Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has claimed that Queen Elizabeth II is communicating with her through her loyal corgis.
Speaking at a women’s forum in London, the 65-year-old Duchess told attendees that the late queen’s corgis rush in to see her every morning, and when they woof, she is “sure” she can hear the UK’s longest-reigning monarch speaking to her.
Ferguson took over responsibilities for Queen Elizabeth’s corgis following her death in September 2022, rehoming them at the Royal Lodge in Windsor. The Duchess lives there with the disgraced Prince Andrew, whom she divorced in 1996, and has been in a bitter dispute with his brother the King over his continued use of the residence.
Speaking at the London Creative Women Platform Forum, Sarah Ferguson said: “I have her dogs, I have her corgis. Every morning they come in and go ‘woof woof’ and all that and I’m sure it’s her talking to me.”
Ferguson added: “I’m sure it’s her, reminding me she’s still around.”
Renowned the world over for her love of corgis, Queen Elizabeth is known to have owned around 30 corgis and “dorgis” (corgi-daschund crosses) over the course of her life, according to the Times.
A year before her death, the Duke and Duchess of York gifted the late Queen the pair of corgis they now look after. Picked by Sarah Ferguson, Muick and Fergus, quickly joined the royal fold, but tragedy soon struck.
Sadly, shortly after being gifted, Fergus died and was replaced with another corgi named Sandy. When the Queen died, they were sent to live with the Yorks’ beloved Norfolk Terriers on the Windsor estate.
Sarah Ferguson continued: “Anyway, the real thing is that I had the greatest honour to be her daughter-in-law. That’s pretty huge.
“And when I was driving here, I saw the Elizabeth line [the railway line named after the late monarch] and I said, ‘I want everyone to remember what an amazing lady she was.’”
This week, Sarah Ferguson joined the King for a reception at Windsor Palace to thank cancer charities for their essential work and meet those who’ve lived with the disease. Both royals themselves have experience in this regard, as the Duchess has survived both breast and skin cancer, while King Charles continues to receive treatment for his own condition.
At the event, Ferguson praised the King, saying: “He puts his whole heart into everything he does.”
