Historically, the dogs of great rulers are majestic beasts of the hunt: athletic, intelligent and slightly intimidating. Ancient Egyptian rulers kept Salukis. Prince Albert had greyhounds. King Louis XIV declared the great Pyrenees the royal dog of France. Or, the dogs of royalty are the opposite: tiny, decorative fluffs for fancy, silky laps, like Marie Antoinette's pug, Queen Alexandra's Japanese chin and the Pekingeses of the Chinese imperial court.
And then there are Queen Elizabeth II's corgis.