Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the beloved corgis of the late Queen Elizabeth II, which were taken in by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, will continue to reside with the family.
Following the Queen’s passing, Andrew and Sarah welcomed Muick and Sandy into their care, relocating them to Royal Lodge.
However, as the couple prepares to leave their Windsor residence, questions have surfaced about the future caretakers of the cherished canines.
The palace has now announced that the corgis “will remain with the family,” though it remains unspecified whether Andrew, Sarah, or their daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, will provide a permanent home for the dogs.
Muick was initially given to the Queen by Andrew in 2021 as a source of comfort while her late husband, Prince Philip, was hospitalized.
Andrew had gifted Muick to his mother in 2021 to help her cope when her late husband Prince Philip was in hospital.
Muick, named after Loch Muick on the Balmoral estate, and pronounced ‘Mick’, was given to the Queen as a pup, along with another named Fergus.
When Fergus died three months later, another corgi, Sandy, was found to replace him with the help of the Queen’s granddaughter Princess Beatrice
The corgis of the late Queen Elizabeth II which were adopted by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Ferguson are to remain in the care of their family
The late Queen always adored her corgis, owning 30 during her 70-year reign. Pictured: one of the final photographs released of the Queen, which saw her celebrating her Jubilee
Andrew and Sarah Ferguson took over the care of Muick and Sandy after the Queen’s death, housing them at Royal Lodge
Earlier this year, Sarah claimed that the late Queen communicated to her through the dogs’ barking.
In an address to the Creative Women Platform in London, she said: ‘I have her dogs, I have her corgis. Every morning they come in and go “woof woof” and all that and I’m sure it’s her talking to me.
‘I’m sure it’s her, reminding me she’s still around.’
And in 2023, Sarah described how one of the corgis, Muick, had grieved after the late Queen’s death.
Speaking to Graeme Hall, presenter of the Channel 5 show Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, Sarah said it took Muick about a year to come to terms with Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
She said: ‘There are two corgis that came, big Muick and Sandy, and there were five Norfolk terriers that were there too – seven in all.
‘And big Muick is very, very, very demonstrative, he had his tail down to begin with and then now, a year later… he’s just beginning now to really enjoy (himself).’
The late Queen owned more than 30 corgis during her life, many of which were directly descended from Susan, given to her as an 18th birthday present by her parents in 1944.
The Queen loved corgis and had many different pets throughout her life. Pictured: Edward, left, Charles and Andrew with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1979, surrounded by the royal corgis
Andrew will no longer be known as a prince and is to leave Royal Lodge, it has been confirmed
While Andrew was stripped of his titles, his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie will keep their Her Royal Highness titles
The then Princess Elizabeth forged such a strong connection with Susan that the dog accompanied her on her honeymoon.
Andrew suffered the ultimate humiliation on Thursday after his brother took away his titles and his home amid contoversy surrounding his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre.
Buckingham Palace said in an unprecedented statement that ‘censures are deemed necessary’.
The palace added: ‘His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew.
‘Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
‘Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation.
‘These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.
‘Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.’
While disgraced former duke Andrew was stripped on his princehood on Thursday, his children have retained their royal titles.
The King was said to be very keen to ‘protect’ his nieces, who remain Her Royal Highnesses
A source told the Daily Mail: ‘He wouldn’t have wanted to sign off on anything that would impact them.’
Speaking to Sky News, Ms Giuffre’s sister–in–law Amanda Roberts said she would tell Andrew: ‘Think of your daughters [Beatrice and Eugenie]. They were the same age.
‘Think of what you would do had something like this happened to them. What would you want their perpetrator to do?
Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffre’s brother, added that he would like to meet the King, and has urged Charles to lean on Donald Trump in order to see the so–called ‘Epstein Files’ released.
‘If the King says he stands with survivors and victims then meet with us and have a conversation with us,’ he added.
Andrew will be banished to a private household on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, kept by his brother.
Andrew pictured with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in New York’s Central Park in 2010
Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell in a photo reportedly taken in 2001, when Giuffre was 17 years old
The Royal Family released a public statement announcing Andrew would no longer be a prince
As yet, he may be in Royal Lodge for some time to avoid an ‘awkward’ run–in with his relatives at Christmas on the estate, where the royals usually mark the festive period – and could receive a £500,000 payout for the early termination of his ‘iron–clad’ lease.
‘It is a process – notice must be given, then the lease must be surrendered and other formalities completed,’ a source said.
‘I think it’s far beyond time to come clean. You were best friends with this man [Epstein] and there are so many things that you could help bring to light.
‘Virginia deserves that and every single survivor that has been entrapped in that sex trafficking ring deserves that from you. If you can give an inkling of justice, then it should be on you to do.’
