Prince Andrew and his ex-wife will take on the Queen’s beloved corgis, following the monarch’s death.
The Queen owned more than 30 corgis and dorgis – a corgi dachshund mix – during her reign and was well-known for her love of the animals.
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Her latest pair, Muick and Sandy, were given to her by the Duke of York last year.
A spokesperson for Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, confirmed they will look after the dogs.
Sandy was a replacement for Fergus, who died at just five-months-old in the aftermath of Prince Philip‘s death.
Fergus the dorgi – named after the Queen’s uncle, who was killed in action during the First World War – and Muick had kept the monarch entertained after they joined her at Windsor during lockdown.
Andrew bought them both for his mother in early 2021.
Sandy’s later arrival came as a 95th birthday present from Andrew and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Andrew was seen with daughters Beatrice and Eugenie in Balmoral on Saturday, as they viewed the tributes left for the Queen and thanked well-wishers for coming to pay their respects.
Asked by a mourner how things were, Andrew said: “We’ve been allowed one day, now we start the process of handing her on.”
Meanwhile, Sarah said the Queen was “the most incredible mother-in-law and friend” to her, and she would miss her “more than words can express”.
Susan the original corgi
Most of the Queen’s corgis were descended from her first corgi, Susan, who was gifted to her on her 18th birthday.
The Queen looked after her own dogs as much as possible and during weekends spent at Windsor, the corgis went too and lived in her private apartments.
She fed them whenever her busy schedule permitted and also enjoyed walking the dogs.
The monarch had so many, Princess Diana once reportedly described them as a “moving carpet”.