Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sara Odeen-Isbister

Future of Queen's corgis revealed with Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice both involved

Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice are expected to take on the two corgis they gifted the Queen following her death this week.

Her Majesty had stopped breeding dogs seven years ago as she was reluctant to leave any behind when she died.

But it is understood that Andrew and his daughters gave her two corgis, Muick and Sandy, over the past couple of years and promised to take care of them if she died.

Andrew, Beatrice and her sister Eugenie are said to have gifted Muick to the Queen to keep her company when Prince Philip was in hospital, while the Prince of York gave her Sandy in June on what would have been Prince Philip's 100th birthday.

It is reported Andrew and Beatrice have been taking the dogs for walks in recent months.

Prince Andrew and other mourning royals at the Balmoral service (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Queen also had a dorgi - a cross between a corgi and a dachshund - called Candy. It's likely Candy will go with the corgis as she's used to their company.

Alternatively she could be given to a member of the Queen's staff. When the Queen bred dogs there was apparently quite a lot of competition for the pups among those who worked for her.

It is not yet known what will happen with the late Queen's gun dog Lissy, a current Kennel Club cocker spaniel gundog champion. Named after Her Majesty, she lives with her trainer Ian Openshaw.

The Queen pictured with her pet corgis in 1962 the garden of Windsor Castle (CAMERA PRESS)
Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice seen at a church service for the Queen on Saturday (ALPR/AdMedia / SplashNews.com)

Over her lifetime the Queen owned more than 30 corgis, all descended from her first, Susan, an 18th birthday gift from her father George VI. Among the corgi's many names are: Sugar, Buzz, Brush, Geordie, Smoky, Dash, Dime, Disco and Dipper.

She is also credited with inventing the dorgi after her corgi Tiny and Princess Margaret's dachshund Pipkin unexpectedly got a little too friendly in 1971.

But it turned out to be a rather lucky encounter as the Queen adored the puppies so much she decided to breed more over the years.

The Queen sitting on rocks beside a waterfall on the Balmoral estate with two of her corgis in 1971 (Lichfield Archive via Getty Images)
The Queen's dogs leaving an aircraft at Heathrow Airport in 1988 (PA)

Her Majesty owned at least one corgi at any given time between 1933 and 2018, when the last surviving member of the royal corgi family, Willow, died.

The beloved pooch was put to sleep at Windsor Castle in April 2018 after falling ill of a 'cancer-related illness'.

The Queen was heartbroken over Willow's death but did not want her canine companion, who was almost 15, to suffer.

The Queen pictured with one of her corgis in 1985 (CAMERA PRESS/Yousuf Karsh)

Willow, who famously starred in the James Bond sketch during the London Olympics opening ceremony in 2012, was believed to be the 14th generation descended from Susan.

"[The Queen] has mourned every one of her corgis over the years, but she has been more upset about Willow's death than any of them," a Buckingham Palace source told the Daily Mail.

The Queen was accompanied by her corgis, including Willow, during a comic James Bond performance during the opening of the London Olympics in 2012 (BBC)

"It is probably because Willow was the last link to her parents and a pastime that goes back to her own childhood."

Willow is thought to be buried in the castle grounds, along with all of the Queen's pets in a secluded area of the 20,000-acre Sandringham estate.

The royal pet cemetery was started by Queen Victoria for her collie Noble, who died in 1887, and was revived in 1959 when Elizabeth II wanted a gravestone for Susan.

The Queen Mother was also a fan of the corgis (Tim Graham Photo Library via Get)

Despite her adoration for corgis, The Queen decided to sacrifice her passion and stop breeding in 2015.

At the time, royal aide Monty Roberts, who advised the Queen on her horses, told Vanity Fair magazine: "She didn't want to have any more young dogs. She didn't want to leave any young dog behind. She wanted to put an end to it."

The Queen with her dorgi Candy in February this year as she viewed a display of memorabilia from her Golden and Platinum Jubilees in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle (PA)

He added: "I have no right to try to force her into continuing to bring on puppies if she doesn't want to."

Over the years, animal lover Elizabeth also owned a number of horses as well as racing pigeons and budgerigars.

It is understood corgis won't be part of the King's household. Charles and Camilla already have Jack Russells.

Today the Sunday Mirror celebrates the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain’s longest reigning monarch.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.