The unexpected effect of The Crown’s popularity
The Queen has many unique characteristics that the public appreciate about her – her love for her family and country, her fascination with horses, her stylish hat collection and of course her admiration for Corgis.
However, despite the breed receiving the affection of Her Royal Highness, the rest of the English population have not reciprocated her feelings.
According to The Telegraph, the Queen is even partly responsible for their unpopularity as they have “long been regarded as a breed for the elderly and the genteel upper middle class.”
The situation was so dire that in 2009, Corgis were added to the UK Kennel Club’s list of native breeds that were at risk of extinction.
Thankfully, the dogs have received an unlikely saving grace – Netflix’s The Crown series.
After the second season of the series was released, and the Queen’s inspiring experiences were documented, her beloved breed reaped the benefits.
The Kennel Club have seen such a rise in interest for Corgis that the breed has been taken off the endangered list.
“The Crown has certainly been important in the resurgence of the corgi breed,” Kennel Club public relations manager David Robson said. “It has increased interest in the breed. Following the transmission of the second series, searches for the breed puppies on our website went up by 22 percent.”
Actress Claire Foy, who portrayed the Queen in the series, admitted that she believes the Corgis steal the spotlight in the show.
“When we’re with the corgis, then all the shots are about the corgis and you have to fit your acting around what the corgis are doing,” Foy explained in an interview with Off Set. “Which is absolutely … fine. And is the way it should be quite frankly.”
Have you watched The Crown? If so, share your thoughts on it in the comments below.