Page 88 - All About History - Issue 59-17

Royal Pets

Queen eLizabetH ii

& susan

The House of Windsor’s favourite breed
In 1933, Prince Albert, Duke of York, bought a Pembroke Welsh corgi called Dookie
for his daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. Dookie’s arrival turned
out to be the start of the Windsors’ long royal love affair with the breed. When
Elizabeth turned 18 in 1944, her father, now King George VI, bought her another
corgi, Susan, as a birthday present. The two quickly became inseparable and Susan
was even snuck into Elizabeth’s carriage as she and Philip made their way to their
honeymoon in 1947.
Susan lived until she was almost 15 years old, passing away in 1959. Elizabeth,
now queen, wanted to commemorate her faithful companion and commissioned a
memorial for her, personally sketching the design and inscription.
In total, Queen Elizabeth has owned over 30 corgis all descended from Susan —
her current ones, Holly and Willow, are the 14th generation. Despite her enormous George VI
unknowingly
public role, she has always been incredibly shy and it has been said that her sparked his
beloved dogs act as a buffer in social situations when she feels overwhelmed. eldest daughter’s
life-long love
Above all, they shower her with love and affection that perhaps only they can give, of corgis
unaware of her royal status.
Mary, Queen PHaraOH raMesses ii
Of sCOts, & & His big Cats

geddOn The lion’s share of Egyptian royal love and affection

Ramesses II owned a variety
The devoted dog and his lonely mistress of different exotic animals
but in particular he was
For Mary, Queen of Scots, dogs offered her the supposedly fond of cats.
companionship that eluded her throughout her life. The pharaoh had a number
Sent to live at the French court aged just five, the of lions and cheetahs that
queen sometimes felt isolated and she unfortunately roamed his palace. Of course,
experienced the same when she finally returned to this is not that surprising
Scotland after 13 years, a stranger to her native country. considering how cats were
However, a comfort to Mary was her treasured pet dogs. seen to be sacred animals
Her tragic fate in 1587 is made even more poignant when in Ancient Egyptian society.
you include the story of her cherished dog Geddon. Interestingly, while the
A Skye terrier, Geddon kept Mary company during the Ancient Egyptians saw lions
last few years of her life when she was kept imprisoned as big cats, they actually saw
by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. At her execution, Mary cheetahs as the smaller cats!
moved slowly to the scaffold and placed her head on the However, Ramesses’
block, where the executioner beheaded her with two pet lion is the one that is
strokes of his axe. As her body was being removed, those commonly associated with
present noticed a rustling under her clothes — under her him. The lion was not just
petticoat was a terrified Geddon. a pet to the pharaoh but a
The executioner tried to symbol of status and power.
take him away but he He reportedly brought his
escaped, running pet with him to the Battle of
back to his mistress Kadesh against the Hittites,
and curling up where the lion bravely stood
between her body by his master’s side during
and her severed the fight. It is this image of
head. The loyal the pharaoh and his lion that
little dog ended is commonly depicted in
up covered in her artwork of the famous battle.
blood and was
forcibly taken away Ramesses II at the Battle of
to be washed. Kadesh in 1274 BCE with his
faithful pet lion staying loyally
by his side
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