Queen Elizabeth Said to Be 'Devastated' by Death of Puppy Given to Her During Prince Philip's Final Days
The queen has suffered much heartbreak and disappointment over the past few months. The loss of her husband and family troubles have been plenty to deal with, but now her majesty appears to have lost a puppy, as well.
The queen has long been known for her love of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed, and has owned many corgis and dorgis (a cross between a corgi and a dachshund) over the years.
Last year, she lost Vulcan, her beloved 13-year-old dorgi, leaving her with just one remaining dog, and at that time it was rumored that she wouldn’t be getting any more — both because they presented a tripping hazard and because the queen didn’t want to leave any young dogs behind when she eventually passed.
So it was just going to be her and Candy, her last dog, and the last living descendent of one of her very first corgis, Susan, that she got for her 18th birthday.
Until February. According to the Independent, it was Prince Andrew who saw that the Queen’s spirits could use a lift, so he gifted her two puppies (a corgi and a dorgi) while Philip was in the hospital.
The corgi became Muick, and the dorgi was dubbed Fergus. The names had important family ties.
“Both name choices are extremely poignant and dear to the queen,” one source told The Sun.
“Loch Muick is one of her favorite places on the Balmoral estate and the loss of Uncle Fergus in the First World War is still honored by the family.”
The breeder of Muick, Denise Thomas, didn’t know exactly where her puppy would end up, according to the Daily Mail. But she was promised he’d have an excellent life.
When a woman showed up in a dark vehicle to collect the puppy — then named Charlie — in February, Thomas and her son, Craig Skyrme, had suspicions that the pup might be headed for royal life.
“She would only say he is going to a home in Windsor — but wouldn’t tell my mum who the owners were,” Skyrme said.
“My mum asked if it was anyone famous and the woman said, ‘I can’t say, but he’s going to have the best life possible.'”
It is not known where Fergus was acquired.
Shortly after, the Queen was spotted out for walks with the two pups on the Windsor Castle grounds.
But over the weekend, one of the puppies — Fergus — reportedly died from unrevealed causes.
“It’s all very sad,” a royal insider told People.
“The queen is absolutely devastated,” another source told The Sun.
“The puppies were brought in to cheer her up during a very difficult period. Everyone concerned is upset as this comes so soon after she lost her husband. On top of that there’s been the problems with her grandson, Harry.”
Hopefully, Muick will continue to bring her majesty comfort and joy and remain strong despite the loss of his companion.
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