Animal welfare officials in the UK have started an official probe into the welfare of the late Queen Elizabeth’s pet corgi dogs now entrusted to the care of the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson.

Britain’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) refused to comment on rumours that it had begun an investigation following complaints to the organisation.

But a Buckingham Palace insider confided in me that the RSPCA had launched a “full-blown but confidential inquiry” into the welfare of the dogs.

“It’s being treated so very hush-hush,” the royal source told me. “The RSPCA certainly doesn’t want to embarrass the new King nor the royal family so soon after the death of Her Majesty.

“But it is legally obliged to act on complaints which in this case came directly from several members of the Duchess’s household staff.”

I am told that staff members contacted the RSPCA after becoming concerned at what they alleged to be the rapid deterioration in the health of the corgis and the manner in which the Duchess was treating the dogs.

“For a start while the Duchess has milked personal publicity out of caring for the corgis (main picture) her staff members believe the dogs are not even being fed correctly,” the palace insider said.

“They say that the Duchess has taken personal responsibility for giving the dogs all their meals, which is not necessarily a good thing.

“She doesn’t give them any dry dog food or dry treats which every pet owner knows is essential to maintaining a balanced diet for their pet as well as being good practice for their dental care.

“The staff members claim the Duchess uses only wet tinned dog food and doesn’t even use a feed bowl for the poor little things.

“Instead she insists on smearing the dog food on her toes and then have the corgis lick it off.

“Plus she is overfeeding them. She apparently insists on giving them up to a dozen meals a day in that way.

“What’s even more bizarre is that she feeds them in that strange manner while sunbathing topless on a poolside sun lounge.

“The poor things are already showing signs of bloating and the Duchess’s staff members who take the corgis for a walk now say it’s more akin to taking them for a waddle or even a roll if they go downhill,” the palace source said.

I am told that the Duchess’s staff are also concerned that the welfare of the corgis is not her main concern and that she sees them only as an opportunity for personal aggrandisement.

“Some staff members have told the RSPCA that they have overheard the Duchess on the phone to corgi breeding organisations asking about the possibility of officially changing the breed’s name to fergie,” the palace insider told me.