Many royals have been life-long animal lovers. Queen Elizabeth is known for her passion for corgi dogs – she was gifted her first one at the age of 18 – and she’s passed that love down to her children and grandchildren. The majority of the royals are dog lovers, such as Princess Mary of Denmark and the Swedish royals to name but a few. However there are some surprise animals amongst them – including Sophie Wessex ’s tortoise! Keep scrolling to see which pets light up the lives of these royals.
Meghan Markle
The Duchess of Sussex has long been a huge fan of dogs. When she relocated to the UK in 2017 after her engagement to Prince Harry , she took her beagle named Guy with her. Sadly, her other rescue dog Bogart was considered too old to make the transatlantic journey.
The Duchess has since adopted another dog with Harry, a black Labrador who has been seen running around their back yard in Los Angeles.
Princess Mary
Australian-born Princess Mary of Denmark has long had a four-legged companian in her life from her beloved Ziggy, who died in 2017, to Grace, seen here in 2020.
Kate Middleton
Lupo the spaniel became part of Prince William and Kate’s family back in 2012, when William was posted to the Falkland Islands for six weeks and they decided that Kate would appreciate the company of a four-legged friend. He has become an integral part of the family, appearing with the family on many occasion and in Prince George’s first official portrait.
Princess Victoria of Sweden
The Royal House of Sweden annouced in May 2020 that Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel had brought an adorable dog called Rio into their family. He is a cavoodle which is a crossbreed bred from a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle. An ideal playmate for Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar !
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Sophie Wessex
Sophie and her husband Prince Edward have two dogs (a black Labrador and a cocker spaniel) and a tortoise to keep their kids Louise and James entertained!
In June 2020 Edward opened up about the family’s pets while on a video call with his patronage The Orpheus Centre: “We have two dogs and we’ve also got a tortoise, who basically rules the house!”
Queen Elizabeth
It’s hard to imagine Queen Elizabeth without her precious corgis. She’s owned more than 30 of them during her long reign. On many occasions she’s said: “My corgis are family,” and she likes to feed them personally, whenever possible.
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Queen Margrethe of Denmark
Queen Elizabeth’s close friend, Margrethe of Denmark is a huge fan of Dachshunds and has had several throughout her life. She marked her 80th birthday this year by posing with one of them in the grounds of Fredensborg Castle.
The Dutch royals
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands have three daughters, Princess Ariane, Princess Amalia and Princess Alexia. The family also contains two black Labs called Skipper and Nala.
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Mia Tindall
Princess Anne ’s daughter Zara is married to Mike Tindall. Their adorable daughters Mia and Lena are often spotted playing with their cousins Prince George and Priness Charlotte. The family is completed by a boxer dog named Sway, and two black Labradors called Storm and Pepper.
Prince Vincent of Denmark
Prince Vincent, his twin sister Princess Josephine and older siblings Princess Isabella and Prince Christian are delighted to have adorable dog Grace in their lives
Princess Ingrid of Norway
The Norwegian royals have long had labradoodles in their lives. Matriach Milly Kakao gave birth to nine puppies in 2013 and is seen here in 2019 with Princess Ingrid and one of her offspring.
The Belgian royals
King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and their four children: Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eleonore (pictured) are the proud owners of two cute dogs.
The Duchess Of Cornwall
Prince Charles’ wife Camilla , who is a big animal lover, was seen with her pup Beth at a Dogs and Cats Home in London in February 2017.
Princess Caroline Of Monaco
Seen here with her daughter Charlotte Casiraghi , Princess Caroline grew up surrounded by dogs. Her mom, Princess Grace, was a huge animal lover too and the family home usually had at least one pooch in residence. Here she is pictured with her bulldog Romeo.
Zara Tindall
Zara Tindall, as well as owning dogs, is also an avid horse-lover, like her grandmother Queen Elizabeth. She road her precious horse Toytown in the 2012 London Olympics and when he passed away in 2017, she issued a public statement, saying: “I’m heartbroken to say that yesterday morning I had to say goodbye to my greatest friend and horse of a lifetime, Toytown...he was a huge part of my family, an amazing animal and a true champion. I will miss you for ever.”
Princess Michael Of Kent
Married to Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, Princess Michael is an avid cat lover and often poses with them for her offical birthday portraits.