The Queen is mourning the loss of her beloved corgi Willow today. The 14-year-old dog, who appeared in the 2012 James Bond Olympics sketch, had been suffering from a cancer-related illness and the Queen reportedly didn't want it to suffer any more. Willow died on Sunday.

Britain's monarch is said to have been "hit extremely hard" by the passing of her pet, perhaps because of the animal's link to her parents.

A Buckingham Palace source told the Daily Mail: "She has mourned every one of her corgis over the years, but she has been more upset about Willow’s death than any of them. It is probably because Willow was the last link to her parents and a pastime that goes back to her own childhood. It really does feel like the end of an era."

Willow was the last descendant of Susan, the Queen's first corgi, which she received on her 18th birthday. Several years ago, the Queen decided to stop breeding corgis, afraid she might trip over them; however in in 2017, she adopted a nine-year-old pup named Whisper after its owner, Sandringham's gamekeeper Bill Fenwich, passed away.

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Caroline Hallemann
Digital Director

As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects