Wishing a true countrywoman a very happy birthday

The Queen’s country credentials are impeccable.

She’s reputed to have said that if she had not become Queen, she would have liked to have lived in the countryside with lots of horses and dogs. As a child she used to ride pretend horses around her bedroom and has had a lifelong love of horses and riding as we know.

When she was a young girl holidaying at Balmoral, she would go out on the grouse moors with her corgis, who were good at locating the birds but less good as retrievers. So the Queen would stride out and retrieve the grouse herself. Although she doesn’t shoot, the Queen has been described as a very good picker-up.

The Queen is known to be fond of corgis but she is also a fan of Labradors. Her grandfather founded the Sandringham strain of black Labradors in 1911 and to this day all puppies born at Sandringham are personally named by her.

To celebrate Her Majesty’s 91st birthday today, here’s a round-up of the posts we’ve written about this true countrywoman.

A true countrywoman

The Queen once said that if she had not become Queen she would have liked to be a lady living in…

The Queen as a sportswoman

An extract from ST’s 1953 Coronation issue

Bill Meldrum: The Queen’s former headkeeper talks gundogs

Bill Meldrum may have lived down south for more than 50 years but he is a Scottish gamekeeper through and…

A Royal picker-up

Gundogs have been a part of the Queen’s life from infancy. Her grandfather, George V, inherited his own father’s taste…

Queen’s weekly visits to walk gamekeeper’s dogs

We have always known that the Queen is a true countrywoman. One of her retired gamekeepers, Mr Fenwick, died a…