![]() 英国女王伊丽莎白二世的爱犬“霍莉”因病痛缠身,上周接受安乐死。13岁的“霍莉”上周在苏格兰巴尔莫勒尔庄园接受安乐死,被埋在花园中,这样女王透过古堡衣帽间的窗户就能看到“霍莉”的墓地。
The Queen has been left distraught following the death of one of her two surviving corgis. Thirteen-year-old Holly, who appeared in the celebrated James Bond sketch for the opening of the London Olympics in 2012, was put down at Balmoral last week. The Queen took the heartbreaking decision to summon a vet for the dog, which was suffering from illness and the effects of old age. On average, corgis age a little over six times faster than humans, making Holly the equivalent of 81, nine years younger than her royal mistress. Insiders say she was ‘very sad’ after the decision was taken to have Holly put to sleep. The Queen was deeply upset but she doesn’t like seeing her dogs suffer and Holly had reached a very good age,’ said one. ‘She gets more unsettled if they are distressed and she knows that putting a dog down is often the kindest solution. ‘She was devoted to Holly and wherever the Queen was, the dog was never far behind.’ I understand that the faithful companion has been buried in the castle grounds at a spot the Queen can see from her drawing room window. In due course there will almost certainly be a headstone marking the resting place. Last year it was revealed that she had stopped breeding Pembroke Welsh corgis because of fears that with younger dogs around her feet she might trip over one and hurt herself. It also emerged that she no longer wanted any new four-legged companions to replace those that died, as had been the practice in the past. Monty Roberts, the Californian cowboy who inspired the Hollywood film The Horse Whisperer and who has been an informal adviser to the Queen on her horses and dogs for more than a quarter of a century, disclosed that she did not want to leave any of her beloved pets behind when she dies. Holly’s death came at the end of the Queen’s summer break, days before she was due to return to London. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘It is a private matter.’ Corgis have an average lifespan of 12 to 13 years, though some live longer. Kelpie, another royal favourite, lived to 17. They haven’t all had long lives, however. In 2003 Pharos was savaged by Princess Anne’s bull terrier Dotty and had to be put down.
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