A dog owner told of her shock after finding out her pet is the brother of one of the Queen’s corgis.
Nadia Smith, 28, got her corgi puppy, Wilbur, in February of 2021 – and learnt Wilbur had a special connection to the Queen.
After spotting a post on a Facebook group about the Queen’s new corgi, Muick, Nadia quickly realised they had come from the same breeder.
Nadia and her partner, who live in Yorkshire, had toyed with the idea of adopting Wilbur’s brother too, but had decided against it.
After seeing pictures, it became clear that Wilbur and Muick were brothers – the only two in the litter – which the breeder also confirmed.
Nadia, who works in social media marketing, said: “I was in shock when I realised. I originally thought it was a weird coincidence.
“You never think anything like this will happen to you. It’s such a strange way to be connected to her.
“We loved corgis because of The Queen. From seeing her with all her corgis, we thought if they’re good enough for her, they’re good enough for us!
“With her passing, it’s so surreal, you somehow never think it’ll actually happen. Everything stood still.
“When we went to get Wilbur, we picked up and cuddled the other puppy too.
“We held the Queen’s actual corgi – and we own his brother!”
She added: “”The Queen’s dog chewed my shoelaces’ is not something you ever expect to say!”
When they realised who Wilbur’s brother was, Nadia and her partner had sent a letter and photos to the Queen to tell her.
She received a letter back from Paul Whybrew, the Queen’s loyal Page of the Backstairs, thanking her.
The letter said it was good to know that Wilbur is happy and doing well.
Nadia added: “I felt quite bad that his brother is in a palace and Wilbur is not!
“But he really is the best. He’s so funny, and has so much personality.
“He’s kind and sweet but also quite sassy. He makes people earn his trust, and teases people before letting them pet him.
“But everyone loves him – he has more friends than me!”
