Royals and their dogs: 21 photos of royal families from around the world with their pet pooches

From Sheikh Hamdan's pet Baloo to Queen Elizabeth II's corgis and Norway's royal labradoodles

A dog, they say, is man's best friend. And the saying certainly applies to sheikhs, kings, queens, princes and princesses the world over, who have historically strong bonds with their canine friends.

From Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's throwback photo with a pet pooch, to Japan's Empress Masako and her husband Emperor Naruhito with their pet dog Yuri, here, we celebrate royals from around the world with their beloved pets.

Click through the gallery above to see international royals, from past and present, with their pet dogs. 

This week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced the sad death of their family dog, Lupo, a black English cocker spaniel.

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The British royal family has a long tradition of owning dogs, from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and their pugs, to Queen Elizabeth II and her beloved corgis.

In her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth II is thought to have owned more than 30 corgis, including Monty, Emma, Linnet, Willow and Holly. Her last corgi died in 2018. She has also owned cocker spaniels and dorgis, which are dachshund-corgi crossbreeds.

The late Thai King Bhumibol took in Thong Daeng, which means "copper" in English, a street dog puppy who was sent to the palace after the monarch took an interest in the treatment of street dogs in the Bangkok suburb of Wang Thonglang. He went on to write a biography for Thong Daeng, describing her as "a common dog who is uncommon".