Queen Camilla heartbroken as she says 'sad farewell' to 'much-loved companion'

The Queen has been left heartbroken after the death of Beth, one of her beloved dogs. The terrier was adopted by Camilla from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, along with her other dog Bluebell.

Buckingham Palace posted on social media alongside a montage of images of the Queen's pet: "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 Beth had an untreatable tumour and had to be put down at the weekend. 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.

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Beth made a number of appearances at royal engagements at Camilla's side over the years. 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. And, 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.

The sad news comes as Camilla returns to public engagements following a chest infection. Last Tuesday she arrived at a Booker Prize reception in her first public engagement since falling ill. Camilla joined shortlisted authors at Clarence House on Tuesday afternoon.

It was her first public engagement since she contracted the seasonal bug following her long-haul tour to Australia and Samoa two-and-a-half weeks prior. The Queen’s illness forced her to miss gathering with the King, the Princess of Wales and the rest of the royal family at the annual Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph and the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall the evening before.