The heartbreaking reason the Queen has stopped breeding corgis

Her last corgi was put to sleep last week.

Last week the Queen's final corgi Willow passed away, bringing to an end Her Majesty's eight-decade-long love affair with the animals. Willow had a special place in the Queen's heart because she was a descendant of the dog Susan, who the then Princess Elizabeth received as an 18th birthday present. Speaking of the Queen's upset at the dog's death, a Buckingham Palace source 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.” If you're wondering why the Queen will no longer breed Corgis, well, that's a pretty sad story in itself. Three years back, the Queen announced she would not be breeding corgis anymore. The reason was that, because of her age, she feared the thought of leaving any young pups behind when she dies. This was confirmed by Monty Roberts, a horse whisperer friend of the Queen, who told The Telegraph in 2012 that she told him she would not be breeding them anymore. "But she didn't want to have any more young dogs," he said. "She didn't want to leave any young dog behind. She wanted to put an end to it."