After Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was evicted from Royal Lodge—leading his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson to also find new housing—Buckingham Palace was vague regarding what would happen to Queen Elizabeth’s final two corgis.
The dogs, Sandy and Muick, were being cared for by the Andrew and Fergie, who inherited them after the Queen passed away in September 2022. At the time of her death, a source close to Andrew told The Telegraph that Ferguson “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 in Frogmore and chatting.”
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Prince Andrew, Duke of York speaks with members of the Royal Household holding the two royal corgis after Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on September 19, 2022.
With Fergie moving out of Royal Lodge to an unspecified location and Andrew moving to Sandringham, reporters asked who would keep the corgis. In a statement to the Independent, Buckingham Palace said, “The corgis will remain with the family,” but did not clarify if they would reside with Andrew or Fergie—or either of their daughters, Princess Eugenie or Princess Beatrice.
In the years since Queen Elizabeth’s death, Fergie did seem like the primary caretaker, providing regular updates on Sandy and Muick on her Instagram. On the one-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s passing, for example, she posted, “She entrusted me with the care of her corgis Sandy and Muick and I am delighted to say they are thriving.”
However, reporting around Andrew’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office yesterday answered the corgi question: The Sun’s Royal Editor, Matt Wilkinson, wrote, “With no visits from friends and family planned or expected, Andrew was set to spend the day alone with two corgis which used to belong to his mum, the late Queen Elizabeth, and five Norfolk terriers.” A “friend” of Andrew told Wilkinson, “He was expecting to spend the day with seven dogs, instead he had 15 coppers at his door.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.