THE Queen is being helped through the royal crisis by some new additions to her household — two adorable corgi puppies.
The dogs have cheered her up while Prince Philip, 99, is in hospital — and as Buckingham Palace braces itself for Prince Harry and Meghan’s bombshell Oprah interview.
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The 94-year-old monarch — who has had more than 30 dogs over the years — is said to be delighted with the extra company at Windsor Castle, having had only one since the end of last year.
An insider said: “The Queen is delighted. It’s unthinkable that the Queen wouldn’t have any corgis.
“It’s like the Tower of London not having any ravens. They have only been there a couple of weeks but are said to be adorable and made the castle their home.
“Both are said to be bringing in a lot of noise and energy into the castle while Philip is in hospital.”
It is believed the dogs were a gift and the first the Queen has owned that are not direct descendants from a corgi called Susan that she received for her 18th birthday in 1944.
They have been named but it has not revealed what the names are, nor the pups’ ages or genders.
The Queen has doted on dogs all her life and has owned a corgi or a dorgi — a cross between a dachshund and a corgi — since she was 18.
In 1991, the Queen needed three stitches after breaking up a fight between eight of her corgis.
Her most famous pooch Monty appeared in her 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony clip with James Bond star Daniel Craig.
In April 2018, Willow, a 14th- generation descendant, was put down after a cancer-like illness.
The Queen’s final corgi, Whisper, died six months later.
She has had only one dog, a dorgi called Candy, since Vulcan, also a dorgi, died last November.
Insiders thought at the time that the Queen would never get another pet after she stopped breeding her dorgis in 2018.
It was said that she was afraid of leaving them behind when she dies.
There were also fears the Queen was worried the dogs could be a trip hazard in her old age.
Royal biographer Penny Junor said: “A few years ago it was decided she would have no more.
“But her corgis are hugely important to her. They have over the years been closer to her than any human being.
“The corgis are intensely loyal and loving and they have never let her down.
“And of course corgis also seldom rush off to LA to give interviews.”
The Queen has been isolated at Windsor Castle with a loyal band of staff dubbed HMS Bubble.
Pedigree chums
1933: King George VI gives Welsh corgi Dookie to the then Princess Elizabeth and her sister, Margaret.
1944: Elizabeth gets corgi Susan, above, for her 18th birthday.
1955: Susan’s descendants, Whisky and Sherry, given to young Prince Charles and Princess Anne.
1959: Susan dies. Queen designs her gravestone.
1971: Queen’s corgi Tiny mates with a dachshund. Six dorgis are born.
1999: Footman demoted for pouring booze into corgi’s food.
2015: Queen stops breeding dogs.
2020: Her Majesty is down to her last dorgi, Candy, after Vulcan dies.
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She has not been able to see her family since the beginning of December because of the lockdown.
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And she had been totally alone since her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, went into hospital last month. It is understood the new dogs have arrived while he has been in hospital.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
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