Latest news with #corgis
Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Ukraine's corgi dog festival is fit for a Queen
The dog days of summer may not yet have arrived in Kyiv, but on a hot, humid Sunday at a beach club on the Dnipro river, canines are all that can be seen: corgis, specifically — the adorably short-legged dogs beloved of the late Queen Elizabeth, and now the people of Ukraine. Everywhere you look, there they are: jumping gleefully into the river; competing on a miniature agility course; sporting little sunhats with holes for their ears and generally spreading their furry brand of joy amid a gathering of Kyivans exhausted by the relentless night-time bombardment by missiles and drones. This is the third 'Corgy' — or 'orgy of corgis' — organised by Katernya Shekshnova, a breeder and pioneer of canine therapy. She was inspired by the comfort that her corgi puppies brought her son when the Russian invasion began. Air raids triggered compulsive behaviour in the young boy, including biting his fingers until they bled. 'They are a key that opens hearts,' Shekshnova says as her tiny charges walk alongside her, recalling Princess Diana's memorable description of the 'moving carpet' that accompanied her mother-in-law everywhere. 'Communicating with animals triggers hormones associated with happiness. And then the work can begin.' Shekshnova's corgis are regular visitors to a rehabilitation centre for soldiers and veterans, but this event is all about celebrating the breed, with a bit of fundraising on the side. Nadia has brought all four of her corgis: parents Adele and Oscar, and two of their grown-up offspring, Lo and Nicole, all sporting sunhats. 'I don't really know why I chose corgis,' she says. 'I just looked at them and fell in love.' Nadia is not yet sure whether to enter them in one of the many contests at the event. 'I'm not sure if I want to shame them,' she says with a laugh. Corgis have been commonplace in Ukraine for some time but their popularity 'exploded after the death of Queen Elizabeth ', said Maria, another visitor. The Queen's death, six months after the Russian invasion began, was deeply felt in Ukraine, as was the support offered by the royal family and Britain as a whole. Other qualities make corgis the perfect wartime companions. 'Look how calm and sweet they are,' Maria says, noting the absence of barking or growling among dogs that were strangers to one another until today. 'And,' she adds, with emphasis, 'they look like they are smiling all the time.' Kyiv's most recognisable corgi, Loyd, was well known long before the invasion, having fronted a 2019 promotional video for the capital in which he slipped away from his owners to narrate a tour of the city, mostly from a dog's ground-level perspective. The mascot is followed by 45,000 people on Facebook, while 'Corgis of Ukraine' has almost 3,000 fans. Ukraine's most famous dog of war is Patron, a Jack Russell who is the face of the country's canine mine-sniffing force. But one corgi, Elton, has been certified as a search-and-rescue dog with Antares, a volunteer group based in Pavlohrad, near the eastern city of Dnipro. Maria Romanova, Elton's owner, was only 17 when she brought him to join the team. She hoped to contribute to the war effort like her older brother, a soldier fighting on the front line. 'Until recently, we did not take young people on difficult missions,' said Larisa Borysenko, who founded Antares back in 2008 as a volunteer service to locate missing hikers. 'But the rush left us no choice, and if a 17-year-old girl can do something that millions of adults can't, then she is needed now.' The corgi festival, however, is all about fun. Let off their leashes, the corgis bound into the river, some even gamely clambering on to paddleboards for a cruise along the river. Nadia isn't sure whether to let her own four pooches take part. 'I am not sure the water is clean enough for royal dogs,' she says. Misha, a classic white and tan Pembrokeshire corgi, makes do with a paddling pool filled with plastic balls. The day wraps up with an award ceremony for obedience, agility and looks. An interloping chihuahua makes it to the final but neither organiser nor corgi partisans seem bothered. 'It's about love and joy,' Shekshnova says. 'The corgis teach us that.'
