Queen Camilla expressed her delight and a touch of regret during a visit to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where she officially opened a new dog-friendly garden. The monarch was visibly charmed by a tiny Jack Russell cross puppy, and upon learning the once-homeless dog had already found a new owner, she playfully declared, "I’d have taken him," eliciting laughter from those present.
The garden, co-designed for dogs by TV gardener and author Monty Don, was first unveiled at the Chelsea Flower Show before being relocated to its new site at the south London sanctuary. Addressing guests, including celebrity supporters Amanda Holden, Sue Perkins, David Gandy, and Dame Jacqueline Wilson, the Queen spoke of her long-standing interest in the project. "I feel like I’ve watched it grow up," she remarked. "I saw it at the planning stage, I saw it at Chelsea, and I’ve seen it here, where it’s going to be so wonderful for all the dogs to roam around." Camilla, who has adopted three rescue dogs from Battersea over the years, including her latest pet Moley, noted that her own canine companion had been left at home due to the warm weather.
Upon her arrival, the Queen was greeted by several of Battersea’s more cuddly resident dogs, including seven-week-old Dipsy, whom she affectionately tickled behind the ear. Her humorous comment about missing out on the Jack Russell puppy came after Nake Florin, the charity’s behaviour manager responsible for animal wellbeing, who was holding the diminutive puppy in one hand, informed her that the dog had already been adopted by one of the charity’s dedicated staff members. Broadcaster Amanda Holden, a Battersea ambassador for 12 years, later recounted making the Queen laugh with an anecdote about her husband’s amusing reaction to their rescue dog, Mini, rolling onto its back for a stomach tickle whenever he sees the pet. "My husband said why can’t you be more like that," Holden shared, adding of the Queen: "She’s just one of those people that’s genuinely nuts about dogs."
During her tour, Camilla observed the dog-friendly garden’s features, which include a lawn, trees, and shrubs, watching one pet playfully jump into a small pond and run about the borders. Monty Don elaborated on the garden’s evolution from its Chelsea debut to its new permanent home at Battersea. "It wasn’t about relocating a Chelsea garden, Chelsea was a stage of the journey to here and I quite like the fact it’s changed," he explained. "We haven’t just plonked down a Chelsea garden, we’ve changed the site and made it work for the dogs. We wanted the dogs to run and leap and jump and roll and sniff, whereas at the Chelsea garden it was too precious."
