Skip to Main Content

Grave of Pookie.

Grave of Pookie, Dog of England's Disgraced King (Gone)

Field review by the editors.

Portsmouth, Rhode Island

King Edward VIII of England abandoned his throne, but not his dog.

Pookie was one of a small pack of cairn terriers owned by Edward and his mistress Wallace Simpson, the American divorcee that Edward chose to marry rather than continue his kingship. Edward abdicated his throne on December 11, 1936. At the time, Pookie was a mere puppy, four months old.

Pookie and her fellow terriers went on to enjoy lives of royal luxury, notoriously spoiled by their famous human owners -- now officially the Duke and Duchess of Windsor -- and accompanying them on their frequent jaunts to wealthy resorts around the world. It was on one such trip, to Newport, Rhode Island, that Pookie died in 1952. The Windsors had her buried in a nearby pet cemetery under a headstone that praised her as "a faithful little friend" and made certain to mention her famous owners.

The pet cemetery, for years under the stewardship of various on-site kennels, was sold to a golf club and abandoned in the early 2010s. Pookie's grave is still there, but for how long? Will property development force her to abdicate, too?

Also see: Roadside Pet Cemetery

Grave of Pookie, Dog of England's Disgraced King

Directions:
I-195 exit 8. Hwy 24/138 south 13.5 miles, staying with Hwy 138. Left (east) onto Sandy Point Ave. for one-half mile, then right (south) on Wapping Rd for 1.5 miles. The grave is hidden behind a stone wall on the right side of the road, roughly at its center point.
Hours:
Headstone vanished around 2016.
Status:
Gone

More Quirky Attractions in Rhode Island

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Rhode Island.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Save Cool Vacation Destinations! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Rhode Island Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Easter Island Moai in America (Mar 25-31, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings

Favorite Quirky City Sights