Why Prince Andrew Has Stopped Walking the Queen's Corgis

Prince Andrew wears a suit with a white shirt and red tie while holding a dark red folder and he pets the Queen's corgis — (Image credit: Peter Nicholls-WPA Pool/Getty Images/Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Prince Andrew has had a rough 2024. After having to fight to stay in Royal Lodge, the property he's called home for decades, Andrew found himself at the center of an international scandal involved an alleged Chinese spy. Having withdrawn from attending King Charles' pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace and canceled plans to spend the holidays at Sandringham, the Duke of York is reportedly feeling sad and withdrawn.

"He's so down and demoralized he hasn't even been able to get himself motivated to take the dogs for a walk," a so-called "insider" told The Sun. "He used to do it regularly but recently he can't even bring himself to go out."

Following Queen Elizabeth II's death in September 2022, she entrusted her son, Prince Andrew, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, with her two corgis, Muick and Sandy. At the time, The Guardian reported that Queen Elizabeth was extremely fond of Ferguson, who still lives at Royal Lodge in Windsor with Andrew. As the former couple's home was so close to the late monarch's residence at Windsor Castle, they reportedly spent a lot of time together.

Prince Andrew petting the Queen's corgis — "He's so down and demoralized he hasn't even been able to get himself motivated to take the dogs for a walk," an insider claimed.

Just last week, it was reported that Prince Andrew is considering leaving the U.K., just like Prince Harry did. "Andrew is sick and tired of being painted as a pariah in the British media and is seriously contemplating a move to the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain," a source close to the Prince told the Daily Beast. "None of us would blame him if he decided to do a Harry and leave. He can't do anything here anymore, he can't leave the house, he can't do any business."

Regarding a possible move, another of the Duke of York's friends told the outlet, "Andrew has a vast array of contacts in the Middle East and could be leading a meaningful life there. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he thought enough was enough after this latest stich-up by the establishment."

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.