Sarah Ferguson Gives Royal Fans A Sweet Update On The Queen's Corgis

Now that Queen Elizabeth II has been laid to rest, the difficult work of carrying on without her has begun. Not only does the royal family have to cope, but her animals do, too. The queen owned dozens of racehorses, as well as her own personal ponies. The Daily Mail reports that King Charles III is selling 12 of the queen's racehorses in an effort to reduce the palace's influence on the racing industry. Meanwhile, the queen's favorite pony, Emma, will remain at Windsor Palace where she will be "much loved and cared for," according to Horse and Hound. 

The queen was also well known for her love of dogs, specifically her corgis and "dorgis," a unique hybrid of corgi and dachshund. At the time of her death, she had two corgis, Sandy and Muick (pronounced "mick"). Her last dorgi, named Candy, died over the summer, which reportedly left the queen devastated (via The U.S. Sun). The corgis were a gift from her son Prince Andrew at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, per People. Originally, a pup named Fergus was part of the gift, but he died unexpectedly, and Andrew brought Sandy in his place. After the heartbreaking death of the queen, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, welcomed the corgis into her home. The queen and her former daughter-in-law remained close even after Ferguson's divorce from Andrew, so it was logical that the dogs should be rehomed with the duchess. A recent social media post from Ferguson indicates that it was a good decision.

On October 15, her 63rd birthday, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, thrilled fans with new Instagram and Twitter posts. The series of photos showed the duchess in a striking dark green velvet suit, lying on her lawn and snuggling with the queen's corgis Sandy and Muick. The pups looked delighted with the attention. Ferguson's caption said simply, "The presents that keep giving." Ferguson had previously opened up about the corgis when she took them in, calling them "national treasures."

The adorable sight won the hearts of thousands of followers, including supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Roma Downey, renowned floral designer Eric Buterbaugh, and her book publisher, Mills & Boon. Among the positive comments was this one: "Gives me peace of mind that the Queen's beloved dogs are in good caring hands. I was worried about their future. Seeing this posting puts that worry to rest!! Blessings and Kudos to you Sarah!!" Another worried about how Muick and Sandy were adjusting: "I wonder what they make of the change of scenery and not seeing the Queen. Thank you for looking after them." There was, however, at least one commenter who wasn't an animal fan. They joked, "Very nice but if you're going to get left something in the will we'd all prefer the jewelry."

According to Liverpool Echo, the queen is also survived by a cocker spaniel named Lissy, who is currently living with her trainer and no doubt getting plenty of attention and treats.