The Queen's corgis were a core part of royal culture before the monarch's sad passing last year. The dogs were highly pampered pooches, which may indeed be why they lived such long and healthy lives.
Since his mother's death, Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have inherited the cute corgi clan, who have joined them at their spacious home Royal Lodge. The prince will maintain the pets' lavish lifestyle and diet, which apparently consists of fresh beef, corn-fed chicken, lamb and rabbit prepared especially by an army of royal chefs.
WATCH: The Queen shares excitement over new pet corgi
The royal's four-legged friends even have their own menu, which royal chef Darren McGrady explained would be "chosen and sent to the kitchen every month by Mrs Fenncick, who took care of all the dogs at Sandringham."
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Queen owned many corgis throughout her reign
Darren formerly told HELLO!: "The beef would come in, we would cook it, dice it into really fine pieces and then we did the same with the chicken. We'd poach them, and again chop them really, really small to make sure there were no bones so the dogs wouldn't choke."
Prince Andrew and Duchess Sarah won't be shopping for supermarket kibble for these spoiled pups. "Some days some of the dogs were – shall we say for a better word – a little bunged-up so we'd have to add cabbage on the menu, and then other days we'd actually put rice in there for the other way," Darren explained.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe royal corgis are kept in tip top shape
Plus, the corgis were never short of physical space to roam around in, ensuring their fitness was always in tip top condition. Whether residing at Buckingham Palace, Sandringham or Balmoral, the corgis were never short of room to run around in.
The importance of good genes also can't be understated. The late Queen bred from her precious pup Susan. Susan had two puppies, Sugar, who belonged to the infant Prince Charles, and Honey, who in later years lived with the Queen Mother.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe late monarch owned corgis all her life
Susan is the common ancestor of all the Queen’s corgis - meaning Susan's descendants shared her healthy genes.
At the time of her death, the Queen owned two Corgis - Muick and Sandy - and one Dorgi (a dachshund/corgi crossbreed), named Candy. Other much-loved royal Corgis include Susan, Willow, Holly, Vulcan, Dookie, Monty, Honey, Berry, Emma, and Linnet.
MORE: Why Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's home is perfect for the Queen's Corgis
The Queen's father, King George VI, arguably sparked Elizabeth's obsession with Corgis after she was given her first pup Susan on her milestone 18th birthday in 1944. Their bond proved so strong that Her Majesty even snuck her four-legged friend on her honeymoon in 1947!
Like this story? Sign up to The Royal Life newsletter to get your weekly dose of royal lifestyle inspiration, from the must-see fashion moments to sneak peeks into royal homes and wellness news.
