Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to take care of Queen's beloved corgis

11 September 2022, 18:23

The Duke and Duchess of York will take on Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved corgis after Sarah Ferguson “bonded” with the late monarch over dog walks

Prince Andrew, 62, gave his mother two dogs, Muick and Fergus, in an attempt to cheer her up during lockdown when the Duke of Edinburgh was in hospital.

The puppies had been found by the Duchess, who continues the live with the Duke at Royal Lodge, Windsor, despite their divorce in 1996.

Fergus died last May but he was replaced with another corgi, Sandy, who together with Muick brought “constant joy” to the late monarch.

A source close to the Duke told The Telegraph: “The Duchess bonded with Her Majesty over dog walking and riding horses and even after her divorce, she would continue her great friendship with Her Majesty, by walking the dogs in Frogmore and chatting.”

In a statement released on Thursday, the Duchess described her heartbreak at the Queen’s passing.“To me, she was the most incredible mother-in-law and friend,” she said.“I will always be grateful to her for the generosity she showed me in remaining close to me even after my divorce. I will miss her more than words can express.”

The corgis are expected to move into Royal Windsor Lodge, the £30 million residence which has belonged to Prince Andrew since the Queen Mother's death in 2002.

The residence boasts 30 rooms, including grand living rooms, a conservatory and reportedly an indoor swimming pool.

The estate covers 98 acres of land, compared to Buckingham Palace's 42 acres, meaning the corgis will have plenty of space to play.

Corgis were first introduced to the royal family during King George VI's reign in 1933, when the family first welcomed a Pembrokeshire Welsh Corgi.

The Queen has also owned 'dorgis' - a cross between a corgi and a dachshund.

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The Queen was gifted her first ever corgi, Susan on her 18th birthday in 1944 and the monarch snuck the dog on her honeymoon with Prince Phillip three years later as the dog had not wanted to leave her side.

It has been reported Prince Phillip 'loathed' the Queen's corgis because they were "too yappy" - but this didn't stop the monarch from filling Buckingham Palace with the dogs.

Three of the Queen's dogs, Monty, Willow and Holly appeared in the Queen's viral James Bond sketch during the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony - the sketch has been viewed over 50 million times on Youtube.