Queen Elizabeth's Corgis Still Bringing "Unconditional Love" and "Joy" to Sarah Ferguson

Before her death, the Queen entrusted her beloved corgis to Duchess Sarah and Prince Andrew.

Queen Elizabeth II with one of her favourite dogs in April 1976.
(Image credit: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images/Instagram/sarahferguson15)

Queen Elizabeth was known for her lifelong love of corgis. Having raised corgis as a child, the Queen had a multitude of the adorable pups throughout her life. And when she died, Queen Elizabeth entrusted her son, Prince Andrew, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, with her beloved corgis. On International Dog Day, Sarah, the Duchess of York, shared a cute update regarding the Queen's corgis on Instagram.

Posting a photo of herself posing with two corgis, Ferguson wrote on the social media platform, "Wishing you and all your furry friends a Happy #InternationalDogDay." She continued, "For all the unconditional love, loyalty, and joy they bring into our lives, Sandy and Muick will be getting an extra treat on their special day!"

The two dogs looked extremely happy and healthy in the photograph, and Duchess Sarah could be seen gazing lovingly at them. It seems that Queen Elizabeth made the right choice in leaving her sweet dogs to Ferguson to look after.

Following the Queen's death in September 2022, it was reported that the monarch had chosen Ferguson and Prince Andrew to care for her corgis, The Guardian reported. According to the publication, Queen Elizabeth was especially close to Ferguson, who lives in Royal Lodge in Windsor, close to the monarch's Windsor Castle residence.

Speaking to the outlet, the source explained, "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."

The Queen's corgis, Muick and Sandy, at Windsor Castle on September 19, 2022.

The Queen's corgis, Muick and Sandy, at Windsor Castle on September 19, 2022.

(Image credit: GLYN KIRK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

After learning that the Queen left her two pups to Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, not everyone was best pleased. Having faced sexual assault allegations and questions regarding his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew withdrew from all official royal duties.

Speaking to The Guardian, royal expert Ingrid Seward joked, "It would seem most logical that the corgis go to Andrew... Let’s face it, he hasn’t got anything else to do." Meanwhile, author Sarah Penner wrote on X, "I hate that Prince Andrew gets the corgis."

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.