Queen Camilla pictured with her Jack Russell terrier Beth in 2012 in London. Photo / Getty Images
The Queen has been left heartbroken by the death of Beth, her beloved rescue Jack Russell terrier.
The news was announced on the Royal family’s official page on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a montage of images.
It said: “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.”
It is understood the dog had an untreatable tumour and had to be put down at the weekend.
The Queen adopted two terriers, Beth and Bluebell, in 2011 and 2012. Beth was 4 weeks old when abandoned, while Bluebell was discovered wandering around in the woods with no fur. At the time, a royal source described Beth as a “delightful dog” who had been “wonderful” with Camilla’s five young grandchildren.
Camilla, 77, was so attached to the dogs that their likenesses were embroidered into her Coronation gown, and they regularly formed part of her public engagements.
In 2020, Beth even helped unveil a plaque when, as Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla opened new kennels at the Battersea Dogs and Cats rescue centre in Windsor. A sausage was tied to the rope cord.
And in 2022, when she guest edited Country Life magazine, Beth and Bluebell had a starring role, posing in a string of her own pearls for the magazine’s Girls in Pearls portrait.
The Queen once said she could not imagine life without the two “colourful characters” and was “very proud of their resilience”, adding: “I cannot imagine my life, my home or my sofas without them.”
Speaking about the moment she adopted the dogs, she told BBC Radio 5 Live in 2020: “Along I went to Battersea, and Beth appeared, and she had just been moved from pillar to post and dumped. We thought it would be nice for her to have a friend.
“They found [Bluebell] two or three weeks later, wandering about in woods, no hair on her, covered in sores, virtually dead. And they nursed her back to life and her hair grew again. She’s very sweet but a tiny bit neurotic, shall we say.
“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.”
During a state visit to Germany in March last year, the Queen told schoolchildren: “I love dogs. Dogs are my favourite animal. I have two pet dogs, they are Jack Russell terriers Beth and Bluebell and I rescued them. They were left by the side of the road to die. I’m patron of Battersea Cats and Dogs Home, and kind people come along and rescue them.”
The Queen was named patron in 2017, taking over from Elizabeth II. She took Beth and Bluebell back to the rescue centre for the occasion and Beth was put through her paces on the outdoor agility course. Camilla said at the time: “I hope I will be patron of Battersea as long as I am standing.”
At a celebration marking the home’s 160th birthday in 2022, she appealed to anyone looking for a dog or a cat to visit Battersea to find a “friend for life”, adding: “You have all seen how easy it is to go there and come out with an animal. I’ve done it twice.”
In honour of her passion for dogs, willow sculptures of Beth and Bluebell were made earlier in 2024 by artist Emma Stothard, who established her business with the help of a loan from The Prince’s Trust.
The Queen was shown the sculptures during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show, where they were on display before being taken to Highgrove. “Oh look at them and look at their bowls!” she said, laughing.
New York Times: The importance of specialised care for fragile new mothers.