The Queen has reportedly been hit “extremely hard” by the loss of her corgi Willow who died on Sunday - ending Her Majesty’s close association with the breed dating back eight decades.

The dog, which was 14th generation and descended from the Queen’s first dog Susan, was suffering from a cancer-related illness.

It is understood The Queen did not want Willow, who was almost 15, to suffer any further. Insiders said she was hit “extremely hard” by the loss of Willow, who had become her most devoted companion.

As a descendant of Susan, who was an 18th birthday present when she was then Princess Elizabeth, Willow had a particularly close link with the Queen.

On her 90th birthday, when she posed for portraits with her grandchildren, she also let her dogs share the limelight. Willow was one of four dogs at the time who featured in a picture with her, taken on steps in the grounds of Windsor castle.