'I thought not!' Queen's corgis not likely to attend state funeral at Westminster Abbey
The Queen's beloved corgis are unlikely to attend her state funeral on Monday, a royal expert has claimed.
Camilla Tominey discusses heckling Prince Andrew
Writing on Twitter, Anglea Levin, a journalist and royal commentator, said that she had no reason to believe the dogs would be attending despite being beloved well-known pets of the late monarch. She said: "Just been interviewed by my friends at Japanese TV. One question was 'are the corgis going to the funeral?'
"I said I thought not."
The Duke and Duchess of York are due to look after Muick and Sandy, two young corgis that the Duke and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie gave to the Queen as a present last year.
The Queen also had a dorgi - a dachshund-corgi cross Candy - which she was photographed with in January.
During her lifetime, Her Majesty owned more than 30 Corgis.
The late monarch was so associated with the breed in the public consciousness that almost immediately after her sad death last week wellwishers were asking what would happen to the dogs.
A source close to the Duke told the BBC that the Duchess had a particularly strong bond with the breed along with fond memories.
They said: "The corgis will return to live at Royal Lodge with the Duke and Duchess.
"It was the Duchess who found the puppies which were gifted to Her Majesty by the Duke.
"The Duchess bonded with Her Majesty over dog walking and riding horses, and even after her divorce, she would continue her great friendship with Her Majesty, by walking the dogs in Frogmore and chatting."
READ MORE: Fears for Meghan as she's thrown back into spotlight after privacy bid
Just been interviewed by my friends at Japanese TV. One question was 'are the corgis going to the funeral.'
— Angela Levin (@angelalevin1) September 16, 2022
I said I thought not.
Royal Lodge is a mansion in the grounds of the Windsor Estate and is the home to Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
The Duke and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie gave Her Majesty Muick and another puppy called Fergus last spring.
Muick, pronounced "Mick", is a corgi named after Loch Muck which is located on the Balmoral estate.
Fergus, a dorgi, was named after Her Majesty's maternal uncle Captain Fergus Bowes-Lyon who was killed fighting during the First World War.
DON'T MISS:
King Charles makes stunning speech in Welsh at Senedd [REVEAL]
King Charles III handed 5-point plan with Meghan Markle target [INSIGHT] King Charles told Queen was dying over the phone [SPOTLIGHT]
However, the puppy sadly died in May aged just five months due to a heart defect, with the Queen apparently devasted by his passing.
According to the Queen's personal dresser, Angela Kelly, the aminals were a "constant joy" for the monarch.
The Queen was also a corgi breeder and many of the corgis she owned were descended from Susan, the dog she received as an 18th birthday presence from her father in 1944.
Although the royal household's breeding programme was wound up a few years ago, the monarch was said to be unwilling to leave the dogs behind when she died.
There has been some speculation that the Duke of York knew this and assured his mother that he would look after the dogs when she passed away.