Queen Elizabeth II is "devastated" over the death of a puppy she received as a gift while her husband, Prince Philip, fell ill.
The dachshund-corgi cross, also known as a dorgi, was one of two pups, Fergus and Muick, given to the queen by her son Prince Andrew in February, but it has now emerged that 5-month-old Fergus died over the weekend, according to The Sun.
"The Queen is absolutely devastated," a Windsor Castle insider said. "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."
The loss comes mere months after the queen said goodbye to her beloved dorgi, Vulcan. The dog passed away from old age in December, The Sun confirmed at the time.
The 95-year-old monarch is a known Corgi lover and has been breeding the dogs since age 18, when she was gifted with her first pet, Susan. Queen Elizabeth lost her final corgi, Willow, in 2018 but was left with two dorgis, Vulcan and Candy, which were descendants from her corgi, Tiny, and Princess Margaret’s dachshund Pipkin, according to Vanity Fair.
The corgi heritage extends back to 1933, when Queen Elizabeth's father George VI introduced a pet corgi, Dookie, into the royal family. Queen Elizabeth would replace each dog after it died, but stopped breeding after her last litter of puppies in 2003. The queen loved both her dorgis, but the corgi lineage carried particular significance in the royal household and each death has hit her "extremely hard," the Daily Mail previously reported.
"She has mourned every one of her corgis over the years, but she has been more upset about Willow’s death than any of them," a Buckingham Palace source told the outlet at the time. "It is probably because Willow was the last link to her parents and a pastime that goes back to her own childhood. It really does feel like the end of an era."
Willow was a 14th generation descendent from Susan, a corgi that was given to the then-Princess Elizabeth on her 18th birthday, and the dog has always held a special place in her heart. So much so that in 2016 Willow was included in Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday portrait.
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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