Woman shocked to discover her dog is related to Queen Elizabeth’s corgi

The Queen's corgis Muick and Sandy awaiting her funeral cortege in Windsor
The Queen's corgis Muick and Sandy awaiting her funeral cortege in Windsor (Image credit: Getty Images)

A woman in Yorkshire has spoken of her shock upon discovering that her beloved canine companion is the brother of one of Queen Elizabeth’s corgis.

Nadia Smith welcomed corgi puppy, Wilbur, into her family in February 2021, but it wasn’t until she spotted a Facebook post about the late Queen’s new corgi, Muick, that she realized the two dogs had come from the same breeder. 

“I was in shock when I realised,” said Smith. “I originally thought it was a weird coincidence.

After looking at photos of the two puppies, it was clear to Smith that they’d come from the same litter, something the breeder later confirmed. 

“You never think anything like this will happen to you. “It's such a strange way to be connected to her.”

Smith says that it was the Queen’s love of corgis that fuelled her own passion for them and it wasn’t long before her partner was on board too.

Nadia Smith and her Corgi

(Image credit: Nadia Smith)

“From seeing her with all her corgis, we thought if they're good enough for her, they're good enough for us!”

Muick and Wilbur were the only two pups in the litter, so Smith says she actually got to hold Muick before she and her partner settled on Wilbur.

“We held the Queen's actual corgi - and we own his brother!” she said, adding: “‘The Queen's dog chewed my shoelaces’ is not something you ever expect to say!”

Once Smith learned of Wilbur’s royal connection, she wrote a letter to the Queen with photographs of the pup to let her know and said she was delighted to receive a letter back from Paul Whybrew, the Queen’s loyal Page of the Backstairs.

In the letter, Whybrew thanked Smith on behalf of the Queen and said they were happy to learn that Wilbur was doing well. 

“I felt quite bad that his brother is in a palace and Wilbur is not! But he really is the best. He's so funny, and has so much personality.”

It was announced shortly after the Queen’s death that her son, Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, would take over the care of her much-loved corgis, Muick and Sandy.

On Monday, both of her dogs were brought outside to watch the funeral procession and were later seen being comforted by the Duke of York. 

While Smith thinks of Muick living the high life at his new residence, she wouldn’t trade Wilbur for anything.

"He's kind and sweet but also quite sassy. He makes people earn his trust, and teases people before letting them pet him. But everyone loves him - he has more friends than me!"

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Kathryn Williams
Freelance writer

Kathryn is a freelance writer who has been a member of the PetsRadar family since it launched in 2020. Highly experienced in her field, she's driven by a desire to provide pet parents with accurate, timely, and informative content that enables them to provide their fur friends with everything they need to thrive. Kathryn works closely with vets and trainers to ensure all articles offer the most up-to-date information across a range of pet-related fields, from insights into health and behavior issues to tips on products and training. When she’s not busy crafting the perfect sentence for her features, buying guides and news pieces, she can be found hanging out with her family (which includes one super sassy cat), drinking copious amounts of Jasmine tea and reading all the books.

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