Royal Woof!

Inspired By Queen Elizabeth’s Undying Love For Corgis

British Heritage Series

House Of Gharats was founded in Great Britain, and for Neishaa Gharat, founder and creative director, it is now her home away from home. Neishaa’s love of British history, culture and the monarchy inspired her to explore the lady behind the crown, and led to the creation of ‘Royal Woof!’ collection as part of the British Heritage Series.

A love like no other; the Queen and her corgis. This life long relationship between the Queen and corgis, along with her personal possessions inspired our Royal Woof! Collection. 

Understanding the person behind the crown, the woman behind the monarchy and the lady who we call the Queen is something that intrigues us here at the House of Gharats. The Royal Woof! Collection has been inspired by the life of Queen Elizabeth II, from her personal possessions to her relationship with her corgis.

The Queen, like all monarchs in history, is viewed as intimidating and distant, however the Queen’s association with her corgis have humanised and softened her appearance in the sphere of the public eye.

Without a doubt, the Queen looks at her happiest, most natural and unguarded in pictures and sightings when with her corgis. Her corgis do their job well of keeping the Queen happy, especially as she lives a life governed by protocols and customs. In addition, the Queen added, “My corgis are my family” which exemplifies the joy they bring in her life.

Scarf & Pocket Square Collection

All her precious gems

The Queen’s corgis represent a very large part of her life and there have been many. Dookie, Jane, Carol, Crackers, Susan, Sugar, Honey, Whisky, Sherry, Heather, Tiny, Bushy, Foxy, Brush, Smoky, Jet, Windsor Spark, Ranger, Beau, Gambol, Dash, Windsor Myth, Kelpie, Legend, Puck, Phantom, Dagger, Rush, Disco, Phoenix, Pundit, Mint, Fay, Flora, Swift, Minnie, Pharos, Monty, Emma, Linnet, Bramble, Laurel, Jasmine, Cedar, Rose, Larch, Holly and Willow

Dookie 

It was 1933 when Her Majesty’s father brought home the very first of the royal corgis, Dookie, Elizabeth was only 7 years old but since this day her love of corgis has become royal history. The corgi has become an unofficial emblem of Queen Elizabeth, owning more than 30 corgi’s over her reign of 70 years. It was therefore vital that the corgi was represented in our collections inspired by the Queen.

Susan

On her 18th birthday, Elizabeth was gifted a corgi named Susan, undoubtedly one of the most significant corgis in History. Why? Well Susan is the ancestor for the majority of the Queen’s Corgis to date, she holds a very special place in the Queen’s memories. In 1947, hidden under blankets in the royal carriage, Susan rode with Elizabeth as she left with Philip Mountbatten for their honeymoon in Scotland.

Susan was not always well behaved, in fact, she was very enthusiastic about biting the servants legs and her long line of descendants carried on this spirit by biting the ankles of a palace sentry, a policeman and a chauffeur!

Sugar and Honey 

Susan followed her mistress into motherhood with a pair of puppies, Sugar and Honey. A new dynasty was well and truly taking a hold! Sugar was said to be the royal children’s nursery pet and she appeared on the cover of the Australian Women’s Weekly in 1959. It is the glamorous appearance of the corgi which makes them the perfect royal pet, and inspiration for our Royal Woof! Collection.

Monty

Monty belonged initially to the Queen Mother and was taken in by Queen Elizabeth after her death. Monty was said to have a calm and kind temperament, and was one of the best behaved of all of the Queen’s corgis. However, it was his world class performance in the James Bond Opening Ceremony act for the 2012 London Olympics which won the nations hearts! This unforgettable performance has been depicted in the design of the scarf as a 007 helicopter and the Olympic rings can also be seen on a union jack patterned parachute.

Willow

Corgis have been by the Queen’s side for 74 years or 14 generations. It was heart-breaking to hear of the passing of the Queen’s last Corgi, named Willow. The Queen stated that Willow had become her most devoted companion. In 2015, the Queen made the decision to stop breeding Corgis for two reasons. Firstly, she feared that she might trip over these short-structured dogs and hurt herself. Secondly, she does not want to leave any of her corgis behind after she dies.

Colours fit for royalty 

Queen Elizabeth is well known for her vibrant coats and matching hats, bringing colour wherever she goes. It was important to celebrate the Queen’s relationship with bright colours in the design of the scarf, so each of the Queen’s corgis have been designed with a concoction of some of the Queen’s most notable shades!

What is a Queen without her crown, diadem or tiara?

The Corgis were truly Her Majesty’s precious gems, but what a queen without her crown? The Royal Woof! Silk Scarf Collection depicts a number of crowns, diadems and tiaras owned by the British Royal Family, including Queen Elizabeth II. These elaborate headpieces are a symbolic representation of royalty and are strongly associated with Her Majesty. It was important to bring both aspects seamlessly together into one design, and so many of the corgis in the Royal Woof! Collection adorn an elegant royal headpiece.

