History

In medieval times, the kings of Europe advertised their majesty to their subjects and visiting emissaries by the richness of their possessions. Carpets, textiles, and tapestries were important factors in these displays of conspicuous consumption.

The era’s best weavers were centered in Flanders, now northern Belgium. It was common for monarchs to stage talent raids to induce Flemish weavers to relocate to their kingdoms. So it was that in the year 1107, Henry I of Britain invited a community of these master craftsmen to live and work in southwestern Wales. The weavers accepted Henry’s invitation and brought all they needed to re-create their agrarian way of life in their new homeland. This included the dogs they bred to herd cattle and sheep. These sturdy, short-legged herders were the foundation for the breed we now know as the Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

The Pembroke has been a distinctly separate breed from his cousin the Cardigan Welsh Corgi since the late 1800s, but the two breeds often intermingled in the old Welsh breeding centers of Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire. Today, the most noticeable differences between the breeds are the ears (the Pembroke’s are pointed and erect, the Cardi’s rounded) and the tail (the Cardi tale is much longer than the Pembroke’s).

The world’s most famous Pembroke fan is Elizabeth II. The queen got her first Pembroke, Dookie, in 1933 and has not been without one or more since.