The Strange Way Queen Elizabeth Got Her Corgis To Behave

Now the truth about Queen Elizabeth's corgis can be told: Her pets were often a royal pain (literally). They may have appeared harmless with their cute bunny butts, but the queen's dogs were a rambunctious lot who often broke protocol rules. A new biography, "Q: A Voyage Around the Queen," reveals all about the monarch's pets — including her unique method of getting them in line. 

A fan of Pembroke Welsh Corgis since age 10, the queen would go on to own more than 30 in her lifetime. She was also partial to "dorgis," a hybrid resulting from one of her Corgis mating with one of sister Princess Margaret's Dachshunds. Yet they were apparently unimpressed by the fact their owner was the ruler of Great Britain and head of the Church of England. According to author Craig Brown (via People), the dogs were "an unpredictable, temperamental bunch" who could sit for an ear-scratching one minute and snap at your hand the next. They were even known to go after the ankles of Buckingham Palace guards, a true test of the guards' unflappability. Brown describes them as "the Corleones of the dog world." On top of that, the dogs could make a racket that even the queen's grandchildren found hard to tolerate. William, Prince of Wales, once noted in a TV interview (per The Guardian), "They're barking all the time...I don't know how she copes with it."

Despite their rowdiness, the queen adored her dogs. She took them most everywhere she went, and made sure each one had a diet specific to its individual needs. And when they got too noisy, the monarch reached for a set of bagpipes — yes, she kept the instrument at home! — and let loose with a blow. The loud whine of the pipes quickly silenced the Corgis' yapping. 

Queen Elizabeth had a boundless amount of patience — it was an important part of the job — but even she had her limits when it came to her dogs' barking. Royal biographer Craig Brown notes in his new book the monarch wasn't above snapping an un-royal "Shut up!" to her Corgis and Dorgis when their racket got to be too much. It's likely she discovered through personal experience that her pets were sensitive to the sound of bagpipe blasts. The queen loved bagpipes so much, she kept a player on staff to wake her with 15 minutes' worth of music every morning at 9:00 AM. But the dogs were less thrilled. One former royal piper is quoted in Brown's book as saying, "[T]he pitch of the pipes seem to hurt most dogs' ears. ...most corgis stop whatever they are doing and slink away, as though in pain." Thus came the idea of blowing a few shrill notes to stop her Corgis from their persistent barking.

According to the American Kennel Club, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi does have a "big dog bark," along with an independent nature and stubborn streak.  By using music to distract her dogs, the queen was able to establish her authority in a firm but non-punitive way. (We're not sure if she ever asked her royal piper to step in when the pets got loud.)

After the queen's death in 2022, her two surviving Corgis, Sandy and Muick, were brought outside Windsor Castle to witness the funeral procession passing by. They were then sent to live with the monarch's son Prince Andrew and his ex-wife. Sarah Ferguson has shared updates on the Corgis online, assuring royal fans that the pets are enjoying life on their grand estate. But does she, too, reach for the bagpipes to keep them in line? Inquiring minds want to know.