The Queen is well known for her love of dogs, and corgis have become a recognised symbol of her 70-year reign. Her majesty has owned an estimated 30 corgis and dorgis (and corgi mixes) during this time.
They have travelled with her by boat, helicopter, car, plane, and train sat with her for photographs and announced her arrival in a room. Three of her corgis famously walked with her to James Bond’s waiting helicopter in the opening of the 2012 London Olympics with one of them doing a barrel roll on the carpet.
In honour of this and to celebrate her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, the Northbank, Victoria, Victoria Westminster and Whitehall BIDs are hosting a corgi trail across our footprints from 31st May through to the end of July.
Decorated by different contemporary artists and named after the Queen’s dogs, 19 corgis will be in public gardens, stations, lobbies and windows.
We are inviting locals and visitors to follow our trail and look out for each unique corgi.
Naming Corgis
The Queen has personally named all her dogs, of every breed, which given the hundreds she has bred over the years, is no mean feat. Some names have been repeated but there is often a theme: flowers, places she’s visited, drinks, trees, metals, car makes and fictional characters from her favourite books.
Each corgi sculpture placed across our footprints has been given a name to reflect this. See if you can spot Dookie – the royal family’s first corgi, Susan – the first corgi personally owned by the Queen gifted to her for her 18th birthday, or Muick – a corgi named after her favourite beauty spot in Balmoral. Other names to look out for include Whisky, Monty, Holly, Sugar, Sherry, Emma, Crackers and Carol, plus many more.
To learn more quirks about the Queen’s corgis and their names visit here.
*Please note, this information has been collated from various online and print resources, but cannot be confirmed as factual.
Artist Involvement
We reached out to 19 London artists to design the corgis. Some artworks have a traditional look while others are inspired by the places the Queen has travelled, and the outfits she has worn, and some are simply artist interpretations. Each corgi has a plaque alongside it which details the name of the artist and the inspiration behind the design.
Featured artists:
Aga Skiba – Conrad London St. James
Alex Cullen – Christchurch Gardens
Alice Greenacre – The Guards Museum
Alison Salter – Strand Palace Hotel
Berengere Ducoms – Charing Cross Station
Dominika Karc – St. Ermin’s Hotel
Hannah Sykes – Cardinal Place
Holly Holder- Eccleston Yards
Jeremy Clarke – Victoria Embankment Gardens
Jurga Amehome – Buckingham Green
Kirsty & Brittany – Victoria Station
Lisa Todd – St. James’ Court, a TAJ Hotel
Soul’D – Nova
Miya Tsuruda-Behan – Cathedral Piazza
Olivia Clarke – Lower Grosvenor Gardens
Olivia Brotheridge – Elizabeth Street
Rebecca Hardaker – Whitehall Gardens
Rowana Mallett – QEII Centre Green
Sophie Malpas – Victoria Embankment Gardens
To view our official corgi map, click here.
Corgi Competition!
We want to see your favourite corgi. Share your photos with us for a chance to win one night’s stay with breakfast, plus a Royal Afternoon Tea for 2 at the Conrad London St. James Hotel using #thequeenandhercorgis and tagging in @victoriabid @thenorthbankbid. For full terms and conditions visit here.
Local Jubilee Activity & Offers
While you’re looking out for corgis, why not visit our local eateries highlighted on the map above, or enjoy Jubilee themed activities and offers. Learn more here.