Review by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Fans of Britain’s Royal Family take note: Eliza Knight’s new release, The Queen’s Faithful Companion: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth II and her Beloved Corgi, Susan, takes a fond look at the early days of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Told partly from the perspective of Elizabeth’s real-life dog Susan, the matriarch of the Windsor Corgi dynasty, this tale is less historical fiction and more a slice of royal life. The story focuses not on world events, but on the relationships among the people—and dogs—closest to Elizabeth.
The Queen’s Faithful Companion alternates between three main point-of-view characters: Elizabeth (aka Princess Lillibet), Susan the Corgi, and a fictional mistress of the royal dogs, Hanna Penwick, a young woman who’s grown up at Windsor Castle, alongside Princess Lillibet, but in very different circumstances. Of the three heroines, Susan’s voice is the strongest and most interesting—far more interesting, alas, than her mistress. But Hanna’s more compelling human tale bridges the gap between dog and Queen. Knight’s depiction of dog behavior and personality truly shines when the delightful Susan takes center stage—but the canine characters fade to the background when the humans are narrating. It’s a shame, as the reader loses all sense of the dogs as individual, thriving personalities helping to drive the story. The focus really is on the events occurring in and around the humans and their families: Elizabeth’s marriage to charming Prince Philip, her devotion to her father, King George VI, Hanna’s evolving career at the castle and her own love story. Despite taking place on the global political stage, don’t expect a gripping, plot-driving historical saga. The Queen’s Faithful Companion is an intimate view of family life.
The action spans the nearly 15 years of Susan’s life, and Knight sagely ends the account on a sweet (not bittersweet) note, choosing to forego the typical end of most dog stories. Susan survives until the very end, which should please all readers. (Although some human characters die, and there is mention of animal deaths.) Those new to the royal family will enjoy learning more about the more mundane and personal side of Elizabeth and Philip’s life together, and Royal enthusiasts will find a fond and respectful portrait of the family.
Featuring a cuter-than-cute cover and an Author’s Note, The Queen’s Faithful Companion is just out from William Morrow publishing, available here at Amazon.
