The Queen's Last Remaining Corgi Has Just Passed Away

Sad news today—Queen Elizabeth II's last remaining Corgi has passed away.

According to the Daily Mail, "Willow, who was almost 15, was put to sleep at Windsor Castle on Sunday." Willow was apparently a descendant of the Queen's very first dog, Susan, but had sadly been living with a cancer-related illness for some time, and the monarch didn't want her to suffer.

The Daily Mail also reports that Susan was a very special birthday present to the Queen when she turned 18, so this particular family of Corgis has been in her family for decades.

Related article: The Queen Has Adopted A New Corgi Named Whisper

According to "insiders," Queen Elizabeth II is devastated about the death of her dog, Willow, and "has been hit 'extremely hard' by the loss."

A source at Buckingham Palace allegedly told the Daily Mail, "She has mourned every one of her corgis over the years, but she has been more upset about Willow's death than any of them. It is probably because Willow was the last link to her parents and a pastime that goes back to her own childhood. It really does feel like the end of an era."

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The royal family made the difficult decision to stop breeding corgis back in 2015, as it was feared that the Queen might trip over any younger dogs that were running around Buckingham Palace and injure herself.

But saying goodbye to the Pembroke Welsh corgis that have dominated her household for decades must be incredibly difficult for the monarch, and Willow will be sadly missed.

Related article: 11 Things You Didn't Know About Queen Elizabeth II

This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.