THE Queen received a right royal welcome – both human and animal - when she visited Midhurst assistance dogs charity Canine Partners on Thursday of last week.

Highlights of Her Majesty’s visit included unveiling a plaque to celebrate the charity reaching its 750th partnership and the presentation of a posy from seven-year-old assistance dog, Yarna, a black Labrador.

Maybe aware of the important VIP in the room, Yarna dropped the posy at the Queen’s feet in all the excitement before her handler Alison Bailey saved the day.

The dog-lover, who has kept more than 30 Corgis during her reign was seen stroking several of the dogs, praising their remarkable abilities to fetch telephones, take washing from a machine and undo zips.

Queen Elizabeth pronounced one particularly enthusiastic animal rather “licky”.

She appeared particularly taken with the charity’s smallest canine visitor, a 12-week-old black labrador named Flint, who is just beginning his training, stroking him and noticing:

“He’s very friendly, isn’t he? Not shy.”

She also laughed as Wilko, a 14-week-old Labrador, constantly skipping the last hurdle he was supposed to jump – prefering to run through a tunnel instead.

“Is he supposed to do that?” she asked, beaming.

“He’s missed out that end one!”

Admiring the different skills dogs displayed, she also spent time asking handlers for details on their breeding programme, training and how long it took.

Encouraging the dogs at one point, the Queen exclaimed, “Come on!” encouragingly as a young dog attempted to help his owner take her jacket off.

Accompanied by charity operations director David Bailey, the Queen watched dog handlers and trainers put dogs through their paces from the young puppies starting out on training, aged around 12 weeks, to the more advanced training carried out for the young dogs before they are paired with their partners.

The Queen, who was greeted by Susan Pyper, Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex, and introduced to deputy lieutenant Simon Knight and chairman of Canine Partners Trustees, Jackie Staunton, was also presented with gifts of dog blankets in Canine Partners’ purple colours for her beloved Corgis.

War veteran and Invictus Games competitor Jon Flint and his assistance dog Jester, who were special guests at a fundraising event for Canine Partners, in Haslemere, in October, were presented to the Queen.

Mr Flint said: “She seemed really interested in the dogs and it is lovely for the charity to have her visit.”

Canine Partners is one of Haslemere Mayor Malcolm Carter’s nominated charities and the event at Haslemere Museum raised £3,500 for the charity in October.

“I am delighted Canine Partners has had such good publicity,” Mr Carter told The Herald this week:

“The Queen’s visit was a real landmark for the charity.

“I am still determined we raise £5,000 in the town so we can name a puppy.

“There will be several more opportunities for residents to see these dogs in action in the new year.”