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.

This was a very sweet and easy read. Even though it is fiction I felt like I got a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth as a person and a dog lover.

Everyone thinks royal life is easy but I think it would be exhausting living in the public eye constantly and having every move criticized. Susan was a safe place for Elizabeth and with her she could just be herself. It was nice to read about those moments. I loved reading Susan's thoughts about things. The author did a great job of writing from the dog's perspective.

The ending was a bit abrupt for me and I wasn't expecting it to end in such a way but overall I found this book a nice, relaxing read and one I would pick up again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mention dogs in relation to Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, and people will know you mean Welsh Corgis. What could be more natural than to focus a novel on those Corgis—most notably Susan, an eighteenth-birthday gift to the future queen and progenitor of all the dogs that followed?

Like many people born in the UK, I saw Elizabeth II as not just a queen but THE queen, the one and only. Over the years, she matured from a beautiful princess to an occasionally cranky grandmother, but even as her offspring tumbled into one scandal after another and threw the fate of the monarchy into question, she remained the embodiment of propriety and stability. “The Queen’s Faithful Companion” focuses on the early years, when queen and times were in alignment. It throws light on her relationship with Prince Philip, showing them as a young couple in love—if not entirely comfortable with the demands placed on them. And it reframes Elizabeth’s relationship with her sister, Princess Margaret, in thought-provoking ways.

But it’s the contrast between the relatively well-known story of Elizabeth and the perspectives of Susan and her caretaker, Hanna Penwyck that make this novel irresistible. Hanna—a fictional character based on the gamekeeper at Windsor Castle, Bill Fenwick, and his wife, Nancy, who cared for the royal Corgis—agrees somewhat reluctantly to give up her dreams of an outside career, but by doing so, she finds both her purpose in life and her own love story. Her pragmatic lower-class approach to the dogs and their needs puts the royals in their place, in a sense, offering a view of life at the castle that most readers will share.

Susan’s job is to offset the demands placed on the princess and especially the queen, reminding Elizabeth of the important things in life: a walk in the park, a cuddle at the fireside, the need for treats and comfort. Although it’s hard to believe that Susan could accurately convey the full text of conversations taking place around her, it’s a novel, after all, not a history book. Her reactions are always believably canine. She worries about smells and strange sounds and people moving into or away from her territory. Even when she bites someone (as the real Susan did on several occasions), it’s easy to see what prompts her response. Joe Biden’s Commander would no doubt appreciate that kind of understanding among his humans; Susan illustrates the difficulties of being a dog surrounded by strangers and kept away from the human she loves most.

The life of a dog is, alas, not long, and it can be hard to say goodbye even to fictional renditions of the pets who mean so much to us. Susan has the last word in this novel, and that is fitting. It still made me cry. But rest assured, lovers of “The Crown,” people who like dog stories in general, and readers like me, who still regard Elizabeth II as THE queen will adore this book. I’ll be hosting the author on my blog (link below) when the novel comes out in June 2024.

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.

I have always adored the Queen and was intrigued to learn more of her life through this charming novel that offers much of the story via Corgi Susan and Hanna Penwyck, a fictionalized Keeper of the Queen’s dogs. A perfect tale for those who love the Queen, her famous Corgis, the Royal family, and endearing canine companions.

I received a copy of the book "The Queen's Faithful Companion" by Eliza Knight, from NetGalley. This book is about Queen Elizabeth and her faithful corgi companion "Susan" The dog was given to the Queen when she was 18 years old and was Princess Elizabeth. The boof focuses on three narratives. Princess Elizabeth{although it is not her talking} Susan the corgi dog and her view. and Hanna the young woman was was hired to be the caregiver of the Corgis. The book goes from Susan as a puppy and growing over the next dozen years with Elizabeth as she goes from an 18 year old to being Queen of Britain and her getting married and having her first two kids. Hanna the caregiver has her voice as well taking care of Susan and other Corgis the royals own. This was a nice book to read. I enjoy reading books that have dogs in them. I had heard of the Corgis the royals have owned for decades and the author Eliza Knight found a delightful way to bring this together to get an idea of what it could be like to be a dog who is a very important member to Queen Elizabeth.