Queen Elizabeth II's New Dog is Not a Corgi!

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The British Royal family has a long history, and an essential part of that history is - dogs. Perhaps the biggest dog lover in their family was Queen Victoria, who had numerous dogs, horses, ponies, birds, and cats. She had a Greyhound, a Deerhound, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a Pug, a Skye Terrier, and a Pekingese. However, her love for dogs can be debated. It is possible she simply kept the gifts she received and took other breeds, like the Pekingese, as trophies from British colonies.

Queen Elizabeth II is associated mainly with Pembroke Welsh Corgis. She has owned over 30 dogs since 1933. She received her first Corgi (Susan) as an 18th birthday present. In fact, she loved Corgis so much that she had 8 of them at one time. However, despite her self-induced ban on new royal dogs, she welcomed a new one in Buckingham Palace.

Queen Elizabeth II new dog

As we mentioned earlier, Her Majesty is mostly associated with Corgis, so it is pretty surprising she welcomed a Cocker Spaniel. It is not an ordinary Cocker though; Wolferton Drama is the Kennel Club’s Cocker Spaniel Championship winner. The Queen hosted the event, so it is quite fitting that she received such an appropriate gift.

The Cocker Queen received is called Wolferton Drama, but the Queen simply calls her Lissy. It is an interesting name since Lissy is a diminutive version of Elizabeth. Lissy is the first champion the Queen has owned since her interest in dogs is purely companionship and not breeding and dog shows.

The Queen’s ban on new royal dogs

Queen Elizabeth is a known dog lover, so she left the general public quite surprised when in 2015, she imposed a ban on new royal dogs. She was even offered a pair of Norfolk Terriers bred by her granddaughter Princess Beatrice. She thanked her for the gesture but politely declined. The senior courtier explained it like this;

“The Queen thought it was a lovely offer, but she politely declined. The fact is she worries about too many dogs around her feet and the danger she will trip up and hurt herself badly. She is, after all, 88 and not getting any younger.

Her Corgis are getting on a bit and move along at a sedate speed, but a young dog would obviously be very lively and much more active. Her main fear is that if she fell and broke her arm or even a leg, she would not be able to perform her duties for many weeks if not months, and that would upset her greatly.” - Source

It makes sense that Her Majesty is worried about her safety around small dogs. Corgis are pretty friendly and playful, so her worries are justified. Nevertheless, the British public and the cynology world are pretty happy with the Queen’s new pup. It is undoubtedly a good promotion for the breeders in the UK.

Meet the Cocker Spaniel

Cocker Spaniels are charming dogs. They have lively expressions and friendly characters that make them fantastic companions. These dogs were initially kept as versatile hunting dogs, and they even got their name after their main prey - the woodcock. Cockers excel at flushing and retrieving. Their small, muscular bodies and broad paws allowed them to move quickly in wet, difficult terrain.

These days, Cockers are mostly kept as active family companions whose favorite activity is cuddling and playing with family members. Adult dogs usually reach 15 - 17 inches and weigh 26 - 34 lb. They are active, intelligent, and very trainable. Plus, one of their members is now a part of the royal family. You can read more about these amazing dogs here - Cocker Spaniel profile.

World Dog Finder team