The 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II was the longest of any monarch, and she was a beloved icon for many people around the world — and so too were her pet dogs, mainly Corgis, who always seemed to be by her side.
After the queen’s death in September 2022, many wondered what would happen to her surviving dogs. The dogs have been living with royal family member Sarah Ferguson, who recently shared an update on how the royal dogs are doing.
Queen Elizabeth II was a dog lover throughout her entire life. 1933 to 2018, the Queen always owned at least one corgi, and frequently owned many at a time.
The royals first got a Corgi in 1933, when Elizabeth’s father and predecessor, George VI (though he was Duke of York at the time) brought home a dog named Dookie.
Elizabeth later received a Pembroke Welsh Corgi of her own, named Susan, for her 18th birthday. Susan survived 15 years before her death in 1959, but she was just the first of a long line of royal Corgis — all descended from Susan.
In 2018, the Queen announced her request to end the royal Corgi breeding after many decades: now in her 90s, she didn’t want to leave any royal pups behind after her death.
But in 2021, as the queen was mourning her longtime husband Prince Philip, she was gifted Corgi puppies by her son Prince Andrew and his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie.
When Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022, she was survived by two Corgis, Sandy and Muick — and it was announced that the dogs would be taken in by Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and live on their country estate, the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Ferguson told The Telegraph it was a “big honor” to take in the dogs, calling them “national treasures.”
The dogs made headlines — and broke hearts — around the world when they were spotted waiting along the route of the Queen’s funeral procession, saying one last goodbye to their owner.
So how are the dogs doing today? Sarah Ferguson recently gave an update. “They’re all doing very well,” the Duchess of York told Us Weekly. “They’re all very lovely and very, very loved!”
In addition to the late queen’s Corgis, she also has five Norfolk terriers. “They do all get on with each other,” she said. “It’s quite a lot of work, but it’s work I love. I have many dog people around me who also love them and love to take care of them, so I can share and I do share.”
Ferguson has shared previous updates about the Muick and Sandy, saying that she believes the dogs still feel their late owner’s presence.
“I think they are exceptional and they’re just very funny. I think, I’m sure, when they’re chasing the air, I think they’re looking at her,” she told E! News. “That’s what I like to think. The squirrels are not in sight but they’re still barking at something, so I think it might be her.”
But the dogs also appear to have adjusted to life after the royal’s death, and are described as “really happy.”
“Their tails have gone up now so I think they’re over their grief,” Ferguson told BBC Radio 2.
It’s clear that the queen’s Corgis will forever be remembered and associated with her reign. Last week, a new statue — the first permanent memorial to Queen Elizabeth II — was unveiled, and features the iconic dogs by her feet:
Queen Elizabeth II loved all her pet Corgis and they were such an iconic part of her life — we’re glad that her two surviving dogs are still living their best lives with Sarah Ferguson!
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