Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to take in Queen Elizabeth II's corgis

Duke and his former wife will take the dogs, which he gave to the queen

Queen Elizabeth II dies — follow the latest news as the world mourns

The queen's beloved corgis will be cared for by the Duke of York and his former wife after his mother's death.

Prince Andrew said he and Sarah, Duchess of York, would take in Muick and Sandy, which he gave Queen Elizabeth as gifts.

The queen was known for her love of corgis and owned more than 30 of them during her reign.

In early 2021, she was given two new puppies, a dorgi — a corgi-dachshund cross — and a corgi, as a gift by Prince Andrew while staying at Windsor during lockdown.

The puppies kept the monarch entertained while the Duke of Edinburgh was in hospital and Buckingham Palace and the royals were dealing with the bitter fallout from Megxit and the Sussexes’ Oprah interview.

The queen named the dorgi Fergus after her uncle who was killed in action during the First World War, and the corgi Muick, pronounced Mick, after Loch Muick on the Balmoral estate.

But the monarch was devastated when five-month-old Fergus died just weeks later, after her husband Prince Philip’s death.

He was later replaced with a new corgi puppy, from Andrew and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie for her official 95th birthday, who the queen named Sandy.

Platinum jubilee 'corgi trail' - in pictures

Platinum Jubilee Corgi Trail

A 'corgi trail' featuring 19 giant corgi statues has been put on display across London to mark Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee. All photos: London HQ

The puppies were a constant source of joy for the queen during lockdown, her dresser Angela Kelly said.

Prince Andrew, flanked by Beatrice and Eugenie, thanked well-wishers for lining the route back to Balmoral after the royal family attended a prayer service on Saturday.

It was the first time the members of the royal family had been seen together in public since the queen’s death on Thursday.

“We’ve been allowed one day, now we start the process of handing her on,” Prince Andrew said when asked by a mourner how things were.

“It’s nice to see you, thank you for coming."

Meanwhile, Sarah said the queen was “the most incredible mother-in-law and friend” to her and she would miss her “more than words can express”.

The queen with horses throughout the years - in pictures

FILES-BRITAIN-ROYALS-QUEEN-RACING

Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Berkshire in May 2011. The queen, who had a lifelong passion for horses, was a keen racegoer as well as a successful owner and breeder who enjoyed many notable triumphs. AFP

The queen’s love of corgis was celebrated during platinum jubilee events, with a gathering of 70 corgis at Balmoral and a “corgi derby” at Musselburgh racecourse.

Most of the queen’s corgis were descended from her first corgi, Susan, who was given to her on her 18th birthday in 1944.

The queen looked after her own dogs as much as possible. They would accompany her on weekends at Windsor and lived in her private apartments.

She fed them whenever her busy schedule allowed and also enjoyed walking the dogs.

Updated: September 12, 2022, 7:36 AM