Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, her husband Crown Prince Frederik and the couple's four children have bid farewell to their beloved dog Ziggy. The Danish royal palace shared a heartbreaking post on Instagram, announcing the sad news that the family pet had died. Ziggy had been a part of the family for 12 years and was a wedding gift to the royal couple. The post read: "Ziggy was a faithful and loving dog, who unfortunately suffered from chronic renal failure and osteoarthritis. Despite this, he had a high quality of life to the end." The gorgeous photo of Ziggy was taken on Sunday, the day of his death.
Princess Mary, 45, has previously spoken to HELLO! about her gorgeous border collie. Describing a typical morning in the royal residence with her four kids Prince Christian, Princess Isabella and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, Mary said: "In the morning we make porridge, and all sit around the dining table. Then we talk and eat, while our dog Ziggy runs in and out. It's really cosy."
Ziggy passed away on Sunday
Ziggy was much-loved by the Danish royals, who have a number of pets. The brown and white collie was often spotted at various official photocalls with the Danish royal family; he also shared the spotlight with Princess Mary in 2013, posing with her in a feature for The Australian Women's Weekly magazine. The Danish Kennel Club presented him as a wedding gift to Mary and her husband Frederik in 2004 as a celebration of their marriage. At the time, the three-month-old pup was called Jezabel, but Mary renamed the young pooch Ziggy.
Ziggy was pictured just ten days before his death
GALLERY: Royals and their beloved dogs
Ziggy's passing may come as a surprise to royal watchers. Just ten days ago, the Danish royal palace uploaded a beautiful shot of Ziggy lying in a bed of flowers. They captioned the Instagram post: "Ziggy enjoying spring."