Yup, Wink was an abused victim and lost her eye. Selma adopted her from the Lange Foundation. Wink even flew to Budapest during the filming of "Hellboy II".
Yeah, she got her first corgi, Susan, when she was 18. She bred Susan and has at least 10 generations of Corgis at Sandringham, in the Royal Kennels. They live with her in her private apartments. She's been a Pem lover all her life.
Not only that but she also likes mixing other breeds with corgis. Some true corgi breeders would probably faint at the very thought. But she's the Queen of England, what are you going to do? It humorers me greatly that she does this.
the Queen is well known as an affectionate breeder of Welsh Pembroke Corgi dogs, and most of the pups she keeps from litters are female. Her late sister Princess Margaret had a male Miniature Long-Haired Dachshund called Pipkin who seemed to love Corgis in his own Pipkin way. Despite logistical difficulties, Pipkin overcame problems of height differences, and a litter of seven Dachsund/Corgi crosses were born to one of the Queen’s dogs. As Saint Exupery has it, love inspires more love, and Elizabeth found them appealing enough to christen the type “Dorgi” and arrange for more to be born. (This is occasionally spelled “Dorgie”.)
In 1975 the Kennel Club of England commissioned a portrait of its patron, Queen Elizabeth II. This work shows Her Majesty surrounded by some of her dogs. Centred in the portrait is the cross-bred ‘Tinker’, whose dam was a Pembroke Corgi, his sire a Dachshund. The mix is now a breed the Royal Family calls the “Windsor Dorgi.”
It has been reported that the Kennel Club had been a little miffed by the inclusion of a dog that was not a ‘pure breed’ and pointed out rather sniffily to her Majesty that there was not a single cross-breed dog depicted in any of the portraits hanging in the club. Not suprisingly HRH said that if Tinker were not allowed in the portrait, then she would not sit for it, so the club relented.
Thanks Sam for this interesting historical tidbit; I knew some of the story of the Dorgi but not all the details. I wish we could see a picture of one. I'll have to go search.
I have a framed edition of the Queen's corgi/dorgi family which was issued as a Royal humane society fund raiser. You may find copies still through the internet. It is lovely. There is also a recent BBC youtube clip of a relaxed Queen Elizabeth with the dogs. It's about six minutes in length and really delightful. God Bless the Queen and corgis (who are really in charge!!). Nancy