Inside the pampered lives of Queen’s corgis – special gravy, fresh sheets and loyal love

Queen Elizabeth II was a dedicated animal lover and owned countless dogs, including more than 30 corgis, during her long life. Between Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Balmoral Castle, the royal corgis lived a pampered life of luxury – including tailored food menus to specially-made gravy and of course, constant love and companionship.

After the Queen’s two remaining corgis, Sandy and Muick, heartbreakingly said their final goodbyes to the late monarch’s coffin in Windsor yesterday, we look back at the treasured relationship and home Her Majesty shared with her dogs. From their VIP bedtimes to luxurious travel and the historical family tree that dated back decades of years.

Tailored menus

The Queen reportedly insisted her beloved corgis have their own food menus at dinner, tailored to their specific nutritional requirements.

Former royal chef, Darren McGrady, said: “They corgis have their own menu. One day they’ll have lamb, one day beef and then another, chicken.

“We had to make sure that all the meat was cut very finely and diced so there were no bones because we couldn’t have them choking.”

Author Penny Junor also revealed: “Whenever possible, she feeds them herself and it is an afternoon ritual; but not an unruly frantic free-for-all.

“A footman brings the food and bowls on a silver tray and lays out a plastic sheet to protect the carpet. The Queen then sits them in a semi-circle around her and does the rest.”

Secret gravy recipe

As well as tucking into a specially tailored food menu, the dogs’ food was doused in a secret gravy – that Her Majesty created herself – to make it even more delicious.

In the book All The Queen’s Corgis, author Penny Junor writes that the pets’ food was a “variety of fresh, cooked meat, vegetables and rice, prepared specially for them in the royal kitchens, topped with a little biscuit, homoeopathic and herbal remedies when required, and a special gravy that, legend has it, is the Queen’s own recipe”.

Silver platters

Unlike most typical households, the pets’ food was not just put into bowls and left on the side of the kitchen – the Queen had a strict ritual.

Dr Roger Mugford, an animal psychologist who has worked for the royal household for decades, described witnessing the dogs’ dinner time at Buckingham Palace.

He told Town and Country magazine: “Their food was served by a butler in an eclectic collection of battered silver and porcelain dishes.

“As I watched, the Queen got the corgis to sit in a semi-circle around her, and then fed them one by one, in order of seniority. The others just sat and patiently waited their turn.”

VIP travel

The Queen would often travel up and down the UK with her pet dogs in tow – but they weren’t ever left in the back of the car.

Charming photos from over the years showed Her Majesty sitting with the corgis on her lap while in the car.

The dogs were also familiar with flying overseas and became familiar with the likes of Aberdeen Airport on visits to the Queen’s Balmoral estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Luxurious bedtime

Much like their pampered mealtimes and VIP travel, the Queen’s dogs didn’t just sleep in baskets – they actually had their own sleeping quarters.

According to Hello!, when at Buckingham Palace, the dogs had their own spacious room where they slept in raised wicker beds.

The beds had fresh sheets put on them daily, which is said to be a tradition started by the Queen Mother.

Naughty streak

While the Queen’s dogs were treated to a life of luxury, because there were so many of them, the pups would often get up to mischief at the palace.

Dr Mugford told CNN he was hired by Her Majesty during the 1980s to help control her 11 pet dogs.

The corgis had formed a pack and were known to go to the bathroom on the carpet, playfight one another and nip at guests.

They even had a small obsession with biting the guardsmen outside the palace, as the noise of stomping feet reminded them of “sheep being herded”.

Though Roger said the “worst fights occurred when she was not present”, which showed a lot about her character.

“The Queen herself is a very capable dog trainer, she didn’t need a dog trainer,” Roger explained.

He noted the Queen had a “very, very powerful influence” over her pack and was a “hands-on” owner.

Roger worked on building the dogs’ relationships with humans and was able to get the Queen’s corgis under control.

“I think if it was the Queen on her own, she would have coped very well,” he said.

Too many dogs

In an interview on This Morning, Dr Mugford revealed the Queen’s witty response when he advised her to stop breeding dogs.

“She had too many… according to Prince Philip as well,” Roger said.

But when the canine trainer suggested she get rid of a few pets, the Queen simply replied: “If I thought that was going to be your advice, I wouldn’t have invited you round.”

Her Majesty added: “You’re telling me what I already know and what Prince Philip has already told me, that I’ve got too many.”

Though Roger explained: “Sometimes it’s the job of an advisor, consultant or specialist to give unwelcomed advice.”

History of corgis

Corgis are well-known across the world for being closely associated with the Queen and have had numerous statues and works of art dedicated to them.

The Queen’s love of corgis first blossomed when she was a small child, and she went on to breed more than 30 from her first corgi named Susan, who was a gift for her 18th birthday.

Her Majesty owned at least one corgi at any given time between the years 1933 and 2018, when the last surviving member of the royal corgi family, Willow, died.

The beloved 15-year-old pooch was put to sleep at Windsor Castle in April 2018 after falling ill of a ‘cancer-related illness’, and the Queen was left heartbroken.

Willow, who famously starred in the James Bond sketch during the London Olympics opening ceremony in 2012, was believed to be the 14th generation descended from Susan.

Willow is thought to be buried in the castle grounds, along with all of the Queen’s pets in a secluded area of the 20,000-acre Sandringham estate.

The royal pet cemetery was started by Queen Victoria for her collie Noble, who died in 1887, and was revived in 1959 when Elizabeth II wanted a gravestone for Susan.

Touching sacrifice

Seven years ago, the Queen made a touching sacrifice to her beloved pets when she expressed her decision to no longer breed corgis – so she wouldn’t “leave any young dog behind”.

Royal aide Monty Roberts, who advises the Queen on her horses, told Vanity Fair magazine in 2015: “She didn’t want to have any more young dogs. She didn’t want to leave any young dog behind. She wanted to put an end to it.”

He added: “I have no right to try to force her into continuing to bring on puppies if she doesn’t want to.”

Last remaining dogs

The Queen’s eldest and longest-surviving dorgi, Candy, sadly passed away at the age of 18 this summer, shortly before Her Majesty died.

Elizabeth II was said to be ‘distraught’ by the loss, and had Candy’s body flown from Balmoral to be buried in Windsor, beside her other long-term pet, Vulcan, who passed away in 2020.

Candy’s death meant the Queen only had two pet dogs left – Sandy and Muick, who are now being cared for by the Duke and Duchess of York.

It is understood that Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice gifted the Queen the two corgis as presents last year, and promised to take care of them if she died.

In the days leading up to the Queen’s funeral, Prince William revealed Sandy and Muick are in good hands in Windsor.

William said: “I saw them the other day. They’re going to be looked after fine, they’re two very friendly corgis and they’ve got a good home. They’re being looked after very well, spoilt rotten I’m sure.”

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