Sarah Ferguson says she thinks Queen Elizabeth II’s corgis ‘bark at nothing’ when ‘the Queen is passing by’

‘They are national icons,’ the duchess says about the dogs

Sarah Ferguson has spoken out about adopting Queen Elizabeth II’s corgis and why she thinks their barking has to do with the late royal.

The Duchess of York opened up about caring for famous dogs, Muick and Sandy, during a recent interview with People. She shared the joy and stress that comes with having pets, but also revealed why she thinks that her dogs barking “at nothing” could have a deeper meaning.

“They are national icons, so every time they run chasing a squirrel, I panic,” she said. “But they’re total joys, and I always think that when they bark at nothing, and there’s no squirrels in sight, I believe it’s because the Queen is passing by.”

She continued to praise the animals, adding: “They’re with me a lot, and they think I’m very funny.”

Following the Queen’s death, it was announced that Ferguson and her ex-husband Prince Andrew would be inheriting the late royals’ two corgis. A corgi owner throughout most of her life, Andrew gifted two dogs to the Queen himself in 2021-- Muick and a Dachshund and a Welsh corgi mix named Fergus.

Sadly, Fergus died in May 2021, only one month after Prince Phillip’s death. For her 95th birthday, the Queen received Sandy, ​​a new corgi from Andrew, Princesses Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie.

One month after adopting the two dogs, Ferguson gave an update on how they were doing during an interview with The Telegraph. She said it was a “big honour” to bring them into her house, describing them as “national treasures” who have “been taught well”.

At the time, the publication noted that Muick and Sandy were adjusting to living with Ferguson, the Duke of York, and their five Norfolk terriers at their home in Royal Lodge, Windsor.

“They all balance out, the carpet moves as I move but I’ve got used to it now,” the duchess jokingly said.

In October, Ferugson shared the first photos of the Queen’s corgis in their new house. In celebration of her birthday at time, she shared several images of herself playing with the dogs on the grounds of her Royal Lodge home.

Elsewhere in her interview with People, the 63-year-old applauded her late mother-in-law and her 70 year reign on the throne before she died in September at the age of 96.

“She put you at ease straightaway . . . because it’s terrifying, you know?” she explained. “I used to sit there for hours thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this is somebody’s lifetime to have an audience with the Queen, and I’m sitting having a cup of tea.’”

She complimented the Queen for how compassionate she was for others and “so brilliant at putting” people “at ease”.

“She had the most incredible faith of any single person I’ve ever met,” Ferguson added. “She just knew what to do. She knew how to make people feel good. She never took it onboard as about her. It’s about the monarchy, about making someone feel good. She was my total idol.”