The Duchess of York has issued a rather bizarre claim regarding her relationship with her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.
Sarah Ferguson had previously been married to the monarch's son, Prince Andrew, with the former couple having tied the knot in Westminster Abbey in July 1986 before divorcing 10 years later.
Throughout their relationship - during which Sarah and Andrew welcomed two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie - it was long believed that the Duchess was somewhat adored by the Queen.
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A source previously told the Royal Observer, 'Sarah would always be there looking at the positive side of everything, despite, you know, really bad things happening', seemingly referencing the 'toe-sucking scandal' that occurred towards the end of her marriage to Andrew.
"And that's why she was one of the Queen's favourites," the source claimed.
When Queen Elizabeth died in 2022, 65-year-old animal-lover Sarah - who still lives with her ex-husband at the Royal Lodge, a property on the Windsor estate - adopted her pet corgis.
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The Queen had famously been fond of the Welsh dog breed since she was a small child, reportedly having first fallen in love with those belonging to the children of the Marquess of Bath. Her father, King George VI, also brought home Dookie, their first family corgi in 1933.
Despite taking ownership of the late monarch's beloved pets Muick and Sandy, however, Sarah has recently made an unexpected claim about the pair, who reside with her and Andrew, also 65.
Speaking at an address to the Creative Women Platform in London earlier this week, The Times reports that the mother-of-two admitted she often believes the late Queen 'talks to her' through the dogs - specifically when they bark.
"I have her dogs, I have her corgis," Sarah explained.
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"Every morning they come in and go, ‘woof woof’ and all that and I’m sure it’s her talking to me."
She continued: "I’m sure it’s her, reminding me she’s still around."
This isn't the only occasion that royal spectators have heard of Sarah's connection to her late mother-in-law's canine pals.
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In 2024 - two years after the Queen died at Balmoral Castle, aged 96 - the Duchess opened up about how much Muick and Sandy have helped alleviate her heartache.
That year, she shared a snap of the pair on Instagram on International Dog Day, gushing in the caption: "Wishing you and all your furry friends a Happy #InternationalDogDay.
"For all the unconditional love, loyalty, and joy they bring into our lives, Sandy and Muick will be getting an extra treat on their special day!"
In conversation with Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly presenter Graeme Hall during an appearance on ITV's This Morning that same year, Sarah lifted the lid on the dogs' initial difficulty getting used to their new home after the Queen's passing.
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"We started off, at night we kept them away so they had their own beds and mats and everything perfect [for them]," she explained.
She added, however, that they eventually calmed down.
"And they're really settling in well now," Sarah claimed, before making a joke about one of the corgis' mischievous nature.
"Although I've noticed Muick needs to see Graeme," she laughed.
Topics: Royal Family, UK News, Prince Andrew, The Queen, Dog
Rhianna Benson