Wicker Corgi to be donated to royals in Sandringham
They were made to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee
The future of seven controversial wicker corgi statues owned by a Norfolk council has been revealed, with one set to be given to the royals at Sandringham.
Broadland District Council (BDC) will be giving away the statue – which was created as part of its Platinum Jubilee celebrations – to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September.
The rest of the sculptures will be kept by the council or auctioned off.
The authority came under fire earlier this year over how much it spent on the corgis, after the council’s Conservative deputy leader Trudy Mancini-Boyle revealed the bill for the design, build and location was £20,631.41.
The Queen was well known for her love of the diminutive dog breed, having owned at least 30 between 1952 and 2022.
The Royal Household is set to receive a statue based on the likeness of the Queen’s first corgi, called Susan.
Speaking to council colleagues at a meeting on Thursday, Ms Mancini-Boyle revealed the future of the sculptures.
She said: “We have had confirmation that the royal household would love to receive Susan the corgi as a gift from the council in recognition of our late Queen. They would like to have her at Sandringham.
“The representatives we have been dealing with have been working to arrange a formal handover and launch.”
She added the sculptures have been “collected from their summer travels”, undergone repair and are inside for the winter.
Four of the corgis will be auctioned by Horners Auctioneers, based in Acle, which is expected to be held in February.
The final two will stay with the council.
Ms Mancini-Boyle said the auction house has offered its services for free.
All the money raised from the auction is set to go to the chairman of BDC’s chosen charity, Nelson’s Journey, which offers support for children going through bereavement.
The sculptures were installed at Reedham, Thorpe St Andrew, Old Catton, Whitwell and Reepham Railway Station, Blickling Hall, Coltishall and at the Walled Garden in Little Plumstead.