A story told from a different and unique perspective, by a dog called Susan, and at the time she was almost as famous as her owner Princess Elizabeth. Susan a Pembroke Corgi was an eighteenth birthday gift to Princess Elizabeth from her father, she was an animal lover and the Windsor's always had Corgis. Susan was the perfect present, she was a symbol of the bond and love between a father and his daughter and maybe King George VI knew Princess Elizabeth would need a fluffy best friend to get her through the demanding days ahead of her.

When Princess Elizabeth’s uncle abdicates the thrown, her father became King and she’s now his heir and the future Queen of England, knowing one day she will have to dedicate her life to the service of her country and the Commonwealth and it's a lot of responsibility for a young woman. Susan was with her when Princess Elizabeth serves as a driver in the Second World War, while she and Prince Philip were courting, leading up the wedding and she even went with the newlyweds on their honeymoon. Susan would have provided canine comfort when she lost her father and an escape from the pressure of being the Queen, trying to juggle being a wife and mother of two young children.

Hanna Penwyck family have always been in service and worked at Windsor Castle. Hanna becomes the Keeper of the Queen’s Corgis, her job is to look after the dogs, take them for their daily walks, they have their own room in the palace, with custom made beds and a chef who creates their yummy food and treats. Susan's a feisty and funny canine friend to the Queen Elizabeth II, as we know dogs are intelligent, they pick up on their owner’s feelings and emotions, provide companionship and are always delighted to see them, they know routines, words and are loyal.

I received a copy of The Queen's Faithful Companion from William Morrow and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Using a combination of real facts and fiction Eliza Knight has written a wonderful book about royal life, duty, relationships and their love of Corgis. Susan was one pampered and spoilt dog, she loved chasing sticks and nipping at shoes, and I think Prince Philip knew they came as a package deal when he married his bride.

Told from three viewpoints of a young Queen Elizabeth, Hanna Penwyck, the fictionalized Keeper of the Queen’s dogs and she and her husband were based on real people couple and Susan, the Queen’s naughty Corgi, who she loved dearly and I'm sure they have been reunited in heaven. Five stars from me and I highly recommend reading this novel if you’re interested in the English Royal Family and their pets and it’s a heart-warming and uplifting story.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review Eliza Knight's "The Queen's Faithful Companion". I've never been much of a dog person until our Westie, Riley, entered into our lives. Reading this wonderful book made me wonder what my dog is thinking. Does he look at me with the love that Queen Elizabeth's dog, Susan, is giving her? I loved the point of views from the queen, Hannah, and Susan. Each brought a different perspective, but all centered around the love, companionship, and relationships between humans and animals. Even if you aren't a dog person, this book shows the closeness we share with our pets and why they are considered part of the family. An enjoyable story!

If you love all things Royal Family and all things Corgi then this book is perfect for you.

As a Corgi mom myself I could not wait to read this book. It was everything I wanted. Eliza Knight captures the adoration that Elizabeth had for all of her dogs but in particular her beloved Corgi, Susan, who was an 18th birthday gift from her father. I found myself smiling through this entire book that spans the decade plus that Susan was a part of the Royal Family.

Funny, romantic, interesting and just full of heart…this book is amazing!!!

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the chance to read and review this book.

For her 18th birthday, Princess Elizabeth was gifted a corgi pup by her father, the King. She named her Susan, and she become the Princess’s best friend, next to her sister Margaret. With her own trainer, chef, and dresser, Susan could have been a spoiled dog, but she proved to be very smart and a great source of comfort to the Princess through her years. Elizabeth was eager to do her part for the war effort, and enrolled in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in February 1945, and Susan was always there to welcome her home. And when she had her sites set on her prince Phillip of Greece, Susan gave her approval. After their wedding, as they we’re on their way to their honeymoon, Susan was smuggled along for the trip. Written from the point of view of Elizabeth - first as a princess, then as a queen, then as a mother, and the point of view of the fictional trainer Hanna, and even Susan herself, this is a delightful read that shows the unconditional love between a human and their pet. Based largely on facts, the author give details notes at the end of the book as to what parts were fiction (obviously the POV from Susan was fictional, but very believable!), and which were factual. All of us remember the Queen’s 2 corgis at her funeral a few years ago; all corgis since Susan were her descendants. I really loved this one - corgis and royals, what could be better? Pub date is June 14, 2024 - be sure and pick this one up for a heart-warming story.

