elizabeth’s legacy carrying on with love and support for all animals and those who care for them.
As a mark of respect and to enable as many of our team as possible to be a part of the day’s proceedings if they wish, our services will be reduced on Monday 19th September.
In order to keep our commitment to pre-booked client appointments, we will be operating with skeleton staff and here for pet health emergencies. We kindly ask that you postpone calling us for routine and general enquiries until the following day – thank you
Queen Elizabeth owned more than 30 Corgis in her lifetime, much like these.
