The late Queen’s ‘cuddly yet psycho’ corgis caused carnage in the Royal Lodge and were sent to ‘soft’ Princess Anne for training, new book reveals

Queen Elizabeth’s greatest love was of course Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years – but it’s safe to say he endured stiff competition from her beloved corgis.

The Welsh breeds became synonymous with British royalty, proving themselves a steadfast presence during the Queen’s reign. But according to Vanity Fair, they weren’t always man’s best friend – and could even be described as ‘psycho’. 

In new book A Voyage Around the Queen by award-winning journalist Craig Brown, he tells the story of the ferocious mutts and their ‘unpredictable’ nature, which saw them hand out teeth-sinking bites to members of the Royal Family, and even a politician.

While the late monarch’s first dog, Susan, was gifted to her in 1944, she would go on to own a whopping 83 corgis and dorgis over 14 generations. By 1984, there was no stopping her boisterous pets, who by then counted Prince Edward and the Queen Mother as their victims.

In fact Princess Anne was enlisted to discipline her naughty dorgi, Honey –  a cross between the Welsh Corgi and the Dachshund – but the ‘soft’ princess was no match.

Award-winning journalist Craig Brown, tells the story of the ferocious mutts and their ‘unpredictable’ nature, which saw them hand out teeth-sinking bites to members of the Royal Family, and even a politician (The late Queen is pictured with her pet corgis at Windsor in 1977)

‘Corgis, are, it turns out, an unpredictable, temperamental bunch, one minute cuddly, the next psycho, the Corleones of the dog world,’ wrote the journalist.

He also spoke about Dookie, the first corgi to enter the Royal Family, thus igniting the Queen’s lifetime love affair with the dogs.

‘Dookie did not restrict his aggression to humans; he would happily attack the dining room chairs at Royal Lodge, the family home in Windsor Great Park,’ he added.

He also revealed that their ferocity bred through generations, as did their bites, with Piper, the great-great-great-grand dorgi of Honey, getting the best of palace visitors and the monarch’s family.

At this point the Queen’s only daughter was drafted in to discipline the dogs, but the writer recalled her having a ‘soft spot’ for the ‘biters’.

According to the book, the monarch eventually found a way to bring her pooches under control using a powerful melody of bagpipes, and since then was never caught without a set to hand.

Far from their cute and cuddly looks, the Queen herself was a victim of her beloved corgis and was once forced to get three stitches after a nasty bite.

In 1968 there was even a call for the royal staff to put up a ‘Beware of the dog’ sign at Balmoral after one of the corgis reportedly bit the postman.

He said Princess Anne (pictured) was enlisted to discipline her mother’s naughty dorgi, Honey – but the ‘soft’ princess was no match

The Queen Mother was among many victims bitten by her daughter’s corgis (Pictured: The Queen Mother with a footman of the Royal Household as he carries her corgis, at London Heathrow Airport in 1990)

The late Queen Elizabeth owned a whopping 83 corgis and dorgis over 14 generations (pictured: The then princess at her home in Piccadilly, London in July 1936)

Over 20 years later, the royal family reportedly hired an ‘animal psychologist’ to tame the dogs.

In incidents dating back nearly 70 years, among the corgis’ victims was the palace clock winder, Leonard Hubbard in 1954, who was bitten by Susan upon entering the nursery at the Royal Lodge, Windsor.

Later in the same year, one of the Queen Mother’s corgis bit a policeman on guard duty in London, a royal corgi Wikipedia page says.

In February 1989, it was reported that the Royal Family had hired an animal psychologist to tame the dogs after they developed a habit of nipping them and the staff.

On more serious incidents, in 1989 the Queen Mother’s dog, Ranger, led a pack of corgis that attacked and killed the Queen’s beloved corgi, Chipper.

The Queen was not exempt from the troublesome behaviour however, as in March 1991 she was bitten by one of the dogs after trying to break up a fight between ten of her corgis. She then had to have three stiches in her left hand.

John Collins, the Queen Mother’s chauffeur, had to have a tetanus injection after he also tried to intervene.