What a wonderful story of Queen Elizabeth II and her faithful companion, Susan. Susan was a gift to Elizabeth for her 18th birthday from her Father, King George VI. Susan was a loyal Corgi to Lilabet, as she called her. She was with her during her time during WWII service, when she fell in love and married Prince Philp, during time her father passed away, when she became Queen and through the beginning of running her country and when she had her first child.

I loved reading the book and especially loved the parts when Susan told us her feelings. There were many corgis during the 15 years Susan was Elizabeth's close companion. Knowing this is fictional, but the history was well research and loved the history aspect, as I always do. In the story, Susan had a corgi keeper named Hanna Penwyck, and she loved her as much as much as Elizabeth did. Hanna cared for the dogs as if they were her own. Hanna and Elizabeth had a friendship where they could talk openly with one another.

I truly loved this book and do look forward to reading it again in the future. Thank you to Netgally and Harper Collins for allowing me to read it before publication. And to Eliza Knight for writing such a wonderful book.

It is a lovely, cozy book about the life of Queen Elizabeth and her precious Corgi Susan. She got her first one from her Father at the age of 18, and we know that she had one right up until she passed away.

However, this is also a story of Elizabeth's life and her passionate love of Prince Phillip and, eventually, her children. This book blends Elizabeth's life, dealing with her father's illnesses and death, her ascension to the throne, issues with Margaret, and the births of Charles and Anne. In between, we hear thoughts from the Official Corgi keeper, Hanna, and even chapters from Susan.

If you are not an avid dog lover, this may not be the book for you. I was expecting a little more of the royal life with just a blending of the dogs. But all in all, this was a compelling novel and one that I enjoyed.

ARC* Supplied by the publisher William Morrow, the author, and NetGalley.

Thank you to @netgalley and @WilliamMorrow for this ARC. A book written from three perspectives, Queen Elizabeth II, her dog handler/trainer Hannah and Susan, the corgi. Susan was given to the Queen by her father on her 18th birthday and that started a life long love of corgis. She was by the Elizabeth's side from a princess of 18, a wife, a mother and then a Queen. I wasn't sure about the first few chapters written "by" Susan but they became sweeter as the book went on. In these chapters, voice of Susan explained how the King smelled when he was becoming ill or how she felt her owner's sadness after her father's passing. Susan lived to be 16 and started the bloodline of 14 generations of corgis in the Royal family. None were ever sold and most given as gifts to family members, close friends or the breeder himself. Really cute book! #TheQueensFaithfulCompanion #ElizaKnight #June2024 #WilliamMorrow

This is certainly a different slant on the life of Queen Elizabeth II with her beloved corgis. Being aware of the Royal Family’s love of animals, it was interesting to see how the author crafted this historical fiction, albeit some of it non-fiction, novel. It took a while to get used to Susan, Elizabeth’s prize companion, to actually write some chapters! The author appears to have got inside the minds of the dogs, as she certainly seems to understand them and their behaviours. The constant nipping and biting of this breed will make me wary of corgis for life. What kept me engaged were the historical facts of the Royal Family, as it was pretty clear from the outset how the story of the companion would close. An uninspiring read, but certainly one that will appeal to dog lovers.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers HarperCollins for this APC in exchange for an independent review.

I received an ARC of this book and highly recommend it.
Being both an avid dog-lover and a huge fan of Queen Elizabeth, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Queen Elizabeth and her devoted Corgi, Susan. This was a very sweet and easy read.
Overall I found this book a nice, relaxing read and one I would pick up again.