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Times Kate Middleton Wore Queen Elizabeth II's Jewelry: Photos
One thing you need to know about the British Royal family: they love their sparkling jewelry. For many decades, the family has gathered a startling amount of jewelry over the years — especially when Queen Elizabeth II was alive. We know two things: Elizabeth loved her corgis, and she loved rocking dazzling jewelry that had jaw-dropping price tags. In fact, her collection of jewelry was so vast, that she was later known for loaning many of her pieces out to members of the Royal Family. Within the last decade of her life, she often gave these pieces to Kate Middleton. Whether it was brooches or multi-million dollar necklaces, Kate has been seen many times wearing jewelry from Elizabeth's collection. Over the years, Kate has put her own spin on it, using this jewelry as a way to honor her beloved grandmother-in-law. While we know many of the jewels were before Elizabeth, and even before the Queen Mother, we're not talking about those. We're going to talk about the times Kate rocked a piece of jewelry that was first owned by Elizabeth. Below, check out every single time Kate honored her late grandmother-in-law by wearing her jewelry to big occasions. A version of this article was originally published on May 2023. More from SheKnows Was Rose Hanbury at the 2025 Trooping the Colour? Here's What We Know Best of SheKnows These Celebrity Couples Reportedly Sleep in Separate Beds Every Look Kate Middleton Has Worn to Trooping the Colour Since 2011 The Quickest Breakups in 'Bachelor' & 'Bachelorette' History One of Queen Elizabeth's most beloved pieces of jewelry was the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings that she was gifted on her wedding day. She wore it many times, and even loaned it to Princess Diana and Kate Middleton. Kate Middleton became the only one to wear them starting in 2016, per Court Jeweller. According to Ch eat Sheet, they are said to be around $10,500. While Kate Middleton has donned the late Queen's beloved Silver Jubilee Pearl Earrings multiple times, it was extra special when she wore them as a tribute on the anniversary of the Queen's death in Sept 2023. Most recently, Kate Middleton paid a subtle tribute to Queen Elizabeth II by donning the George VI Festoon Necklace in her Coronation outfit. For those that don't know, this necklace was commissioned back by King George VI to be gifted to Elizabeth, per Queen's Jewel Vault. She wore it many times before she died, and it's said to be made with 105 loose collet diamonds. Yes, we got another brooch moment! The New Zealand Fern Brooch was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II back in the early 1950s by Lady Allum. As the wife of the Mayor of Auckland, she gifted this to Elizabeth on 'behalf of the women of Auckland,' per Court Jeweller. She often wore the brooch to New Zealand-based or related events. She loaned it to Kate Middleton for the first time back in 2014 during her visit to Australia! We don't see emeralds enough in the British Royal family, so we always love seeing the iconic Emerald Tassel earrings make an appearance! It was part of a set that was suspected to be a gift to Queen Elizabeth II from the Middle East, and she wore it a couple of times before she died, per Queen's Jewel Vault. It was loaned to Kate Middleton during her and Prince William's trip to Jamaica. Queen Elizabeth II was definitely known for her wide brooch collection, with one of the most iconic being the Pearl and Diamond Leaf Brooch that debuted in 1999, per Queen's Jewel Vault. Kate Middleton wore it multiple times, with many believing it was more of a gifted piece of jewelry rather than a loan. She wore it for the first time in 2017 and most recently for Elizabeth's funeral. One of Queen Elizabeth II's most-worn jewelry pieces of all time was her iconic Three Strand Pearl Necklaces. There are many conflicting reports about when and where she originally got this piece of jewelry, but all agree it was gifted to her. Kate Middleton honored Elizabeth by wearing the same necklace during her Platinum Jubilee. Per Market List, it is said to be around $5.7 million. Per the Queen's Jewel Vault, the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace is part of a set that was a wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth II in 1947, and it is one of the most expensive pieces in the royal vault. It's reportedly worth up to $121 million. Elizabeth wore it many times over the decades, and Kate Middleton wore it twice in 2014 for the National Portrait Gallery Gala and again in Dec 2019. One of Queen Elizabeth II's most iconic necklaces is the Four-Row Japanese Pearl Choker, which she commissioned in the 1970s and to be done with the 'finest cultured pearls presented to her by the Japanese government,' and the first time she wore it in public was in 1982, per the Queen's Jewel Vault. It is said to be valued at around $29,000. Kate Middleton has worn this necklace on multiple occasions, with the most recent time being at Elizabeth's State Funeral. In 1907, Mrs Greville commissioned the Greville Ruby Floral Bandeau Necklace and it was later inherited to Queen Elizabeth in 1942. Elizabeth often wore this necklace in the 1950s, and fast forward to 2017, when Kate Middleton wore it to the Spanish State Visit, per Royal Watcher. Another inherited piece was the Greville Chandelier Earrings, which Queen Elizabeth II wore quite a few times throughout her life. They were renovated many times over the years, and at one point, Elizabeth even had to pierce her ears to wear them, per The Court Jeweller. Kate Middleton has later worn it a couple times, most recently at the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace on Dec 5, 2023. Queen Elizabeth II famously donned the Silver Jubilee Diamond and Pearl Earrings on her Silver Jubilee in 1977, and a few times after that. However, Kate Middleton has worn these earrings so many times over the years, at least 10 times since 2016, per Town and Country.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE What Royal insiders tell me about VERY surprising next move for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie now Harry and Meghan are out the picture
When Queen Elizabeth died, she entrusted her beloved two surviving corgis to her second son, Prince Andrew, and his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York. More than two years on the dogs, Sandy and Muick, still conjure up the presence of their late owner, according to Fergie, who lives at Royal Lodge, Windsor, with her former husband.