The Imperial State Crown

The Imperial State Crown is the main crown of the British monarchy and is on display at the Tower of London. The crown has been created from over 3,000 precious stones, with the most famous being the St Edward’s Sapphire, Cullinan II diamond, the Stuart Sapphire and the Black Prince’s Ruby. With such a composition comes much grandeur and splendour, this crown represents the Queen’s role as head of the monarchy and takes pride of place in the Royal Woof! Collection.

The George IV State Diadem 

Possibly the most well-known and symbolic piece in the Queen’s collection, the George IV State Diadem was worn by Queen Elizabeth in the procession to her coronation and for the State Openings of Parliament. The diadem features a set of 4 crosses, alternating with 4 bouquets of roses, thistles, and shamrocks. The motifs are set on a band of diamond scrollwork between two bands of pearls to create an extravagant yet beautiful look.

Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara

Queen Mary first had the tiara made up from a necklace that she was given as a wedding present. In fact, the tiara can still be worn as a necklace today when removed from its frame.The Queen Mary Fringe Tiara is possibly the most famous British fringe tiara, thanks to its use as Queen Elizabeth’s wedding tiara in 1947.

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

A wedding gift from Elizabeth’s grandmother Mary, The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara is said to be one of the Queen’s favourites, she is said to still call it “Granny’s tiara” to this day. It was important to include tiara’s within the design of the scarf that had real significance and value to the Queen, as this is one of her favourite, seen on today’s British currency. It felt only right to have one of her corgis wearing it!

The Cartier Halo Tiara

The Cartier Halo Tiara was loaned to the Duchess of Cambridge on her wedding day, the solid base and slightly angled upright elements create an Art Deco design. It was important to include this tiara in the design of the scarf to incorporate a sense of family.

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

After the fall of the Russian monarchy, many of their headpieces found their way into the collections of monarchs from other countries. The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara came into the hands of Mary, Elizabeth’s grandmother and later onto Elizabeth herself. The tiara has been created from 15 intertwined diamond circles strung together with a diamond ribbon on top and hung with articulating pendant pearls, this grew to become one of Queen Elizabeth’s favourite pieces.

The Order of the Thistle 

The Order of the Thistle is a mark of the highest order of chivalry in Scotland and is the highest honour one can achieve. The Order of the Thistle has been depicted in the design through the Collar of the Order of the Thistle (which looks like a long necklace) and an enormous brooch surrounded by the words Nemo me impune lacessit (No one harms me with impunity). She has recently been painted in a piece commissioned by the Royal Collection Trust with a large white star on her left breast, also known as the Order of the Thistle emblem brooch. The Queen also wears both the brooch and the necklace when attending the Order of Thistle service each year.

The Queen’s favourite possessions 

All the design elements of the Royal Woof! Collection equates to the life of the Queen. They serve to remind us that the Queen and the royal family are only human after all.

Rabbit tea set 

A pink tea set in the shape of a rabbit was among the Queen’s favourite playthings when she was a child, offering a glimpse into Queen Elizabeth’s childhood and a young member of the royal family. We at the House of Gharats decided to commemorate this iconic piece from the Queen’s childhood by incorporating the pink tea set into one of our designs.

Doll 

Both Princess Elizabeth and Margaret used to play with Parisian dolls/figurines throughout their childhood, showing that just like any other child the Queen enjoyed creating stories and playing! We illustrated Queen Elizabeth’s childhood doll in the design.

Leica camera 

Queen Elizabeth II is undoubtedly one of the most photographed women in the world, however, she also enjoys being on the other side of the lens, capturing beautiful moments with her family. We wished to commemorate this love for photography by including the Leica camera into the design of the scarves.

Queen’s hunter boots

The Queen is a big fan of the outdoors, whether it is for walking her corgis or riding her horses. One boot brand stands out as the Queen’s favourite, and it is Hunter. In fact, the Hunter has been supplying the royal family with boots for over 100 years, so it comes as no surprise that Hunter was given the Royal seal of approval and holds two Royal Warrants of Appointment to Her Majesty. We have used the wellington to represent the Queen’s love of the outdoors within the design of the Royal Woof! Collection.

Dog treats 

Have you ever wondered what Her Majesty the Queen carries in her bag? It is acknowledged by many, including the author of What’s In The Queen’s Handbag, Phil Dampier, that the Queen carries treats in her bag for her much-loved dogs. Therefore, we illustrated dog treats in the design.

The royal fabric : Hunting Stewart & Royal Stewart 

Tartans have a longstanding relationship with the British royal family and Queen Elizabeth is a keen supporter of Tartan, often seen wearing the cloth at Highland games or on visits to Scotland.

The Hunting Steward is worn by the Queen when “off duty” and during moments of relaxation. The Royal Steward is probably the most well known tartan world wide today and is the basis of many of the Stewart Tartans. No one is allowed to wear this tartan without the expressed permission of the Queen herself. We at House of Gharats want to commemorate this royal tradition by including the Royal Stewart tartan in the design.

National flowers 

The national flowers of England – the tudor rose, Scotland – the thistle and Wales – the daffodil have been featured in the design Collection to represent Queen Elizabeth’s tie to the United Kingdom.

A royal thank you