By Molly Claire Goddard
1:07pm PST, Jan 27, 2026
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According to the book, The Wicked Wit of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Michael of Kent once remarked that Queen Elizabeth II's corgis "should be shot."
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When Queen Elizabeth II learned of Princess Michael of Kent's comments about her pups, she reportedly gave a bold response. "They're [ the dogs] better behaved than she [Michael] is," she
said.
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Princess Michael of Kent married into the royal family in 1978, when she wed Prince Michael of Kent — who is Queen Elizabeth II's cousin. The pair share two children, Lord Frederick Michael George David Louis Windsor and Lady Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia Kingston.
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Over the course of her life, Queen Elizabeth II owned 30 corgis. According to
Voyage Around the Queen author,
Craig Brown, the late leader had an interesting way of training her pets. "Coincidentally, the way to scare off a belligerent corgi is the same as for a belligerent human being: a blast from the bagpipes," he
wrote.
"Happily, the Queen always kept a set of bagpipes to hand."
