Queen Elizabeth’s Beloved Corgis ‘Always Betrayed’ Prince Harry and King Charles During Uncomfortable Sandringham Dinners
Queen Elizabeth II’s corgis were one of most famous accessories along with her signature black handbag and loafers. Although they weren’t friendly toward Prince Harry or King Charles III.
The queen’s corgis tipped her off to Harry and King Charles opening windows
Neither Harry nor his father could crack a window when the temperature in the “subtropical” formal dining room at Sandringham, one of the royal family’s country homes, got to be too much.
In his Spare memoir, Harry recalled how he and King Charles are “sensitive to heat.” As such, they’d often open a window ever so slightly when the queen wasn’t looking for some fresh, cool air. However, it never lasted as Queen Elizabeth’s corgis ratted them out.
He said they’d wait until the queen wasn’t looking, “then one of us would jump up, sprint to a window, crack it an inch,” and say, “‘Ah, blessed cool air.’”
“But the corgis always betrayed us. The cool air would make them whimper.” As a result, “Granny would say: ‘Is there a draft?’ And then a footman would promptly shut the window.”
Queen Elizabeth’s corgis immediately took to Meghan Markle
In his 2017 engagement interview, Harry revealed to BBC interviewer Mishal Husain his grandmother’s dogs got along with Meghan Markle from the get-go.
“I’ve spent the last 33 years being barked at; this one walks in, absolutely nothing,” he said. Meghan herself remarked the dogs were “just laying on my feet during tea,” calling it “very sweet.”
While it might not seem like a big deal that the queen’s dogs took to Meghan, royal author Christopher Andersen explained just how out of the ordinary it was to The Daily Beast.
“Everyone in the royal family, without exception, detests the queen’s corgis, and the corgis return the favor,” he told the publication in 2018. “Charles, Philip, Anne, Andrew, Edward, William, Harry, all have gone on record saying they cannot abide Her Majesty’s dogs.”
“They bark, they nip, they pee everywhere,” the biographer continued. “And they are famous for sweeping into a room and tripping people up. But they love Meghan. And the queen has practically adopted Meghan’s adorable rescue beagle, Guy.”
Guy now lives with Meghan and Harry in Montecito, California, with their other dogs; a rescue beagle named Mia and a black Lab named Pula.
Queen Elizabeth’s corgis now live with Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson
When Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022 at the age of 96, her corgis and horse joined the crowds as her funeral procession arrived at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Following her death, the queen’s corgis got a new—but familiar—home. Sandy and Muick went to live with the monarch’s son, Prince Andrew, 64, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, at the Royal Lodge.
Because of its location near Windsor Castle in Windsor Great Park, where the queen often walked her dogs, Sandy and Muick have since been able to enjoy at least one part of their lives with the queen. And, perhaps, the very specific dishes they became accustomed to eating—beef and chicken prepared by royal chefs—at Buckingham Palace (via Hello! Magazine).
