Queen Camilla is heartbroken after her beloved rescue dog Beth died, it was revealed today.
Her Majesty, 77, adopted Beth from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, in South London, in 2011 and fellow Jack Russell terrier Bluebell joined the family the following year.
This afternoon Buckingham Palace revealed that she had passed away. It is understood Beth had an untreatable tumour and had to be put down at the weekend.
‘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’, a spokesman said.
The Royal Family also shared a series of candid pictures of the King and Queen with Beth, including footage of the Jack Russell helping with an official opening.
Beth, along with Bluebell, was so loved by Camilla that she even featured on the Queen’s coronation gown, with goldwork motifs of the two dogs embroidered onto the historic dress which Camilla wore to be crowned.
Camilla took Beth along to compete in a loyalty duel with the late TV presenter and dog-lover Paul O’Grady and his dog Sausage at Battersea’s Brands Hatch centre in Kent in 2022 for the filming of the hit show For The Love Of Dogs.
The royal pet managed to ignore toys and treats to run back to her owner to win the trial.
Beth made a number of appearances at royal engagements at Camilla’s side over the years.
In 2020, Beth helped Camilla unveil a plaque as they opened new kennels for the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
A sausage was tied around a rope attached to a curtain covering the sign commemorating Camilla’s visit, with the then-duchess laughing as Beth grabbed the treat to pull the drape away.
Camilla is patron of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and O’Grady, who died last year, was a long-time ambassador for the animal welfare charity.
The Queen gave a home to Beth in 2011 when she was a three-month-old unwanted puppy, and Bluebell in 2012 after she was found wandering alone in a London park with a painful skin condition.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live in 2020, Camilla – who has owned several generations of Jack Russell puppies – opened up about her love for her beloved dogs.
She told host Emma Barnett: ‘The nice thing about dogs is you can sit them down, you could have a nice long conversation, you could be cross, you could be sad and they just sit looking at you wagging their tail.’
When Camilla first adopted Bluebell, a spokesperson for the royal said the dog had had a ‘really awful’ start in life.
They said: ‘She was just four weeks old when she was found by a member of the public in quite a bad way. She had lost a lot of hair and her skin was pink and sore. The Duchess was delighted to take her on.’
A source close to Camilla added: ‘Beth is a delightful dog and has been wonderful with the Duchess’s five young grand-children – Bluebell is a very welcome addition to the family.’
Camilla was treated like any other potential owners, however, and had to pay a £105 rehoming fee which covers the charity’s costs as well as microchipping, initital vaccinations, flea and worming treatments and a new collar, identification tag and lead.
Battersea does not receive any government funding and is totally reliant on publication bequests and donations.
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