Queen Camilla is a proud dog mom as she cradles her new rescue dog, Moley in charming new images released by Buckingham Palace on Sunday, May 18.
The Queen, 77, shared the idea behind the pup's unusual name when it was first revealed that she had adopted him back in February from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. Explaining that the animal “looks like a mole,” Camilla also noted that she adopted him at around eight weeks old after the death of Beth, her Jack Russell terrier.
The charming new portraits come ahead of Camilla and King Charles’ visit to the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show in London on May 19. As part of their tour of the world-famous horticultural exhibition, the couple will view a space designed especially for dogs.
A feature of the RHS and BBC Radio 2 garden includes a path made of bricks that are decorated with the names of RHS patrons' dogs, including Camilla’s adopted Jack Russell Terrier Bluebell, Moley, and Beth, who died in 2024. King Charles’ dog Snuff is also featured.
The garden, which features grass areas for dogs to enjoy and a large tree providing shade, will live on after the annual flower show at the nearby Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, of which Camilla is patron.
In February, when Camilla revealed she had found a new dog to add to her family, she explained how, like Beth, Moley had come from the London rescue center. She said Moley was a “bit of everything,” and the palace clarified Moley was born on Dec. 26. Her mother is half Jack Russell Terrier, while the father's breed is unknown.
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Moley’s arrival came a few months after Queen Camilla's rescue dog Beth, died of what was said to be an untreatable tumor. In November 2024, the royal family announced the news via social media: "A sad farewell to Beth, The Queen’s much-loved companion from @Battersea Dogs and Cats Home who brought such joy, whether on walkies, helping on official duties or curled up by the fire."
Beth — a Jack Russell Terrier that Camilla adopted in 2011 — was such a favorite of Camilla that she was included alongside her other rescue dog, Bluebell, on her coronation dress. The dogs’ likenesses were embroidered near the trim of her gown by designer Bruce Oldfield.
