Pets of the Belle Époque: Princess Elizabeth with a Parrot and a Terrier, 1928

Princess Elizabeth, Queen Mary, the Earl of Athlone
with "Charlotte" and "Snip," 1928
From the  Private Collection of Queen Mary
The Royal Collection

Long before she was Queen, Elizabeth was a happy tot who enjoyed playing outdoors and spending time with the family pets.  In this photograph from 1928, we see Queen Elizabeth (then, Princess Elizabeth) with her grandmother, Queen Mary and the Earl of Athlone outside one of the family residences.  She is joined by a rather substantial parrot named “Charlotte” and a terrier named, “Snip.”  Now, knowing terriers as I do, I am quite surprised to see that Charlotte isn’t in Snip’s mouth.  Perhaps this is the “before” picture.  Nevertheless, Her Majesty looks quite cute.  I wonder if the parrot was named for Queen Charlotte—wife of King George III.  Probably not, but it’s a nice thought.