Dogs and the British Royal Family go hand in hand (hand in paw?). The late Queen Elizabeth II was famously a big lover of Corgis and was the proud owner of several throughout her long life. Like everybody else, the royals are human, and saying goodbye to their beloved pets is as challenging for them as it is for others. Therefore, it’s very sad that Queen Camilla’s pooch has passed away.
Beth, a Jack Russell Terrier, was adopted by Camilla in 2011 at only 12 weeks old, joining another dog of the same breed, Bluebell, in the Queen’s beloved pack. Camilla felt an immediate bond with the pup on a visit to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home — an establishment she has been a patron of since 2016 — and has written about it in the introduction of the book Top Dogs: A British Love Affair.
She wrote, “My own dogs, Beth and Bluebell, cannot claim to have saved any lives, but I am, nonetheless, very proud of their resilience. Beth came from a family who could no longer care for her and poor Bluebell had been found abandoned in the woods, three weeks old, starving, covered in sores, with a docked tail and just a few patches of fur. Battersea nursed her back to health and I fell in love with her when I visited their brilliant centre in 2012.”
The Royal Family announced Beth’s sad passing on social media. The statement on X and Instagram read, “A sad farewell to Beth, The Queen’s much-loved companion from @Battersea_ Dogs and Cats Home who brought such joy, whether on walkies, helping on official duties, or curled up by the fire.”
Per GB News, Camilla’s love for Beth was such that she even worked the dog’s image into her coronation gown in 2023. Bruce Oldfield designed it and said of the experience, “I am honoured to have been asked to design such a historic gown for Her Majesty. This really is the most important commission of my life. Very exciting and very special.”
The beautiful ivory, silver, and gold gown dress featured two dog motifs along the bottom. It was made of Peau de Soi, a silk fabric, in Battersea (appropriately, the location of the animal home Beth came from).
Both Beth and Bluebell have appeared in photoshoots and official royal portraits and joined Camilla and King Charles at various engagements over the years, such as the unveiling of a plaque to mark the opening of new kennels at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2020. Beth, known for being a particularly affectionate pet who was great with Camilla’s young grandchildren, was far more interested in a sausage tied to the unveiling rope than she was in the unveiling itself.
The recently deceased Jack Russell was also a television star. She appeared on the British show For the Love of Dogs in 2022 when she participated in a “loyalty duel” with the late presenter Paul O’Grady and his pooch (per Vanity Fair). Our condolences go out to Camilla and the Royal Family, and we hope Beth is running freely in doggy heaven.