Queen Elizabeth used bagpipes to stop her beloved corgis barking
The late monarch, who died aged 86 in September 2022, at her Balmoral estate in Scotland, was famous for her love for her collection of corgis and dorgis, and royal expert Craig Brown has said in his new book 'Q: A Voyage Around the Queen' she used an unusual method for keeping them quiet
26 October 2024
He wrote in his tome: "Coincidentally, the way to scare off a belligerent corgi is the same as for a belligerent human being: a blast from the bagpipes.
"Happily, the Queen always kept a set of bagpipes at hand."
Her late Majesty also kept a bagpipe player, Jim Motherwell, on hand in the 1990s, and in Craig's book he quoted the musician speaking to fellow royal biographer Penny Junor as saying the "pitch of the pipes seem to hurt most dogs' ears".
The musician added in his quote: "Most corgis stop whatever they are doing and slink away, as though in pain."
Craig also recalls in his book how she deployed a more basic method of quietening down her corgis when she invited former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to Balmoral.
He said when Mr Brown and his family were "surrounded" by her corgis, the ex-PM's sons were "delighted and shocked in equal measure when she told one of her dogs to 'shut up'".
He added the late Queen's dogs were renowned as "unpredictable" and "temperamental", with behavioural issues.
Craig also said many people had been bitten by them.
He added the corgis and dorgis were "one minute cuddly" and "the next psycho"
Referring to the mafia family in 'The Godfather', the writer branded them "Corleones of the dog world".
He stressed even thought the pets were unpredictable they brought the Queen a huge sense of comfort as they were "rebellious in a way that Queen Elizabeth II could never be".
Craig added: "Their clamour was her refuge, their indifference her comfort."
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