Another ‘annus horribilis’? Queen ‘devastated’ as beloved new dorgi Fergus dies

It hasn’t been an easy start to the year for Queen Elizabeth II. First, in March, her grandson Prince Harry publicly slammed the royal family in a tell-all chat with Oprah Winfrey from his new home in California. A month later, on April 9, Prince Philip, her beloved husband of more than 70 years, passed away. Now, the Queen has faced another loss, the death of her beloved new dorgi, Fergus.

According to a report in The Sun, the five-month-old dachshund-corgi crossbreed was one of two new dogs gifted to the 95-year-old monarch by her son, Prince Andrew, after the Duke of Edinburgh was admitted to St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London earlier this year.

A source told the British tabloid that the Queen “is absolutely devastated” by her latest loss. It’s understood Her Majesty walked Fergus and the second pup Muick almost every day around the grounds of Windsor Castle, to help her deal with the grief of losing Philip.

“The puppies were brought in to cheer her up during a very difficult period,” the source reportedly said. “Everyone concerned is upset, as this comes so soon after she lost her husband. On top of that, there’s been the problems with her grandson, Harry.”

The Queen is left with Muick and older dorgi Candi, which is the last living descendant of the Queen’s first dog Susan, after she said goodbye to Vulcan, another dachshund-corgi cross. At the time, it was reported that the dog died of “old age”, and that the Queen was “upset” over the loss.

The Queen reportedly stopped breeding the famous pets more than 15 years ago, as she didn’t want to leave any behind when she died. There were also reports that her helpers were worried that the number of dogs following her on leads would cause her to trip over if they got caught up.

Her Majesty has been a renowned corgi lover since she was young, and in her time has owned a total of 30 (not including her latest two additions) — all of which descended from the first corgi, Susan, which was her 18th birthday present from her parents.