Queen's heartbreak as she's forced to give up hobby that got her through Prince Philip's death amid health fears

The Queen has reportedly given up a hobby that helped her through her grief after losing Prince Philip as speculation about her health continues. 

• Her Majesty is said to have taken medical advice seriously and stopped walking her beloved dogs for almost a week.
• The Queen is understood to have drawn great comfort from spending time outdoors with her pets following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh in April.  
• This royal news (opens in new tab) comes as the Royal Family is ‘at the Queen’s side’ as her health scare continues with missed a church visit (opens in new tab).

The Queen’s health has been under the spotlight in recent days after it was announced that she’d spent a night in hospital (opens in new tab) after cancelling a trip to Northern Ireland on medical grounds. The confirmation came a day afterwards and Buckingham Palace has  faced criticism (opens in new tab) for the timing of their statement. Now the Queen has been advised to rest with her attendance at the COP26 climate conference next month with other senior members of The Firm (opens in new tab) yet to be re-confirmed. 

Not only that, but the monarch is said to have given up one of her favourite daily hobbies. As reported by The Daily Mail (opens in new tab), sources have claimed that the Queen has been taking doctors’ advice seriously and has not walked her corgis (opens in new tab) herself for almost a week. 

The publication suggests that these daily excursions with her two puppies and dorgi (dachshund and corgi cross) Candy around Frogmore on the Windsor estate are one of the highlights of her day. Whilst her family and friends reportedly believe these walks are a “tonic” for the 95-year-old monarch and have helped to keep her fit and healthy. 

The Queen’s alleged decision to take a break from walking her dogs is certainly an indicator of how seriously she’s taking her health, though this hobby will likely be hugely missed. When her beloved husband of 73 years, (opens in new tab) Prince Philip, was admitted to hospital earlier this year, the Queen is understood to have drawn great comfort from her pets. 

The newest arrivals were reportedly sweet gifts during this difficult time and according to The Sun (opens in new tab), an insider claimed that they brought a lot of energy into Windsor Castle.

The insider 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.”

In a heartbreaking turn of events, however, the Queen lost her dorgi (opens in new tab) Fergus just a month after Prince Philip’s death. Her granddaughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice and their father Prince Andrew are then said to have given her a new puppy (opens in new tab) for her birthday (opens in new tab) in June.

“The Queen has had a rough time and she is absolutely delighted to have a new corgi. She was distraught when Fergus died suddenly, but this new dog will be perfect company for Muick going forward”, a Windsor Castle source declared at the time. 

Given how much spending time with her dogs has reportedly helped the Queen during so many difficult moments this year, she will no doubt be looking forward to reuniting with them for daily walks very soon.