One of the Queen's corgis, which appeared in a short James Bond sketch for the Olympics opening ceremony, has died, Buckingham Palace has said. Monty and two other corgis greeted actor Daniel Craig, playing 007 in the short film.

The Royal Family's ties with the breed began when the future George VI bought his first Pembroke corgi in 1933 and in 1940 a young Princess Elizabeth was photographed with her sister Margaret at Windsor with a family corgi.

Throughout her reign the Queen has been pictured with corgis at her side. Here she watches her husband Prince Philip at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1973.

The corgis also appear in many formal portraits such as this one with Tinker, a cross between a corgi and long-haired dachshund, during their traditional summer break at Balmoral Castle.

Sometimes it seemed as if the dogs outnumbered the royals.

According to the Kennel Club, the Queen's favourite dog has seen a boost in popularity in the Diamond Jubilee year.

The dogs were used to travel from an early age. Here corgi puppies are carried to board the Queen's flight at Heathrow Airport to Aberdeen in 1981.

Whilst visiting the Roman site of Vindolanda near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland the Queen met an old acquaintance, a corgi bred by the Queen and now owned by Lady Beaumont who lives in the area.