Queen Camilla Mourns the Death of Her Beloved Rescue Dog, Beth

Queen Camilla is mourning the death of her rescue dog, Beth, who died over the weekend from an incurable tumor.

Palace aides have described Camilla as “very sad indeed” following the loss of her beloved pet, who had to be put down due to the tumor. Queen Camilla adopted the Jack Russell terrier in 2011 when Beth was just three months old.

On Monday, the Royal Family’s Instagram page posted a series of photographs of the queen and King Charles with Beth, including an image of Camilla walking the dog in the Scottish Highlands. “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,” the caption read.

Camilla is an animal lover who is never far from her rescue dogs. The royal is so attached to her canines that she included gold motifs of her dogs into her Coronation dress.

As patron of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home since 2016, Queen Camilla, who adopted Beth after she was abandoned in the street, is passionate about animal adoption. A year later, Camilla adopted another Jack Russell terrier called Bluebell.

Both Beth and Bluebell have joined Their Majesties at various engagements over the years, including photo shoots and official portraits, and the unveiling of a plaque to mark the opening of new kennels at Battersea Dogs and Cats home in 2020. Beth, who was more interested in a sausage that had been tied to the rope that was used to unveil the plaque than she was the engagement itself, was known for being friendly and affectionate and particularly good with Queen Camilla’s five young grandchildren. In one image shared by the Royal Family, Beth is seen kissing King Charles’s nose as he bends down to pet her.

Beth was also something of a TV star having appeared on the show For the Love of Dogs in 2022 when she took part in a “loyalty duel” with the late presenter Paul O’Grady and his dog.

Camilla has always been a dog lover and is a fan of the Jack Russell breed in particular. In an interview with Radio Five Live, 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.”

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home also paid tribute to Beth on Monday. “We’re sad to hear that Beth, HM The Queen’s rescue dog, has passed away. Her Majesty, our Patron, rehomed Beth from Battersea in 2011 and we have many fond memories of Beth visiting our centres over the years. Our thoughts are with Their Majesties at this time,” they wrote on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).