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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Nia Dalton

History of dogs at royal funerals and will Queen's pet corgis attend

Following 70 historical years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II leaves behind a monumental legacy - including her four beloved royal dogs who she held incredibly close to her heart. The Queen's funeral on Monday, September 19, will be an unforgettable moment in British history, as millions of people across the world unite to say their final goodbyes to Her Majesty.

Buckingham Palace has shared details of the order of schedule, including the full procession route, service at Westminster Abbey and her final resting place at St George's Chapel. Royal fans already know The Last Post by Lee Kernaghan will be played at the end of the public service, but many are left wondering whether the Queen's royal corgis will have a role to play on the day.

Many royal fans suspect the Queen's corgis will attend her funeral on Monday (Getty Images)
Her Majesty's remaining dogs will live with Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice (windsor.royal.family/Instagram)

It has been announced that Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will take on the two Welsh corgis, named Muick and Sandy, as he promised to care for them if she died.

The canine companions will join their current dogs, Jack, Cici, Teddy and Ginger, at his £30 million regal residence, Royal Lodge in Windsor.

At Westminster Abbey, where the service for the Queen will take place, there is a firm policy against dogs on the property, with dogs not even permitted to walk on the grounds.

With the formal nature of the event, it makes it highly unlikely that Her Majesty's corgis will be allowed to take part in the funeral.

King Edward VII was inseparable from his dog Caesar and included him in the day (PA)

However, the Queen wasn't shy from breaking rules and royal protocol when she deemed it important, so it is certainly a possibility that fans may spot her pet dogs walking beside her coffin.

It wouldn't be the first time a monarch has included a pet in the celebration of their life.

King Edward VII made the decision to feature his loyal wire-haired fox terrier, named Caesar, in his funeral before he died in 1910.

Caesar, nicknamed Stinky by courtiers, was known for following the King everywhere and was devastated when his owner passed away.

The loyal fox terrier achieved widespread fame for walking behind the King's coffin (PA)

There were heartbreaking reports of him roaming the corridor looking for his master.

On the day of the funeral, he surprised everyone and trotted behind the King's coffin alongside a Highland soldier - a sight which melted the hearts of the nation.

Caesar was regarded so highly that he even walked ahead of the new King, George V, and foreign heads of sate, which enraged Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.

Their lifelong friendship was marked on the King Edward VII's tomb in St George's Chapel in Windsor, with a small figure of the dog wearing a collar that reads: "I belong to the King" - just as it did in real life.

You can now buy Friday's historic Daily Mirror commemorating the death of the Queen here: mirror.co.uk/commemorative

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