The Witty Way Queen Elizabeth Responded When a Royal Family Member Said Corgis "Should Be Shot"

Queen Elizabeth II was known for her love of corgis, so it's unsurprising she had an acerbic response to a Royal Family member criticizing her beloved dogs.

In Karen Dolby's book, The Wicked Wit of Queen Elizabeth II, it was revealed that Princess Michael of Kent reportedly shared her opinion on the monarch's corgis, saying they "should be shot" (via the Express). Without missing a beat, the Queen reportedly responded by saying, "They're better behaved than she is."

According to the Express, Princess Michael gained a reputation for making inappropriate comments. For instance, she allegedly called Windsor Castle's decor "awful," and apparently dubbed some Royal Family members as "boring." While her statement about Queen Elizabeth's corgis is undoubtedly shocking, the late monarch had perhaps come to expect the unexpected from her relative.

In late 2024, auction house Hansons acquired correspondence from the Royal Family to photography expert Alan Maxwell, which included a personal note from the late Queen referencing her dogs. The funny note read, "Please check the prints with the negatives to find out which is missing—eaten by the puppies!" and was signed "memorandum from The Queen." Clearly, the Queen's corgis liked to get up to some very naughty antics.

In his book Q: A Voyage Around the Queen, Craig Brown revealed (via Hello! magazine), "Corgis, are, it turns out, an unpredictable, temperamental bunch, one minute cuddly, the next psycho, the Corleones of the dog world." Brown continued, "Dookie did not restrict his aggression to humans: he would happily attack the dining room chairs at Royal Lodge, the family home in Windsor Great Park."

Also in his book, Brown shared the hilarious way the late monarch was able to silence her corgis. "Coincidentally, the way to scare off a belligerent corgi is the same as for a belligerent human being: a blast from the bagpipes," he explained. "Happily, the Queen always kept a set of bagpipes to hand."