Queen Elizabeth II’s fondness for Corgis became one of her defining traits throughout her 70-year reign, with the late monarch famously owning over 30 Pembroke Welsh Corgis during her lifetime.
However, despite the Queen’s cherished relationship with her playful pups, one writer reveals that her beloved Corgis could be quite a “nightmare” to live with.
In his new biography Q: A Voyage Around the Queen, Craig Brown delves into the chaos caused by the royal Corgis. “Corgis are, it turns out, an unpredictable, temperamental bunch, one minute cuddly, the next psycho—the Corleones of the dog world,” he writes.
Brown recounts stories of Dookie, the Queen’s first Corgi, who had a habit of nipping at the heels of house guests and even attacking dining room chairs at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
Brown notes that Princess Anne was sometimes called upon to help discipline her mother’s rowdy Corgis, having a “soft spot” for the feisty dogs. After the Queen’s passing in 2022, her two remaining Corgis, Sandy and Muick, were entrusted to Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
These royal Corgis live a life far from typical, raised on a diet of fresh beef, corn-fed chicken, lamb, and rabbit prepared by the Queen’s chefs. Royal chef Darren McGrady shared that each month’s menu for the dogs was chosen and sent to the kitchen by Mrs. Fenncick, who managed the dogs at Sandringham.
It was fitting for the Queen’s son to take on the care of Sandy and Muick at Royal Lodge, as Prince Andrew, along with his daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, had gifted the Corgis to the Queen to comfort her during Prince Philip’s final days.
Andrew and Sarah, though divorced since 1996, continue to reside together at Royal Lodge, the historic Grade II-listed residence on the Windsor Estate.
