What’s Going to Happen to Queen Elizabeth II’s Corgis?
Queen Elizabeth II was known for her love of a certain kind of pet: Pembroke Welsh Corgis.
Since childhood, Queen Elizabeth II was a fan of the adorable dog breed, and even once accidentally created the "dorgi" with the help of Princess Margaret's dachshund, Pipkin.
Queen Elizabeth II's love for dogs created a higher demand for corgis, and became one of the traits many people around the world associated with her during her historic 70-year reign, the longest of any British monarch and any female leader in history.
Below, here's everything we know about Queen Elizabeth II's iconic corgis, including what will become of her beloved pets now that she's passed away.
How Many Corgis Did Queen Elizabeth II Have?
Over the years, Queen Elizabeth II owned over 30 corgis. The long line of corgis began with Susan, the Queen's 18th birthday present from her father.
"I had always dreaded losing her, but I am ever so thankful that her suffering was so mercifully short," the queen wrote when Susan died.
Susan spawned a decades-long family tree of corgis and dorgis that the queen either kept or gave to relatives, friends or breeders. Rozavel Lucky Strike was Susan's mate that helped create a 14-generation span of dogs.
The queen also owned over 100 horses.
Who Gets Queen Elizabeth II’s Corgis After Her Death?
The corgis will be living with the queen's son Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, a.k.a. "Fergie," who both still live at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate.
"It was the Duchess [Fergie] who found the puppies which were gifted to Her Majesty by the duke. The Duchess bonded with Her Majesty over dog walking and riding horses and even after her divorce, she would continue her great friendship with Her Majesty, by walking the dogs together and chatting," a source said, according to Entertainment Tonight.
The queen apparently had four dogs at the time of her death, including two corgis named Muick and Sand; a dorgi named Candy; and a Cocker Spaniel named Lissy.
Why Did Queen Elizabeth II Love Corgis?
The queen's passion for corgis reportedly began in childhood. She became interested in them when a friend got one as a pet in 1933. The queen was 7 at the time and asked her father, King George VI, for one.
Elizabeth's father contacted a breeder and adopted Rozavel Golden Eagle, known as Dookie.
Apparently, Dookie was known for his bad behavior, including biting visitors.
From then on, the corgis became a fixture in the life of Queen Elizabeth II, as well as a personal connection to her father.