Queen Elizabeth II, who has died aged 96, was a huge animal lover. At the time of her death, the Queen had four dogs - two corgis, one dorgi (that's a cross between a dachshund and a corgi) and a new cocker spaniel – and they were often seen by her side. Prince Williamhas previously said that the Queen's pets were the secret to keeping his grandmother happy, although he pointed out that they can be noisy. 'I would definitely argue the sanity of all the corgis barking the whole time, I don’t know how she copes with it,' the Duke of Cambridge said in a TV interview in 2012.
His brother Prince Harryalso revealed that the Queen's corgis took an instant shine to Meghan Markle. 'The corgis took to you straight away,' Harry revealed in the couple's engagement interview with ITV in 2017. 'I’ve spent the last 33 years being barked at – this one walks in, absolutely nothing.' According to Meghan, they were 'just laying on my feet during tea, it was very sweet.'
Contrary to popular belief, it's not just dogs Her Majesty has – she actually owns many different animals.
What will happen to the Queen's corgis now?
Now that their beloved owner has sadly passed away, the Queen's dogs will be well looked after. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward predicted that they may be rehomed with her children - 'probably Andrew [as] he's the one that gave them to her, they're quite young, the corgi and the dorgi.'
Another biographer, Penny Junor, who wrote a book called All The Queen's Corgis in 2018, speculated that care could fall to members of staff who the dogs are familiar with.
'Care of the dogs has fallen sometimes to footmen but mostly to the Queen's trusted dressmaker, assistant and right-hand woman, Angela Kelly,' she said. 'And to her equally trusted page of many years standing, Paul Whybrew, who was seen walking with the Queen and the dogs in the James Bond spoof. Both are fond of the dogs, have unfettered access to the Queen and are said to be very close to her.'
However after much speculation and public interest it has now been confirmed that the Queen's beloved corgi's will be looked after by Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah,Duchess of York. A spokesperson for Prince Andrew said he and Sarah will take on the animals, named Muick and Sandy. Both dogs were gifted to the late monarch by the prince last year. However, Sandy's later arrival came as a 95th birthday present from Andrew and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Despite being divorced since 1996, the Duke and Duchess of York still live together at Royal Lodge in Windsor. A source told The Telegraph this week_,_ '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.'
Why does the Queen love corgis?
The Queen's loyal love for corgis stemmed from her childhood. In 1933, when Her Majesty was seven years old, her father King George VI brought home Dookie, a Pembroke Welsh corgi. The Queen and Princess Margaret chose Dookie from a litter of three, remarking that his long tail would 'help them see whether he was pleased or not'.
It is thought that the Queen had at least 30 corgis throughout her 70-year reign.
In 1944, on her 18th birthday, the Queen was gifted a corgi named Susan, from whom the rest of her corgis are said to be descended. Her Majesty had a strong bond with her, so strong that the Queen snuck Susan on her honeymoon in 1947 - much to the despair of husband Prince Phillip.
How many corgis did the Queen have at the end of her life?
The Queen had two pure-bred corgis called Muick and Sandy. They were gifted to her by the Duke of York and his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to keep her company during lockdown and while Prince Philip was in hospital. They were said to be a 'constant joy' to her during that difficult time period. She had many more but most of Her Majesty’s older corgis have passed away in recent years. She also had a dorgi called Candy (believed to have been around for at least 10 years) and a cocker spaniel named Lissy. Lissy was the newest edition and joined the pack in January 2022. The Queen was known to walk her dogs twice a day. The first walk took place after the corgis received their lunch and she was often accompanied by a footman.
Is there really a corgi room in Buckingham Palace?
Yes! The Queen's corgis live a life of luxury in a special corgi room at Buckingham Palace. Darren McGrady, a chef who worked at the palace for 15 years, revealed, 'They sleep in little wicker baskets in the corgi room and [are] looked after by two footman called Doggie 1 and Doggie 2, that’s what they called them.' They are quite the spoiled pooches, Daren reveals. 'One of the first jobs I had was cooking for the corgis – the Royal Corgis – making fresh food every day,' adds Darren. '[The corgis had] their own menu.'
What other pets did the Queen have?
During her long reign, the Queen was been given many animals a gift, as is tradition. As the Queen’s love of all-things equestrian was well known, she was sent horses from all over the world, including one from the Portuguese Government and a black mare (Burmese) from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which the Queen rode during the Trooping the Colour ceremonies between 1969 and 1986.
On to more unique gifts: In 1957, the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society presented her majesty with a cow called Beauchamp Oxford Lady. In the 1960s, the Queen received a veritable menagerie of wild animals, including a pair of pygmy hippopotamus from the president of Liberia, which she donated to London Zoo. Other quirky animal gifts include two American beavers, an Arctic fox from Canada, two giant anteaters, a sloth from Brazil and a young Nile crocodile from Gambia.
The Queen also owned all swans in open water in the UK, which is her birthright. However, the Queen only exercises ownership on certain stretches of the River Thames around Windsor.