What Happens to the Queen's Beloved Dogs Now?

Queen Elizabeth II long loved animals and her beloved corgis became almost as iconic as herself.

One royal expert even declared to Newsweek that corgis were the Queen's first and most enduring love.

"She loves animals and she absolutely adores dogs. She always has done, they were her first love and they will be her last," royal biographer, Ingrid Seward told Newsweek, before news of the monarch's death was revealed.

The monarch, 96, died earlier today, and senior members of the Royal Family rushed to Balmoral to be by the Queen's side.

The Queen's ill health turned the attention to her beloved pets, especially her dogs and what would happen to them now.

It is believed she had about four dogs, including two corgis named Muick and Sandy, a Dorgi called Candy, and two Cocker Spaniels.

While there has not been an official plan released publicly on who will care for her dogs, Seward speculated they might go to her children.

"I imagine the dogs would be looked after by the family, probably Andrew [as] he's the one that gave them to her, they're quite young, the corgi and the dorgi."

Author Penny Junor suggested the dogs may be cared for by the Queen's staff who had been integral in their care along with her.

"Care of the dogs has fallen sometimes to footmen but mostly to the Queen's trusted dressmaker, assistant and right-hand woman, Angela Kelly; and to her equally trusted page of many years standing, Paul Whybrew, who was seen walking with the Queen and the dogs in the James Bond spoof," she wrote in her 2018 book, All The Queen's Corgis.

Junor added: "Both are fond of the dogs, have unfettered access to the Queen and are said to be very close to her."

The Queen appeared in a rare acting role alongside her corgis and then James Bond, Craig Daniel, in a special video for the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.

Queen Elizabeth's love for corgis was ignited in 1933 when she was gifted Susan the corgi for her 18th birthday and all subsequent royal corgis bred by the monarch descended from Susan. Since her ascension to the throne, the Queen owned more than 30 corgis and other pets, including different breeds of dogs and horses.

She reportedly stopped breeding corgis in 2015, because she "did not want to leave any behind," in the event of her death according to horse trainer and long-time adviser to the Queen, Monty Roberts.

Elizabeth's love of Corgis is one of the most famous facts about her but less well known is the role she played in creating a new breed of dog, the Dorgi.

One of her corgis bred with Princess Margaret's daschund Pipkin to create a cross between the two.

The Royal Family broke the Queen's rule on no new royal dogs as she ages, but Prince Andrew decided to gift his mother two puppies Muick and a dorgi Fergus last year after the death of her husband, Prince Philip.

Sadly, Fergus died three months later, and so Andrew and his daughters, the princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, gave her another corgi named Sandy.

Then last year, the Queen also broke her own rule and acquired a four-year-old cocker spaniel, Lissy.

Junor described why the Queen's love for corgis has long captured the world's attention.

"It is her love of dogs, as much as anything else, that enables so many of us to feel we have a special connection with," she wrote in her book.

"Strip away the wealth, the privilege and the palaces, and the bond she has with her dogs is no different from the bond the rest of us have ours, no matter our station in life."

The Queen's four children Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward arrived in Balmoral with Charles' wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Edward's wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex earlier today.

Prince William travelled by plane with his uncles and Sophie, while his brother Prince Harry is reported to be in transit to the castle.

Elizabeth's daughter, Princess Anne, was already at the castle.