Queen Elizabeth has two new dogs.
The 94-year-old monarch has had over 30 canine companions over the years and she was recently given the corgi puppies as a gift, with the pooches believed to be the first the queen has owned that are not direct descendants of Susan, the dog she received for her 18th birthday in 1944.
The Queen - whose husband Prince Philip has been in hospital for the last two weeks - is said to be "delighted" to have more dogs around her again as she has been left with just one dorgi, Candy, since fellow dorgi Vulcan passed away last November.
A source told The Sun newspaper: “The Queen is delighted. It’s unthinkable that the Queen wouldn’t have any corgis.
“It’s like the Tower of London not having any ravens. They have only been there a couple of weeks but are said to be adorable and made the castle their home.
“Both are said to be bringing in a lot of noise and energy into the castle while Philip is in hospital.”
The monarch hasn't had a corgi since 2018, after 14th-generation descendant Willow was put to sleep in April of that year after contracting a cancer-like illness and another dog, Whisper, died six months later.
In 2015, the queen stopped breeding dorgis - a corgi and dachsund cross - prompting speculation she'd never get another pet, reportedly because she was concerned about them being a trip hazard as she got older, or that they'd be left behind when she died.
However, it seems she's changed her mind.
Royal biographer Penny Junor said: “A few years ago it was decided she would have no more.
“But her corgis are hugely important to her. They have over the years been closer to her than any human being.
"“The corgis are intensely loyal and loving and they have never let her down."
It is unclear who she received her new puppies from, or what the dogs have been named.
