Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, with their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne, play with the Queen's corgi, Sugar, and the Duke's dog, Candy, during the royal family's summer holiday at Balmoral castle in Scotland, on August 15, 1955.The Associated Press
For the legions of dog lovers who have wondered what will happen to Queen Elizabeth II’s two surviving corgis, there is clarity: One of the queen’s sons will keep the dogs in the family.
The Duke of York, also known as Prince Andrew, and his former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, will take care of the two corgis, a spokesperson for the duke said Sunday.
It was the duchess who had found the dogs when they were puppies, and the duke who gave them to the queen as gifts, the spokesperson said by e-mail.
The corgis, named Muick and Sandy, will live at Royal Lodge in Windsor, the vast country estate Prince Andrew shares with his ex-wife.
The queen had more than 30 dogs during her 70-year reign, but her love of corgis in particular has been well documented. The dogs were such a fixture at her side or by her feet that Princess Diana, mother of William and Harry, famously called them a “moving carpet.”
Queen Elizabeth’s lifelong love: corgis
What will happen to the queen’s other dogs, Candy, a dorgi – a cross between a dachshund and a corgi – and Lissy, a cocker spaniel, remains unclear.
Ferguson maintained a bond with the monarch after she split from the prince in 1996, and they often rode horses and walked the dogs together, the spokesperson said.
After the queen died in Scotland, the duchess said in a post on Twitter: “She was the most incredible mother-in-law and friend. I will always be grateful to her for the generosity she showed me in remaining close to me even after my divorce.”
She added: “I will miss her more than words can express.”