Queen Elizabeth II's dogs were dear to her company. What will happen to them now?

See all the records Queen Elizabeth broke in 70 years on the throne 1:34

(CNN) --

When Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, died Thursday at the age of 96, she not only left her nation and family members behind: she also left behind a gang. of canine companions.

Throughout her long life, she was regularly photographed with a Welsh corgi at her feet, a breed of dog that became synonymous with the monarch.

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And while every detail of what would happen after her death was carefully planned, little is known about the future of her beloved pups, who are now looking for new homes.

At the time of her death, Queen Elizabeth had four dogs.

According to the American Kennel Club, he had two Pembroke Welsh corgis, Muick and Sandy, as well as an older "dorgi" mongrel named Candy.

A cocker spaniel, Lissy, joined the gang in January of this year.

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Elizabeth II photographed in April 2016 with her dogs at Windsor Castle.

(Credit: Annie Leibovitz/UPPA via ZUMA Press)

The queen is often credited with creating the dorgi breed when her corgi was crossed with a dachshund owned by her sister, Princess Margaret.

Joe Little, a royal biographer and editor of

magazine , told CNN he thinks the dogs will be left in the care of royal staff before Princess Anne and Prince Andrew adopt them.

"Princess Anne has had corgis of her own before," he explained.

"The two most recent additions are from the Duke of York and his daughters, so maybe they could go with him. It's unlikely they'll split up."

The queen's passion for corgis dates back to her childhood, when she fell in love with her father King George VI's dog, Dookie.

In 1944, on her 18th birthday, she was given a Pembroke Welsh corgi puppy named Susan.

Such was her attachment to her Susan that she is said to have taken her away on their honeymoon in 1947. Susan died in January 1959.

Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by one of her dogs, as she views a display of memorabilia from her Golden and Platinum Jubilees at Windsor Castle on February 4, 2022.

The monarch had dozens of corgis in her lifetime.

One of them, Willow, appeared alongside her in the James Bond skit she recorded for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.

When Willow was euthanized at the age of 14, the queen lost the last offspring of her original corgi, Susan.

According to Reader's Digest, the queen favored corgis for their "energy and indomitable spirit."

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