Home/News/Queen’s weekly visits to walk gamekeeper’s dogs
Queen’s weekly visits to walk gamekeeper’s dogs
File photo dated 29/01/00 of Queen Elizabeth II driving herself in a Land Rover Defender 110 to the stables on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, as one of the most-loved and long-lived road vehicles, and a favourite with the Queen, will cease production when the last Land Rover Defender will be produced by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) at Solihull in the West Midlands on Friday.
One of her retired gamekeepers, Mr Fenwick, died a week ago at the age of 95 and it is said that the Queen is considering giving his dogs a home with her.
She began walking his corgi and Bichon Frise two years ago, after the death of Mr Fenwick’s wife Nancy, who was the Queen’s former dog keeper. The Queen attended her funeral.
After Mr Fenwick lost his wife, Her Majesty would visit the gamekeeper’s grace and favour home near Windsor Castle to help out by taking the dogs for a stroll.
The Queen admires a Corgi at Battersea Dogs Home
A gamekeeper on the Sandringham Estate
Bill began his royal career as a gamekeeper on the Sandringham Estate and was renowned as a national expert on mole-catching. Nancy, his wife, looked after the Queen’s dogs, trained them, managed their diets and care. Mr and Mrs Fenwick’s corgi was bred by the Queen who gave the couple the dog as a gift.
Since 1945 the Monarch has owned more than 30 corgis, all descended from Susan who was a present on Her Majesty’s 18th birthday. The Queen once said: “My corgis are family’ and Susan famously came on the Queen’s honeymoon with her.
The Queen is a true countrywoman at heart
Queen’s way of saying thank-you
“Bill was not in the best of health and was unable to exercise the dogs much.
“As well as the corgi he also had a Bichon Frise. So most Sundays after lunch the Queen would visit him and take the pair out in the park.
“It was her way of saying thank you for being such loyal friends over the years and for looking after her dogs all that time.
“She was very upset to hear about Bill’s death and she is considering taking the dogs if his family can’t look after them.
“Bill was yet another close friend that she has lost in recent years and it must be very hard.”
A royal source added: “It’s true the Queen didn’t want any more young dogs but Bill’s pair are getting on and she is very fond of them, so it’s quite possible that she will take them in.”
More than 60% of British adults say preventing the extinction of curlew and lapwing should be a high national priority, but new polling for Ground Cry also finds most people cannot name the predators ...
Two years of letters to the police are published ahead of a FOI release, and a meeting with the NPCC wildlife crime lead is now offered for November
By News Desk | 22 September 2026
Get the latest news delivered direct to your door
Subscribe to Shooting Times & Country
Discover the ultimate companion for fieldsports enthusiasts with Shooting Times & Country Magazine, the UK’s leading weekly publication that has been at the forefront of shooting culture since 1882. Subscribers gain access to expert tips, comprehensive gear reviews, seasonal advice and a vibrant community of like-minded shooters.
Save on shop price when you subscribe with weekly issues featuring in-depth articles on gundog training, exclusive member offers and access to the digital back issue library. A Shooting Times & Country subscription is more than a magazine, don’t just read about the countryside; immerse yourself in its most authoritative and engaging publication.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
