Hidden away in the grounds of Glamis Castle, in Angus, is a tiny pet cemetery, the final resting place of beloved Royal pets, among them the four-legged companions of the late Queen Mother, who grew up here.
Bordering the castle’s Italian Garden, the secluded graveyard is something of a contrast to its neatly manicured neighbour, a quiet clearing in the fir trees and rhododendron where a curving line of small headstones remember once faithful friends, most of them dogs, buried in the 1970s and 80s.
They include Fizz Whizzie (1961-75), Johnny (1972-77), Puffin (1967-82) and Charlie (1977-89), all commemorated on one headstone. Next to this is the more recent grave of labrador Hercules (1992-2006). But it is not only canine companions that were laid to rest here – there is also a poignant memorial to Happy, ‘our guinea pig’ (1993-97).
While not all are Royal pets, they enjoy a noble lineage as the castle is home to the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and has a regal history.
Glamis Castle began life as a royal hunting lodge. The oldest part of the building, the main keep, dates from the 14th century, when Robert the Bruce gifted the land to the Bowes-Lyons family, although much of the present structure dates from the 17th century when the castle was altered and extended. It was the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who was born here in August 1900.
The young Lady Elizabeth grew up in the castle and, during the First World War, when it became a military hospital, the teenager helped tend to wounded soldiers. She married Prince Albert (later King George VI) in 1923 and the couple spent part of their honeymoon at Glamis. Their second daughter, Princess Margaret, was born in Glamis in 1930 and both Princess Margaret and her older sister, Elizabeth spent many childhood holidays here. While the Queen Mother appears to have favoured labradors, the young Queen Elizabeth fell for corgis and is pictured, as a child, descending the steps at Glamis Station with her first, Dookie, who was notoriously badly behaved.
Adopting the title of Queen Mother in 1952 when her eldest daughter Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne, she made frequent returns to Glamis Castle, which was always regarded as her ancestral home, although in later life she spent more time at Castle of Mey, in Caithness. She died in 2002.
The pet cemetery can be most easily found by following the Italian Garden trail, one of a number of paths exploring the castle grounds. It lies in woodland to the east of the castle’s main front lawn. Tickets for access to the gardens and grounds, open daily throughout the summer, cost £7.50 (adults) and £4.50 (children).
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