The Duchess of Edinburgh delighted onlookers yesterday as she greeted guide dog Jennie during a reception at Buckingham Palace.
Sophie, 60, was attending an event for new MPs when she spotted the golden retriever, who belongs to Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling.
The duchess said: “Oh my goodness, I’m your patron.”
Jennie offered her paw to the kneeling Sophie as they greeted each other.
The Duchess of Edinburgh delighted onlookers yesterday as she greeted guide dog Jennie during a reception at Buckingham Palace
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The heartwarming encounter took place during a special reception hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla for new Members of Parliament and Members of the House of Lords.
Before the meeting, Darling told reporters that Jennie “thinks the Palace of Westminster is her palace, and she’s the Queen of it, and everybody comes there just to love her”.
Dubbed “Britain’s most famous guide dog”, Jennie has become a social media sensation with nearly 20,000 followers on her fan page “Rt Hon Jennie”.
The golden retriever made headlines in 2023 after surviving a vicious XL Bully attack.
Sophie, 60, was attending an event for new MPs at Buckingham Palace
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Darling, who is registered blind, recalled the traumatic incident: “Sadly, it just went straight for the throat.
“We ended up having four people trying to get the dog off of Jennie.”
Since her recovery, Jennie has become a permanent fixture at PMQs.
The MP for Torbay says Jennie serves as a “good bridge builder for people from other parties”, enabling conversations that might not otherwise take place.
Darling also noted her enthusiasm for Westminster as her tail wags excitedly on their commute from Paddington station.
The Duchess was seen in a conversation with Reform UK’s Nigel Farage
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The Duchess wore a white maxi dress with long sleeves, paired with beige kitten heels and gold jewellery including a dainty necklace and patterned hoop earrings.
Sophie, who has been patron of Guide Dogs since 2021, is known for her love of dogs and has three of her own – a Cocker Spaniel called Mole and two black Labradors, Teal and Teasel.
The reception was attended by prominent political figures including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch.
The Duchess was seen in conversation with several MPs, including Reform UK’s Nigel Farage and Liberal Democrat MP Tessa Munt.
Labour MPs Helena Dollimore, Alice Macdonald and Lee Pitcher were also among those who spoke with the Duchess during the event.
