Book Title: THE QUEEN’S FAITHFUL COMPANION
Character Name: Susan, the Queen’s corgi
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
My very earliest memories are cuddling into the litter, snuggling with my siblings, until one day I met a King. The King took me home to my Lilibet, who loved me to the moon and back. She told me all of her secrets, and took me on hikes through the wilds, indulging my penchant for squirrel and bird chasing. The best part was, even when she found her other half, she still snuck me on her honeymoon, and insisted I go with her everywhere.
What was your greatest talent?
I am quite a fast runner. No one would guess with these short legs, but I’ve got speed. But I think perhaps my greatest talent, was my ability to calm my princess who became a queen.
Significant other?
They bred me a couple of times, but I don’t consider Lucky Strike a significant other. The most important person in my life was Lilibet.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
Well… I’m a bit jealous, and don’t like to share. Philip was always trying to share my Lilibet, and I had to chew his pants a couple times until we had an understanding.
Where do you live?
Buckingham Palace mostly, but my favorite places are Sandringham and Balmoral. Though, to be sure, I reside forever in my queen’s heart.
Do you have any enemies?
Hmmm… sometimes Philip. Sometimes the clockworkers. Depends on the day. But mostly, it’s anyone who stands in the way of me and my queen. Though I did make her a promise to stop biting.
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
By my queen’s side, or at her feet is where I am most attached. Even better when we’re out for a walk, hiking up the wooded hills. When we’re at Buckingham is where I am most repelled by the number of people, the lack of attention. I suppose it’s a bit cheeky to say considering I have my own room, footmen, chef and a keeper, but I really just want Lilibet, and when we’re here she’s busy meeting people and sifting through papers. Not as much time to play.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
I am the matriarch of fourteen generations of Windsor corgis. Of course, most of those generations come after I’ve crossed the rainbow bridge, but I am proud of my line, and proud that my corgi line continued to be with Liliebt until the end. As for pets, does Philip count? Just kidding.
What do you do for a living?
I am my queen’s most faithful companion.
Greatest disappointment?
That I have to sometimes be away from her. Being a queen is no easy job, and the work is never done.
Greatest source of joy?
My Lilibet. Endless cuddles.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
Chase squirrels, chase birds, walk with my girl, keep the furniture in line.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
That I could not take away all the pain my Lilibet has ever felt.
What keeps you awake at night?
My Lilibet’s distress at the loss of her father.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
Convincing my keeper that my place is actually best beside the queen while she works, eats, sleeps. And why should it not be? I’m no trouble… most of the time.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
I would prefer that it was I sleeping beside my queen. Philip keeps trying to take my place.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
Philip. Well, and my queen’s responsibilities to her country.
A Novel of Queen Elizabeth II and Her Beloved Corgi, Susan
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.
A reigning queen…
Elizabeth wasn’t born to be queen. But when her uncle abdicates and her father steps in as king, everything in her life changes. There is one thing that never wavers, however: her endearing love of her Corgis—especially the new puppy Susan, a gift for her eighteenth birthday. Susan is by her side during Elizabeth’s WWII service, falling in love with Philip and getting married, the death of her father King George VI, her accession to the throne, the birth of her first child, and the early struggles with running a country—an ever-present reminder to find the balance between self and crown.
A loyal servant…
Hanna Penwyck has grown up with her family in service to the crown. Awkward and shy, she has a connection with nature, animals—and the young princesses at Windsor. When she becomes the Keeper of the Queen’s Corgis, her job is to maintain the health and wellness of those most prized companions. With their shared love of the dogs, the Queen can open up to Hanna and feel free to be herself, so that is a service she happily provides as well.
A faithful companion…
From the moment Susan became a royal dog, her duty was clear: To remind Elizabeth that she is more than just a queen, she is a human, and what matters is not just duty and honor, but connection, family, and unconditional and enduring love. Susan is the keeper of memories, of secrets. Through Susan we gain a dog’s eye view of royal life, human relationships, and the heartwarming bond between a queen and her beloved companion.
Non-Fiction Biography | Non-Fiction Pet-Lover [HarperCollins Publishers, On Sale: June 11, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063281011 / eISBN: 9780063281028]
Eliza Knight is the multi-published author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain, and enjoys cold winter nights when she can curl up in front of a roaring fire with her own knight in shining armor.
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