News24
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Fergie claims the late queen ‘talks to her' through her corgis
The Duchess of York believes the late Queen's corgis are more than just pets – they're messengers from beyond the grave.. Sarah 'Fergie'Ferguson adopted the dogs, Muick and Sandy, with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, following the queen's death in September 2022. 'Every morning they come in and go 'woof woof' and all that and I'm sure it's her talking to me,' the 65-year-old author and speaker said in an address at the Creative Women Platform in London. 'I'm sure it's her, reminding me she's still around.' She and the queen enjoyed a close friendship and she says she continues to honour her memory in every way she can. 'I had the greatest honour to be her daughter-in-law. That's pretty huge,' Fergie said proudly. Even something as simple as spotting the queen's name on the Elizabeth line while riding the Tube pulls at her heartstrings. 'I want everyone to remember what an amazing lady she was.' While she and Andrew divorced in 2003, they continue to live together at the Royal Lodge in Windsor. Muick was a gift from Andrew to his mom, along with a Dorgi pup named Fergus, in 2021 to help cheer her up while her husband, the late Prince Philip, was in hospital. Fergus sadly died a few months later from a heart defect he was born with. In an interview with Hello! magazine, Fergie spoke of her love for the pooches. 'They are such joys. I am dog-mad, and they are exceptional.' Sandy, in particular, seems to have fully adopted Sarah as his new queen. 'Sandy follows me everywhere, I think he thinks I am the queen,' she joked. In an interview with the UK's Sunday Times last year, Fergie opened up about her close bond with Her Majesty, saying she called her 'mumma'. She revealed how the queen supported her after her own mom, Sarah Barrantes, left her in the UK to start a new life in Argentina with her second husband, Héctor Barrantes Sansoni. 'My mum was her close friend so she knew me all my life and she loved me,' she shared. 'The queen was much more my mother than my mother was. She never let me down, even if I let her down. Even through the darkest days, she never left me.' Fergie also credits the late monarch for helping her deal with poor self-esteem amid postnatal depression and body-shaming comments from the public during her time in the public eye.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sarah Ferguson believes late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth is ‘talking' to her through her corgis
Talk about a doggone head scratcher. Sarah Ferguson thinks her late former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, is channeling her through the fallen monarch's beloved corgis, Muick and Sandy. Prince Andrew's ex-wife, 65, revealed the bizarre revelation on stage at the Creative Women Platform Forum conference in London. Ferguson and Andrew still live together at their family home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor, despite being divorced for nearly four decades. The exes inherited the dogs following the Queen's death at age 96 in September 2022. 'I have her dogs. I have her corgis, so every morning they come in and go, 'Woof, woof' and all that and I'm sure it's her talking to me,' Ferguson explained at the conference, posting a clip of the conversation on Instagram. Her wild claims sparked laughs from the audience. However, their laughter quickly subsided when the Duchess of York began speaking about her late mother-in-law. 'The real thing is that I had the greatest honor to be her daughter-in-law. You know, that's really huge,' Ferguson continued. 'When I was driving here, I saw the Elizabeth [train] line… I want everyone to remember what an amazing lady she was.' Queen Elizabeth's love of corgis was well documented, with the former ruler of the Commonwealth owning more than 30 corgis and 'dorgi' mixes throughout her lifetime. Muick and Sandy were gifted to the Queen by Prince Andrew and Ferguson in 2021, making them her last fury friends before her death. After her passing, it was revealed that the exes would take ownership of her beloved doggos. 'The corgis will return to live at Royal Lodge with the Duke and Duchess. It was the Duchess who found the puppies, which were gifted to Her Majesty by the Duke,' a source told People at the time. Ferguson has spoken out about Queen Elizabeth sending signs through her pets before. 'They are national icons, so every time they run chasing a squirrel, I panic,' she said in 2023 about the corgis. 'But they're total joys, and I always think that when they bark at nothing, and there's no squirrels in sight, I believe it's because the Queen is passing by.' She also revealed her tight bond with Muick and Sandy, sharing, 'They're with me a lot, and they think I'm very funny.' Ferguson never misses an opportunity to gloat over her animals, reminding her followers last month that she has several other dogs in the family. Dedicating an Instagram post to her cute canines for International Pet Day on April 11, Ferguson shared several behind-the-scene snaps of her seven pups at home. 'From their wagging tails and comforting cuddles, to the calming presence and loyal companionship they give every single day, life is simply brighter with these amazing furry friends by my side,' she captioned the sweet shots. The Queen's beloved corgis stuck by Ferguson's side as she battled two cancer diagnosis between Summer 2023 and the beginning of 2024. She underwent a single mastectomy after discovering she had breast cancer in June 2023. She was also diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer, in January 2024. Ferguson and Prince Andrew share two kids: daughters Princess Eugenie, 35, and Princess Beatrice, 36, who revealed in May 2024 that her mom was 'all clear' after the double health scare.
