🔥 TRAGEDY: A beloved member of the Royal Family passed away in the early hours of this morning…

December 2025 – In a statement that left millions reaching for tissues rather than tea cups, Buckingham Palace confirmed in the early hours of this morning that Willow, the King’s beloved Jack Russell-corgi cross and the last surviving dog from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal kennel, has died peacefully at Windsor Castle at the age of sixteen. The brief but deeply poignant announcement, released at 2:17 a.m., read: “It is with profound sadness that His Majesty The King announces the death of Willow, who passed away peacefully in the early hours of this morning at Windsor Castle, surrounded by His Majesty and members of the Royal Family.

Willow, who joined the Royal Household in 2009 as a gift to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, remained a constant and cherished companion to the late Queen and, in recent years, to His Majesty. The King and Queen are deeply grateful for the many messages of sympathy they have already received from the public.” While the Palace stressed that no formal period of Court Mourning will be observed—Willow was, after all, a dog—the news has triggered an outpouring of national grief rarely seen outside human royal deaths. A Nation in Tears By sunrise, the gates of Buckingham

Palace, Windsor Castle, and Balmoral were already submerged under a carpet of flowers, dog treats, chewed tennis balls, and handwritten letters addressed simply to “Willow, Heaven.” Social media timelines—usually dominated by politics, football, and the latest Netflix drama—were flooded with the same three words: “Thank you, Willow.” One viral post by @RoyalWatcherUK, viewed more than 42 million times, captured the mood: “She wasn’t just the Queen’s dog. She was Britain’s dog. The last living link to Her late Majesty in fur form. RIP little one.” Even Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paused during a morning broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme to pay tribute: “Willow was more than a pet; she was a national treasure who brought comfort to Her late Majesty in her final years and joy to His Majesty in his first years on the throne. The whole country mourns with the Royal Family today.”