Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Continues to Care for Late Queen's Corgis Despite Royal Eviction
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the disgraced former prince, appears to still be caring for the late Queen Elizabeth's beloved corgis despite his recent eviction from the Royal Lodge in Windsor. The two pets, named Muick and Sandy, were spotted being taken for a walk by Andrew's private protection officers at his temporary accommodation at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on Monday.
Uncertainty Over Corgi Care Amid Scandal
Andrew, 65, and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, 66, had adopted the corgis following the Queen's death in September 2022. However, amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal which has seen Andrew stripped of his royal titles and evicted from Royal Lodge, significant doubt was cast over whether he would continue looking after the pets. In a cryptic statement shared in October 2025 before Andrew's eviction, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the late Queen's dogs would 'stay with the family'.
Reports which emerged shortly afterward suggested that King Charles, Andrew's older brother, wanted to remove Muick and Sandy from his care. Yet the pictures released on Monday reveal that the corgis have indeed travelled with Andrew to his new Norfolk home, indicating they remain under his guardianship despite the controversy surrounding him.
Ferguson's Separation from the Pets
This development means that Sarah Ferguson, 66, will be without the two pets while she continues her search for new accommodation of her own. Ferguson had recently expressed her emotional connection to caring for the Queen's corgis, posting on social media in September: 'Caring for Her Majesty's beloved corgis is an honour and a daily reminder of the times we shared together.'
Andrew is currently staying at the modest Norfolk cottage while his permanent property on Marsh Farm in Essex undergoes renovations. The former prince was moved out of the seven-bedroom Royal Lodge mansion under cover of darkness this Monday, earlier than expected, following expedited action by King Charles in response to public outcry.
Royal Family Addresses Allegations
News of the corgis staying with Andrew came just hours before King Charles spoke out for the first time about the serious allegations levelled against his younger brother. Following revelations about Andrew's friendship with convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, it was claimed on Monday that the disgraced royal knowingly shared confidential information with Epstein.
The King expressed his 'profound concern' over the allegations in a statement shared by Buckingham Palace. A spokesman said: 'The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's conduct.'
Prince William and Princess of Wales Kate Middleton also addressed the scandal involving Andrew for the first time earlier on Monday. Speaking to journalists in Riyadh, a Kensington Palace spokesman confirmed: 'The Prince and Princess of Wales have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.'
Details of Confidential Information Sharing
Emails in the files show Andrew passing on secret details of investment opportunities to Epstein following his visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam in 2010 and 2011. This occurred after Epstein was first convicted for soliciting a prostitute and procuring a child for prostitution in 2008, for which he served 18 months in prison.
Trade envoys are legally bound to confidentiality over sensitive, commercial or political information from their visits abroad. Emails suggest Andrew had informed Epstein of his official upcoming trips to Singapore, Vietnam, Shenzhen in China and Hong Kong on October 7, 2010. He was then accompanied by business associates of Epstein on these visits.
After the trip, he forwarded official reports of the visits to Epstein on November 30, just five minutes after receiving them from his then special adviser Amit Patel. In further emails dated Christmas Eve 2010, it appears he sent Epstein a confidential briefing on investment opportunities in the reconstruction of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, which was being managed by the British armed forces and funded by UK government money.
Contradictions and Official Response
These messages contradict Andrew's previous claim that he broke off his friendship with Epstein in December 2010, which he asserted in his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in 2019. Another email from February 9, 2011, shows Andrew suggesting Epstein should invest in a private equity firm he had visited a week earlier.
Sir Vince Cable, who was business secretary at the time, told the BBC: 'I was unaware of Andrew... sharing information about investment opportunities [in Afghanistan] before, this is the first I've heard of it.' Official guidance for trade envoys clearly states they carry 'a duty of confidentiality' that continues after their term of office expires, with the Official Secrets Acts applying to such information.
Broader Implications and Political Fallout
Andrew is not the only figure from the UK who appears to have sent Epstein official confidential information. Former ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, seems to have given advanced warning to Epstein of a €500 billion bailout to save the ailing Euro during the Greek debt crisis in May 2010, the night before it was announced.
Mandelson is also believed to have forwarded internal UK government information concerning the selling off of public assets to raise public funds in June 2009. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has faced criticism for appointing Mandelson as ambassador in 2025, admitting this week that he was aware of Mandelson's friendship with Epstein before giving him the position.
Sir Keir's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned over the scandal today after it was revealed that he had pushed for Mandelson's appointment. The palace spokesman emphasized that while specific claims are for Andrew to address, 'if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect,' adding that 'Their Majesties' thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse.'
