Queen Elizabeth’s new dorgi puppy has died.
The 95-year-old monarch was gifted the pooch, named Fergus, when her husband Prince Philip – who died in April at the age of 99 – fell ill and was taken to hospital earlier this year.
And now, just over a month after the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen is also mourning the death of Fergus, after he passed away over the weekend at just five months old.
A Windsor Castle source told The Sun newspaper: “The Queen is absolutely devastated. The puppies were brought in to cheer her up during a very difficult period. Everyone concerned is upset as this comes so soon after she lost her husband.”
The monarch was gifted Fergus alongside another dorgi – which is a cross between a dachshund and a corgi – named Muick by her son, Prince Andrew, in February.
At the time, the Queen was said to be delighted with the new arrivals, as she had been left with just one dorgi, Candy, since fellow pooch Vulcan passed away last November.
Another source had said: “The Queen is delighted. It’s unthinkable that the Queen wouldn’t have any corgis.
“It’s like the Tower of London not having any ravens. They have only been there a couple of weeks but are said to be adorable and made the castle their home.
“Both are said to be bringing in a lot of noise and energy into the castle while Philip is in hospital.”
Fergus and Muick were the first dogs owned by the queen that are not direct descendants of Susan, the dog she received for her 18th birthday in 1944.
The monarch hasn't had a corgi since 2018, after 14th-generation descendant Willow was put to sleep in April of that year after contracting a cancer-like illness and another dog, Whisper, died six months later.
In 2015, the queen stopped breeding dorgis prompting speculation she'd never get another pet, reportedly because she was concerned about them being a trip hazard as she got older, or that they'd be left behind when she died.