Sarah Ferguson's Plan to "Clone" and Sell The Queen's Corgis

Queen Elizabeth lifts a corgi on to a train and she walks a group of corgis — (Image credit: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

Alongside her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Sarah Ferguson was stripped of her royal titles and evicted from her home, Royal Lodge in Windsor. In fact, following renewed interest in her association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Ferguson seemingly retreated from the royal spotlight altogether. Now, a new report alleges that the former Duchess of York once tried to pitch a reality TV show involving Queen Elizabeth's corgis.

Following her death in September 2022, the late monarch entrusted her beloved corgis—Muick and Sandy—to Sarah and Andrew. The ex-duchess even claimed to have "communicated" with Queen Elizabeth via the sweet pups. And according to the Mail on Sunday, Ferguson allegedly once floated an "extraordinary plan to sell genetic replicas of the monarch's beloved pets."

Per the outlet, "Described by Hollywood producers as a 'bold and controversial business venture,' the tasteless idea would have involved the former Duchess of York trying to make money by selling the genetically replicated corgis 'to other dog lovers around the world.'"

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Of course, animal cloning remains "highly contentious, with experts warning it can produce horrible abnormalities...But it can be lucrative," the Mail on Sunday explained.

Sarah Ferguson and the Queen's corgis posing in a field — Sarah Ferguson poses with Queen Elizabeth's corgis.

A source told the publication, "She was pushing to get back into TV and make some money." They continued, "She came up with the idea of featuring The Queen's corgis in a show. And that included the idea of breeding them. Bizarre as it sounds, the idea of cloning them was discussed."

Per a synopsis for the series, shared by the Mail on Sunday, "But as she navigates the complex world of genetics and royal protocol, Sarah must also grapple with her own personal demons and strained relationship with the Royal Family."

Scenes from Balmoral Castle — Ferguson allegedly once floated an "extraordinary plan to sell genetic replicas of the monarch's beloved pets."

A source further alleged, "Sarah seemed to be up for anything provided she was paid—and particularly if she could do some traveling in the process and meet rich aristos who might like to own a corgi."

Royal author Richard Fitzwilliams commented on the proposal, telling the publication, "[To] consider cloning the late Queen's beloved dogs for financial gain is unbelievably grotesque and utterly bizarre."

Eventually, "the project was abandoned," according to the outlet, which is probably for the best.

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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.