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.
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“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!"