The Queen's Faithful Companion
by Eliza Knight
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
From USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight comes an endearing and vivid novel told from the unique multi-narrative viewpoints of a young Queen Elizabeth; Hanna Penwyck, the fictionalized Keeper of the Queen’s dogs; and Susan, the Queen’s Corgi, whose love and loyalty were boundless.
I Loved this book and highly recommend it for anyone who loves the Queen as much as I do.
Such a touching book about the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the time she received her first Corgi puppy at age 18, through her marriage, death of her father, ascension to the throne, and birth of son Charles.
5 stars

What a fabulous entertaining read! The story is told from Queen Elizabeth's (Lilibet), Hanna's (Keeper of the Corgis), and Susan's (Lilibet's first corgi) perspectives. The focus of the book is the years when Lilibet had Susan as her loyal companion. Hanna's character is fictional, but based on the real royal gamekeeper. She loved taking care of Susan and her offspring. Susan is the real dog that began the long line of the Queen's corgis and her exploits in the story are fictional but based on real events and history. She was a fun loving dog who had definite opinions of humans. Her chapters were so enjoyable! Lilibet struggled to give her beloved dogs all the attention they needed as her life became more complicated with a husband, children, and royal duties, but she always was invested in their health and happiness. Hanna provided that stability and routine and worked with Lilibet to give Susan and her offspring a great life!
As a corgi owner, I loved Susan's chapters as many of the behaviors I see on a daily basis. Several quotes and actions could have been taken from my dog and had me laughing. You know the author did lots of research to get the events, people, and locations accurate and then built a wonderfully creative fictional story around them. If you are looking for a delightful story that is an easy and quick read, I highly recommend this one!!
#TheQueensFaithfulCompanion #NetGalley
Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

As a royal-watcher, I had to read this book! The author has done a fantastic job researching the young Princess/Queen Elizabeth, and I loved Susan's voice the best. Very clever! This is a sweet book that I will be suggesting to many of my patrons.

Nothing like a dog as a companion. They add so much to our lives. I did not know much about Corgi’s and this one is heartwarming.

Love the part about Elizabeth and her love for Phillip at a young age. I can tell a lot of research went into this novel and it will tug at your heart. Funny and endearing. Glad that Susan could keep Elizabeth company during the scrutiny of the public eye.

I love how Knight gives us the dog’s perspective.

The heartwarming story of Lilibet and her beloved Susan. Even though it is historical fiction you can see the hours and hours of research that Eliza Knight poured into this book. She did a wonderful job writing in real events and facts from Queen Elizabeth’s life. I definitely recommend brushing up on your facts before reading this book as many details were left out. This was purposefully done by the author as she mentions it in the authors note,

“Of course, there is so much that happened in Queen Elizabeth's long life that I was not able to include. And to be fair, this book is really about Susan and her Lilibet, and so it only takes place along the timeline of Susan's life.”

While you can read it without any prior knowledge of the royals I enjoyed knowing some “behind the scenes”.

At the beginning of the book I was put off by the long chapters but it is absolutely worth it!

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

It is definitely no secret that Queen Elizabeth loved dogs, most especially her Corgis. Eliza Knight has written a well researched and beautifully written story of Elizabeth’s relationship with her first Corgi, Susan who was chosen and gifted to her by her father on her 18th birthday. Susan was with her through many life events, her engagement to Prince Phillip, her marriage (she even accompanied them on their honeymoon), her father’s death and her becoming Queen, and the birth of her first two children. While this is a work of fiction (we read Susan’s point of view often), I really appreciate the research that went into the story to keep it as accurate as possible. Susan was the matriarch of generations of Corgis. None were ever sold, but gifted to friends and family. The Queen stopped the Windsor Corgi line in 2009, so that none would outlive her. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this book. I think if you enjoy reading about Queen Elizabeth as a person and enjoyed watching The Crown, you will love this book. Thank you @netgalley for the ARC.

