How Many Animals Did Queen Elizabeth Own At The Time Of Her Death?
Queen Elizabeth II became known for many things during her 70-year reign. Whether it be her trademark solid-colored overcoats and matching hats to her subtle yet cheeky sense of humor, Britain's longest-ruling monarch became a respected and beloved figure by her subjects at home and abroad. And perhaps one of her most endearing qualities, in particular, was her clear love of animals.
Many of us can relate to the feeling of loving a pet, and the same was true for the queen. Over her tenure as Great Britain's sovereign, Queen Elizabeth came into contact with animals of all kinds, big and small. From the furry and fluffy to the scaly and exotic, Queen Elizabeth was photographed with creatures from all over the world (per Insider). In addition to visiting many of the world's cute and interesting critters over the decades, Queen Elizabeth accumulated quite the animal collection of her own.
Dogs, horses, and elephants, oh my!
Though the queen was known for her love of animals, her favorites were clearly her dogs. US Weekly reports Queen Elizabeth fell in love with a particular breed at the age of 7, and that breed was the corgi. She reportedly owned as many as eight of them at a time and treated them like part of the royal family. At the time of her death, the queen had a total of five dogs, two of which were her favorite breed.
In addition to her cherished dogs, the queen had acquired other animals as well. The love she held for her pups she also shared with her horses, of which she reportedly owned over 100, according to The New York Post. Horse riding was not only a favorite hobby of the queen, but it was in her blood, as her father had an interest in thoroughbred breeding and racing. Her daughter and granddaughter were Olympic equestrians as well (per Town & Country).
As reported by US Weekly, some of the other animals that belonged to Elizabeth include two giant turtles, a sloth, two jaguars, and even an elephant. Those more unconventional "pets" were gifts from other countries and currently call the London Zoo their home.