Queen Elizabeth is mourning a heartbreaking loss.
On Friday, palace sources revealed that one of the Queen's beloved dogs, dorgi Vulcan, has died of old age. Vulcan was one of the pups who appeared with Elizabeth on the cover of Vanity Fair in her 90th birthday shoot in 2016.
The royal family has a long history of loving dogs. Of all the family members, the Queen's love has perhaps been the strongest. Up until recent years, she has always owned multiple Welsh corgis, dorgis, and more. She fell in love with corgis as a child and has owned at least one part-corgi dog since 1933. She bred dogs as well but gave up the practice in 2015.
The Queen isn't the only member of the royal family to suffer such a loss recently. Last month, Prince William and Kate Middleton's beloved dog, Lupo, died.
Queen Elizabeth is mourning the loss of one of her beloved pets. Palace sources told The Sun that Vulcan, one of the Queen's dorgis, has died of old age.
"Clearly the loss of a loved pet is upsetting," the source noted.
Vulcan was one of the dogs who appeared with Queen Elizabeth on the cover of Vanity Fair. The photo shoot was part of celebrations for the Queen's 90th birthday in 2016. Vulcan was a cross between a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and a dachshund.
Vulcan has been buried on the grounds of Windsor Castle, where the Queen and Prince Philip have been quarantining and will spend the holidays. The beloved dog's death leaves Her Royal Highness with just one dog left. Candy is also a dorgi.
Queen Elizabeth has a long history with dogs. When she was a little girl, she fell in love with corgis after visiting the 5th Marquess of Bath and seeing dogs belonging to his children. The family got their first corgi when King George VI brought home Dookie in 1933. Later, Dookie was joined by Jane.
For her 18th birthday, Elizabeth was gifted the first dog of her own. The corgi was named Susan. Susan joined the then-princess and Prince Philip on their honeymoon. All of her corgis throughout the years have been descendants of Susan.
Queen Elizabeth bred dogs for many years. The dorgis are a result of breeding Susan's descendants with Princess Margaret's dachshund Pipkin. Between corgis and dorgis, the Queen has had over 30 dogs during her reign.
In 2015, she decided to stop breeding the dogs. She was worried about tripping on the dogs, which have famously led to some hilarious incidents after lying in awkward places throughout Buckingham Palace and other royal residences. She also worried about who would care for them if something should happen to her and didn't want to leave any dogs behind.
Sadly, Vulcan isn't the only dog the royal family has recently lost. A few days before Vulcan's death, Prince William and Kate Middleton's dog, Lupo, died at just 9 years old. The loss was difficult on the couple and their three children.
