The Queen’s final heartbreak: Her Majesty was distraught after the death earlier this summer of Candy – her oldest and longest-surviving dog
- Her Majesty found her final days in Balmoral consoling despite losing her dorgi
- Candy was one of the Queen’s four dorgis, but outlived them and survived to 18
- The loss of the dachshund-corgi cross breed hit hard as she had her since 2004
- The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
The Queen’s final heartbreak before her death age 96 last week was the news that her beloved dorgi Candy had died after 18 years of being by her side.
Known for her immense love for corgis, the loss of her oldest and longest-surviving dog hit the late Queen hard and was said to be ‘distraught’ about it.
Which makes it all the more surprising that Her Majesty found her final days in Balmoral so consoling, as Candy’s death came soon after her arrival in the Scottish Highlands earlier in the summer.
The loss of the dachshund-corgi cross breed was a huge blow to the Queen as Candy had been at her side since 2004, making her more than 18 — a remarkable age for a dorgi.
Poignantly the dog had the same name as a much-loved yellow Labrador of Prince Philip. She was one of the Queen’s four dorgis (Cider, Berry and Vulcan being the others) but outlived them all.
The Queen’s final heartbreak before her death age 96 last week was the news that her beloved dorgi Candy (pictured together in Februrary) had died after 18 years of being by her side
Although in dog years Candy was in extreme old age, her death hit the Queen hard. In a highly unusual move she decided she did not want this most loyal of companions to be buried at Balmoral.
For most of her life there has been an unwritten rule that her dogs are buried where they die, so the final resting places of her pets can be found at Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral.
Normally the Queen herself oversees the burials, accompanied by her head gardener. Later, a headstone engraved with the dog’s name, date of birth and death and a suitable epitaph is put up.
But on the death of Candy she arranged for the dog’s remains to be flown to London and transferred to Windsor to be buried with another long-term companion, Vulcan, who passed away in 2020.
So unexpected was her decision that her close domestic staff saw it as a sign that the Queen had every intention of being back in Windsor at the end of the holiday to supervise the placing of the headstone herself.
She still had the agreeable companionship of two other dogs, Sandy and Muick, gifts from Prince Andrew and his daughters a year ago.
Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have said that they will look after two of the Queen’s beloved corgis following her death.
Muick and Sandy, who will now be adopted by the Queen’s third son and Ms Ferguson, were gifted to the late Queen following the death of Prince Philip.
Last week the Duke of York’s spokesperson confirmed that the two dogs will live at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, where the divorced couple reside.
Up until now the fate of the beloved corgis had remained a mystery, although many predicted Prince Andrew, often referred to as the Queen’s ‘favourite’ son, and his daughter Princess Beatrice would look after the pets.
It was believed the pair had been walking the dogs in the months leading to the Queen’s death.
The late Her Majesty the Queen owned more than 30 of the sandy, short-legged dogs throughout her reign, however, had resisted taking on any new dogs in recent years not wanting to leave the dogs behind after her death.
Photograph of Queen Elizabeth II with the Duke of Edinburgh and their children at Balmoral Castle – with two of the Queen’s corgis
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