Queen Elizabeth is mourning the loss of her beloved corgi Whisper.
Whisper, the Queen’s last remaining corgi, passed away at the old age of 12 sometime last week in Windsor Castle, according the Daily Mail. The Queen had adopted the tiny companion in 2016 from Bill Fenwick, a former gamekeeper at Sandringham, who had passed away.
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“The Fenwicks looked after their corgis like the Queen did so she knew there would be no problem if Whisper came to the Palace,” a source told the outlet, adding the the Queen chose to change the corgi’s name once in her care. “When the dog was born it was named Wispa after the chocolate bar. The Queen thought it was a bit obscure and preferred the proper spelling.”
“Whisper was a friendly chap and followed her everywhere,” another source said. “The Queen has quickly become very attached to the dog.”
Whisper had reportedly fallen ill several weeks ago, but was well enough to travel back to Windsor from Balmoral at the end of the Queen’s summer break. Veterinarians were allegedly called in after Whisper’s health continued to deteriorate.
Whisper’s death follows the April death of Willow, the Queen’s last corgi that descended from her original corgi Susan, gifted to her on her 18th birthday. The Queen was reportedly “hit hard” by Willow’s death, which came just days before her 92nd birthday.
“It really does feel like the end of an era,” palace sources told the Daily Mail‘s Richard Kay at the time of Willow’s death. “Willow represents a significant thread running through the Queen’s life from her teenage years to her 90s. To think that the last one has gone is something of a milestone.”
Just 18-months before Willow’s death, due to a cancer-related illness, the Queen’s corgi Holly passed away.
First introduced to into the family by the Queen’s father, King George VI, in 1933 with a corgi named Dookie, the furry friends quickly became synonymous with the Queen, who was often seen traveling with them or with the four-legged friends following closely behind her.
Despite their old age, Queen Elizabeth reportedly chose not to continue breeding them, opting to end Susan’s line with her current bunch of descendants due to fears of leaving them behind. It was also suggested that there was concern she may trip over them as excitable puppies.
Although the Queen’s time with her corgis has come to an end, she still has two dorgis – a cross between her longtime favorites corgis and dachshunds – Candy and Vulcan.
