The Queen’s Two Beloved Corgis Were in the Room with Her When She Passed Away

(Image credit: Getty)

published 1 October 2022

Over the past couple of days, more details have emerged about Her late Majesty’s death on September 8—including who was in the room with her at Balmoral Castle when she passed away peacefully at 3:10 p.m. local time.

In addition to only daughter Princess Anne—who was with her mother for the last 24 hours of her life, and later said it was an “honor and a privilege” to accompany the Queen “on her final journeys”—Her late Majesty’s corgis, Muick and Sandy, lay with her while she was on her deathbed.

According to The Daily Mail, palace sources say the dogs were “in the room” with the Queen and Princess Anne; the two pups later touched hearts worldwide when they appeared outside Windsor Castle to say their final goodbye to their late owner as her coffin passed by in her funeral procession on September 19. (Her late Majesty’s beloved fell pony, Carlton Lima Emma, was also there to bid farewell as the Queen’s coffin passed by en route to St. George’s Chapel and her final resting place.)

Muick and Sandy are now with Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, who originally gifted the corgis to the Queen in 2021. Muick is named after Loch Muick, situated on the Balmoral Estate, and was given to Her late Majesty along with another corgi named Fergus when the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, was in the hospital in March 2021. Fergus died just a few months later, and Princess Beatrice—daughter of Andrew and Fergie—gave her Sandy as a lift to her spirits after a tough year.

And, though their owner is gone, Prince William confirmed that Muick and Sandy are doing well in their new home, telling mourners the day before the Queen’s funeral “I saw them the other day. They’re being looked after fine. They’re two very friendly corgis. They’ve got a good home. They’re being looked after very well.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.