Oh how I love this book. Elizabeth and I share a love for dogs. Mine is just as spoiled. We get to see and imagine just how hard life could be for Elizabeth and how much her Susan helped her.

As a lifelong Anglophile I've read many things about the great Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen's Faithful Companion has three main characters Princess/Queen Elizabeth, Susan (her first and favorite Corgi who was the matriarch of many generations), and Hannah the keeper of the Royal Corgis. All three share insights into the time period of WWII through to the very beginning of Elizabeth's reign and ending in late 1950s.
This was an extremely enjoyable read from Eliza Knight! I especially enjoyed learning about what made corgi's a favorite of the Queen. For a monarch who led a nation for 70 years quotes like, "There are no easy choices for the heads that wear the crown," completely fit what we know about Elizabeth and this novel felt like a glimpse at the woman she did not allow many if any to actually know.
I definitely recommend this for anyone who is an Anglophile, loves history, or loves dogs! Susan will steal your heart with her intelligence and utter devotion to Elizabeth.

This has to be my favorite book by Ms. Knight. One I shall re-read more than once. Can't wait till it's released so I can also enjoy it with the Audible.. In full disclosure, Corgi's are one of my top three favorite breeds. My late dog, Cappy, was a corgi mix and I loved his short legs. He had a lot of character, much like Susan, the alpha dog in the book.

In addition, I loved the Royal family. So reading this book was a real treat. I loved how Susan had her own chapters. I have read a little about her but this book made her seem so real it made me sad to think that she passed away when I was a little. I am proud to share her name. 😍😍 The relationship between Susan and her Lilibet was very relatable. I especially loved reading how Susan was smuggled under blankets so that she could go on the honeymoon. Sounds like something I would do.

Hanna was a great character. Now that would be a job I would love to have. Including how the household staff could be downright mean when they were jealous of another staff member. Luckily, Hanna rose above that. Letting her have her own love story with Forrest and later her own family added depth to the character. I wonder if the real Queen was fortunate to have someone like her in her life. This really was a great book about three very strong females, two real and one fictional but still so very real. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, Netgalley for giving the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. My review is voluntary and completely honest.

Quirky book that is partially told from QE's corgi Susan's POV; the story spans Susan's life and incorporates some of the well-known happenings through the 50s. Each chapter was told from a specific person's POV: Elizabeth, Susan, Hanna (the corgi keeper), etc. and it was readable and accurate. I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of Philip & Elizabeth's relationship as well as the seemingly true to life description of Elizabeth's mothering style. Using Susan's legacy as a way to tell an often told story is a novel approach!

As the name of the novel implies: “The Queen’s Faithful Companion: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth and Her Beloved Corgi, Susan”, this book has as it’s primary protagonists Queen Elizabeth and her corgi, Susan, as well as Hannah, Susan’s fictitious handler. The novel starts in 1939 when then Princess Elizabeth was 13 years old at the beginning of World War II. At that time, she was close to Dookie, the family corgi. Five years later on her 18th birthday, her father, King George VI gives Princess Elizabeth a corgi of her own, named Susan. The book traces their life together as Princess Elizabeth becomes an adult, falling in love with and later marrying Prince Philip, becoming a naval wife stationed in Malta, only to suddenly become Queen at the age of 26 on the death of her father. Throughout these tumultuous years, she maintains a close relationship with her beloved Susan, who has trials and tribulations of her own as she frequently bites footmen and guests of the various palaces where she resides with the Queen.

The author clearly loves dogs, as she brings to life the nuances of feelings and expressions that Susan exhibits. As a result, the reader is given a glimpse through life as seen through the eyes of a devoted dog. The human characters are also well-drawn as she highlights their individual struggles and losses. I highly recommend this book to historical fiction fans, especially those who love animals.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.