London, 7 December 2025 – In a statement that left millions reaching for tissues rather than tea cups, Buckingham Palace confirmed in the early hours of this morning that Willow, the King’s beloved Jack Russell-corgi cross and the last surviving dog from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal kennel, has died peacefully at Windsor Castle at the age of sixteen.
The brief but deeply poignant announcement, released at 2:17 a.m., read:
“It is with profound sadness that His Majesty The King announces the death of Willow, who passed away peacefully in the early hours of this morning at Windsor Castle, surrounded by His Majesty and members of the Royal Family.
Willow, who joined the Royal Household in 2009 as a gift to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, remained a constant and cherished companion to the late Queen and, in recent years, to His Majesty. The King and Queen are deeply grateful for the many messages of sympathy they have already received from the public.”
While the Palace stressed that no formal period of Court Mourning will be observed—Willow was, after all, a dog—the news has triggered an outpouring of national grief rarely seen outside human royal deaths.
A Nation in Tears
By sunrise, the gates of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Balmoral were already submerged under a carpet of flowers, dog treats, chewed tennis balls, and handwritten letters addressed simply to “Willow, Heaven.” Social media timelines—usually dominated by politics, football, and the latest Netflix drama—were flooded with the same three words: “Thank you, Willow.”
One viral post by @RoyalWatcherUK, viewed more than 42 million times, captured the mood: “She wasn’t just the Queen’s dog. She was Britain’s dog. The last living link to Her late Majesty in fur form. RIP little one.”
Even Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paused during a morning broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme to pay tribute: “Willow was more than a pet; she was a national treasure who brought comfort to Her late Majesty in her final years and joy to His Majesty in his first years on the throne. The whole country mourns with the Royal Family today.”
From Sandringham Puppy to Windsor Matriarch
Willow’s story began in 2009 when a Norfolk breeder presented the then-Prince Charles with a tiny Jack Russell-corgi cross puppy as a gift for his mother. The Queen, already the owner of more than thirty corgis during her reign, reportedly took one look at the scruffy, big-eared newcomer and declared, “She’s perfect. We’ll call her Willow—like the tree that bends but never breaks.”
Unlike the pure-bred Pembroke Welsh corgis that became synonymous with the late Queen, Willow’s mixed heritage gave her a longer snout, slightly taller legs, and what palace staff affectionately called “a proper little scamp personality.” She quickly established herself as the boldest member of the royal pack, famous for nipping the ankles of footmen who moved too slowly with the afternoon tea tray and once stealing a sausage straight from Prince Philip’s plate during a Balmoral barbecue—an incident the late Duke apparently found hilarious.
Photographers lucky enough to capture the royal dogs on walks soon learned that Willow was the one most likely to break formation and bound toward the camera lens, tail wagging like a helicopter blade. One iconic image from 2016 shows the Queen laughing uncontrollably as Willow attempts to “herd” a group of startled Canadian Mounties during a state visit.
The Last Link to a Vanishing Era
Willow’s significance went far beyond her mischievous charm. When Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, the nation fixated on the fate of her two remaining corgis, Sandy and Muick. Few realised that Willow—technically owned by the then-Prince of Wales but always considered “Mummy’s dog”—was still very much part of the royal household.
After the late Queen’s death, King Charles III made the decision that Willow would not be rehomed. Instead, she moved permanently into Windsor Castle, sleeping on a silk cushion at the foot of the King’s bed and accompanying him on morning walks around the Great Park. Palace insiders say His Majesty would often pause to let Willow sniff the same patches of grass her mistress had walked decades earlier.
“Willow was his last living connection to his mother in the castle,” a senior aide told The Times this morning. “Every time she looked up at him with those big brown eyes, he saw Mummy.”
The Final Days
Sources close to the Royal Household revealed that Willow’s health had been declining steadily since the summer. The sixteen-year-old—ancient in dog years—had developed severe arthritis in her back legs and was losing her sight. Despite the best care from the royal veterinary team, including daily sessions of hydrotherapy in a specially installed pool at Windsor, her quality of life began to deteriorate rapidly in recent weeks.
On Friday evening, the King cancelled all engagements and remained at Windsor. Veterinary specialists were called to the castle, and it became clear that the kindest option was to let Willow go. She passed away at 1:43 a.m., curled up on her favourite tartan blanket, with the King gently stroking her ears—one of the same gestures the late Queen had used for decades.
A Nation Remembers
Across Britain, landmarks dimmed their lights in quiet tribute. Blackpool Tower went dark for fifteen minutes. Even the London Eye paused its rotation at 8 p.m. tonight “in memory of a very good girl.”
Pet shops reported being cleared out of dog treats as people bought packets to leave at palace gates. One card attached to a bouquet outside Windsor read simply: “Run free with your corgi brothers and sisters again. Love from the Nation.”
Perhaps the most touching moment came when the King and Queen, visibly emotional, stepped out briefly onto the Cambridge Gate balcony at Windsor this afternoon to view the sea of tributes. The Queen carried a small framed photograph of Willow as a puppy sitting on the late Queen’s lap—taken on Willow’s very first day at the palace in 2009.
What Happens Next?
Royal sources confirmed that Willow will be buried in a private ceremony in the royal pet cemetery at Windsor, close to the graves of Queen Victoria’s collie Sharp and, more recently, the late Queen’s dorgis (dachshund-corgi crosses) Vulcan and Candy. Her headstone will reportedly read: “Willow – 2009-2025 – She made a Queen smile, and a King remember.”
For now, Britain wipes its tears and raises a cup of tea—or perhaps a small sausage—to the little dog who, for sixteen years, reminded a sometimes fractious nation that love comes in all sizes, and that even in a constitutional monarchy, sometimes the smallest paws leave the biggest prints on our hearts.
Rest in peace, Willow. The corgis in heaven just gained the boldest new recruit.
