It’s no secret that Queen Elizabeth II adored her corgis. Wherever she went, the short-legged dogs followed her around, a sight Princess Diana once described as “like a moving carpet.”
Now the late Queen’s affection for her dogs has been immortalized in bronze: a 6-foot-tall statue of Elizabeth and her dogs by London-based sculptor Hywel Pratley was unveiled last Sunday, what would have been the Queen’s 98th birthday. The monarch, who reigned for more than 70 years, died in September 2022 at the age of 96.
The unveiling was attended by many dignitaries. But perhaps more importantly, more than 40 corgis from the Welsh Corgi League also attended the event, before joining a parade to Oakham Castle, where the statue was unveiled.
The sculpture was commissioned by Sarah Furness, Lord Lieutenant of Rutland (Ockham is part of Rutland County). According to BBC News, the project cost £125,000 (approximately $155,000) and was funded largely by donations. Rutland County Council called the artwork “the first permanent monument to Britain’s best-loved and longest-serving monarch.”