Elizabeth was head of state and had important constitutional duties. But those close to her talk about how happy she lived as a village girl, enjoying the company of her animals. So it was perhaps fitting that these three favorites were present at the finale of the ceremonial procession. Corgis Muick and Sandy were carried outside Windsor Castle before the coffin arrived on the Long Walk, a 2.6-mile avenue that leads to the castle. And just outside the avenue, saddled but riderless, Emma’s pony also waited. The Queen is said to have tolerated London’s Buckingham Palace. She much preferred Windsor Castle, where she could ride her horses, and was often seen walking in Windsor Great Park. Castle staff proudly told visitors that they considered Windsor ‘home’ and London ‘the office’. At the start of the pandemic, she moved her primary residence to Windsor — and showed no interest in leaving even when restrictions were lifted. Her corgi stayed with her there. One of the public’s biggest concerns when the Queen died was where Muick and Sandy would go. A representative for Prince Andrew has since confirmed that they will simply change residence at the estate, moving in with the prince and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. (Although separated, the couple live together at the Royal Lodge.) While the Queen owned other breeds during her long life, she loved corgis above all else. She reportedly had more than 30 in her lifetime. Princess Diana once called them a “moving carpet”. Susan’s corgi, which she got when she was 18, came on her honeymoon – and started a royal breeding streak that produced hundreds of puppies. Three of those offspring would appear with the Queen when she teamed up with Daniel Craig, aka James Bond, in a sketch for the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremonies. The Queen also had a lifelong passion for horses and lived into her 90s. Earlier this year, health problems forced her to miss the opening of Parliament – a major date in the royal calendar – but a few days later she was whisked off to the Royal Windsor Horse Show to watch her horses take part in the events. Some of these creatures played a prominent role on Monday. The Queen was Chief Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and four RCMP Musical Ride horses that were given to her during her reign helped lead the funeral procession in London. Margaret Rhodes, a close friend and first cousin of the Queen, once told the BBC: “It’s great when she has a few days off duty she can do what she likes, which is to be a country person, go for walks with dogs and thinks of doggies and horsey things.’
