Sarah Ferguson Hints That Her Home is Haunted by the Queen

(Image credit: Getty)

published 26 March 2023

After the Queen died last September, her ex-daughter-in-law Sarah Ferguson was given the honor of inheriting Her late Majesty’s remaining corgis, Muick and Sandy. And, Hello reports, because of the pups, Ferguson can sense the Queen’s presence at her home, Royal Lodge, which she shares with ex-husband Prince Andrew. (The couple divorced in 1996 but have cohabitated for years.)

Ferguson said that Muick and Sandy often “bark at nothing,” leading her to believe the ghost of the Queen is “passing by.”

“I am their favorite, but everybody always says it’s just because I feed them gravy bones,” she said. “I love everything about them, and I spoil them the most.”

And, while adopting the corgis has been joyous for her, the Duchess of York said it’s not without its challenges. These are, after all, no ordinary dogs—the final two of the late Queen’s coterie of corgis, they were raised by Her late Majesty “on an ultra-indulgent diet of fresh beef, corn-fed chicken, lamb, and rabbit prepared especially by the Queen’s army of royal chefs,” Hello reports. (Seriously—to be one of the Queen’s corgis was to live a life of luxury.)

The corgis even had their own menu, which royal chef Darren McGrady said would be “chosen and sent to the kitchen every month by Mrs. Fenncick, who took care of all the dogs at Sandringham.”

Muick and Sandy were mostly raised at Windsor Castle before moving to Royal Lodge, complete with 30 rooms and 21 acres of secluded gardens where the corgis can roam. But the Duke and Duchess of York will soon be relocating, as will Muick and Sandy. Andrew, at least, will be moving to Frogmore Cottage—Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s former home—in a royal household shakeup set in place by King Charles. According to People, this is just the start of Charles’ plans for a “slimmed-down monarchy,” as has long been rumored. A source tells The Evening Standard that “the King is not some sort of housing association for distant relatives.”

Per The Mirror, another senior figure added “A lot of practices that have evolved during the last reign will be changing. The King is not heartless or reckless, but if the family members are not part of the core family and not working for the Crown, it is fair for them to house themselves and fund themselves.” Andrew, for his part, has not been a working royal since 2020.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.