Queen Camilla has revealed she welcomed a new addition to the family - a brand new rescue puppy. Today, Camilla has been visiting Canterbury, for an historic visit where she unveiled a life-size bronze statue of writer Aphra Behn. She also visited the Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, to celebrate the city's passion for heritage and literature. While there, she affectionately stroked a guide dog while meeting a partially-sighted museum group.
Bending down to stroke Fergie the labrador the Queen remarked about how 'affectionate' guide dogs are. "I’ve just got a new puppy, she’s eight-weeks old," she told owner Susan Mason, 66, who is partially-sighted. When Ms Mason asked what breed she is, the Queen laughed and said: "You may well ask, a bit of everything. It's a rescue dog. It's called Moley - it looks just like a mole.".
It is understood that Moley was born on Boxing Day and Camilla adopted her from Battersea Dogs and Cats home. Her mother is half Jack Russell, half unknown, while her father's breed is unknown. Ms Mason said afterwards that her puppy was named after Sarah Ferguson and that she often calls her “the Duchess”. When the Queen, first entered the Special Exhibition’s Gallery during her tour of Beaney, she made a beeline for a different guide dog, Ralph. Stroking him, she said: “He looks very happy, he can probably smell my dogs.”.
Her Majesty was left heartbroken when Beth, a Jack Russell Terrier, died last November, and when the King attended the Royal Variety Performance weeks later, he told TV presenter Amanda Holden - who is an ambassador for the world-famous Battersea animal rescue centre in London - that they planned to get a new dog.
Camilla, 77, revealed the sad news that Beth had died after developing an untreatable tumour and she had to be put down. Camilla adopted Beth from Battersea Dogs and Cats home back in 2011 when she was just 12 weeks old after being found tied to a lamppost.
Both Beth and Bluebell made history three years ago when they both became the first rescue dogs to move into Buckingham Palace. In 2020, the two dogs appeared in a memorable snap shared to mark Charles and Camilla's 15th wedding anniversary, with them both being cuddled by their owners during a trip to Birkhall in Balmoral.
Upon arriving in the centre of the Cathedral-city Canterbury today, the Queen unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Ms Behn, who is considered to be the first professional female writer in the English language and one of the most popular playwrights of the 17th century which are still regularly performed.
Greeting a line up of dignatories, Camilla looked up at the ominous dark grey clouds and said: "I am just praying the rain is going to hold." Stewart Ross, the chair of Canterbury Commemoration Society then guided her to the statue and introduced her to sculptor Christine Charlesworth, whose artwork was chosen by the public from a shortlist of four.
"Give it a hefty tug," he told the Queen as she pulled the large maroon drape off with the help of Evelyn Cornell, 12. After unveiling the impressive statue, Camilla remarked "she looks rather shy" as Mr Ross pointed out that Ms Behn’s hand was tucked behind her back.
Camilla then headed inside the Beaney, a popular museum, library, art gallery and visitor information centre, where she observed a story time session inside the Orange Room. Pupils from St Peter’s Primary School were learning how writing has changed as they explored a type writer, Canterbury Council’s first ever laptop and letter press printing.
Spotting the equipment, the Queen said: "Oh my goodness, is this an old typewriter?" She then bent down to speak to the children, asking: “How are you getting on? Is it a bit archaic?”. In the library, the Queen spotted her son Tom Parker Bowles’ latest book 'Cooking and the Crown' on display on one of the shelves and proudly said: "That’s my son’s book!" She then met children listening to a reading from Michael Morpugo’s There Once Is a Queen and was told that the author is a local hero and has his own dedicated bookcase.
"All of my grandchildren have read the whole lot" she said, before telling the youngsters to "keep on reading". In the Explorers Gallery, Her Majesty watched members of the Royal Shakespeare Company perform an extract from Aphra Behn’s play 'The Rover'.
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