A New Picture Book Explores the Relationship Between Queen Elizabeth and Her First Corgi, Susan

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It's no secret that the late Queen Elizabeth II loved dogs, and corgis in particular—so much so, in fact, that her fluffy, four-legged friends became something of an emblem of the monarch herself. Over the course of her reign, Elizabeth had more than 30 corgis, many of them descendants of her very first, deeply beloved corgi, Susan. The future queen received Susan as a present on her 18th birthday, and carried the pup with her through some of the most momentous years of her life, and now, a new picture book is exploring the special relationship between Elizabeth and Susan.

Titled The Corgi and the Queen, the sweetly illustrated book tells the story of the royal's friendship with her furry pal, who was by her side for nearly 15 years.

"Susan was there for many of the most important moments in Elizabeth's life," author Caroline L. Perry told People. "She was by her royal companion's side when Elizabeth joined a women's regiment when the Princess served her country during the war. She was there when her companion married Prince Philip, who became the second love of Elizabeth's life! Susan also provided comfort when Elizabeth's beloved 'Papa' King George VI died; when she was crowned Queen at the age of only 25, and when she became a mother."

The loyal companion even received a royal-worthy burial when she passed away in 1959; she was laid to rest at the queen's Sandringham estate with a headstone bearing an inscription personally chosen by Elizabeth: "For almost 15 years, the faithful companion of the Queen."

Elizabeth loved Susan so much, that for most of her reign, she bred her dear pets from Susan's descendants, ultimately stopping in 2012 because she didn't want to leave any of Susan's extended family tree behind in case of her own death. However, the Queen couldn't give up on corgis for good. At the time of her death in 2022, she still had two pups by her side, her corgis Muick and Sandy, who were both gifted to her in the last years of her life. The dogs even gave the monarch a final farewell at Windsor Castle before she was laid to rest—they now live with her son, Prince Andrew, and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

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