King Charles and Queen Camilla have had a successful visit to Antigua and Barbuda, following on from His Majesty's solo visits to the Bahamas and Guyana. On Thursday they will be touching down on UK soil, just in time for Bonfire Night. However, it may not be a big celebration in the royal household, and that's because of this one reason…
The royal couple have two dogs, Bluebell, a rescue Jack Russell Terrier adopted by Camilla from the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2012 and Moley, a part Jack Russell Terrier adopted from the same place in 2025.
© Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesIt is well known that dogs can struggle with the loud bangs that come with fireworks, and are often unsettled during this time of year. Plus, the Jack Russell breed in particular, being a non-hunting breed, is said to not cope well with the sounds. So, Charles and Camilla may be spending their post-travel evening comforting their pooches if they aren't happy.
Advice on the Battersea Dogs Home website includes playing classical music to soothe and calm your pet, giving them a long-lasting chew to keep them distracted and also drawing the curtains to block out the light from fireworks.
Camilla's love for dogs
© Getty ImagesThe Queen is a huge dog fan and she's written about her love for her four-legged companions. In 2022, she referenced her pet dogs at the time, Bluebell and Beth, in a foreword for the book Top Dogs: A British Love Affair. "They are both colourful characters – and now I cannot imagine my life, my home or my sofas without them," she penned about her adopted pooches.
This is a passion she shared with the late Queen Elizabeth II who had a long-standing love affair with dogs, particularly corgis. She would often roam around Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle with dogs at her feet. The late Princess Diana, who used to be married to Charles is said to have once called them a “moving carpet” because they went everywhere Her Majesty did.
Camilla's special dog tribute
© Getty ImagesDuring King Charles' Coronation in 2023, Camilla gave Bluebell and Beth, a special tribute. Emblazoned on her coronation gown were gold stitched silhouettes of her beloved pets. The dog silhouettes, the size of a hand, were stitched by the Royal School of Needlework (of which Camilla has been a patron since 2017). Famously, the dedicated school had worked on the coronation robes for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
