Queen Elizabeth Penned a Heartfelt Letter to the Vet Who Cared for Her Beloved Corgi, Susan
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Lisa Sheridan/Hulton Archive/Getty Queen Elizabeth and Susan
Even in a moment of great sadness, Queen Elizabeth took the time to thank the veterinarian who cared for her beloved corgi, Susan, before her death.
Susan, the monarch's pet dog who was the matriarch of 14 generations of royal corgis, died on Jan. 26, 1959. After Susan's death, Queen Elizabeth penned a thank you note to veterinarian Harold Swann, who had tried to save the Pembroke Welsh corgi's life.
In her letter, the Queen wrote: "I would like to thank you for all you did for my dear old Susan when she became ill, and for the immense amount of trouble you took in getting her sent to Cambridge and for all the care she had while she was there. I had always dreaded losing her as I had had her since she was six weeks old, but I am ever so thankful that her suffering was so mercifully short."
The letter was signed, "Yours sincerely, Elizabeth R," with the "R" standing for "Regina," the Latin word for queen.
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Anwar Hussein/Getty
Susan was buried on the Sandringham estate with a special headstone that read, "For almost 15 years, the faithful companion of the Queen." The monarch "personally chose the inscription for the headstone," Caroline L. Perry, author of The Corgi and the Queen, tells PEOPLE.
The future monarch was surrounded by dogs (and corgis, in particular) throughout her childhood, but it was for her 18th birthday that she received Susan as a gift.
"Susan was there for many of the most important moments in Elizabeth's life," explains Perry. "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."
AFP via Getty Queen Elizabeth and Susan
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Queen Elizabeth stopped breeding her corgis descendent from Susan in 2012 as she didn't want to leave any behind when she died. However, she received two puppies in March 2021, shortly before Prince Philip's death. After one of the dogs died just weeks later, Prince Andrew gifted his mother with a new puppy on what would have been Philip's 100th birthday.
Muick and Sandy were outside as Queen Elizabeth's coffin arrived at her final resting place at Windsor Castle during her Sept. 2022 funeral processions. (The Queen's dogs now live with Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, at the Royal Lodge in Windsor along with five Norfolk terriers. Fergie told The Telegraph: "They all balance out, the carpet moves as I move but I've got used to it now.")
GLYN KIRK/POOL/AFP via Getty Queen Elizabeth's corgis at her funeral
Queen Elizabeth was so closely associated with her corgis that the dog breed is even featured on gifts at the Royal Collection Shop.
"Susan's legacy was enduring," says Perry. "Because of her — and her descendants — the corgi will forever be the symbol of the second Elizabethan age."
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Godwin Books The Corgi and the Queen
The Corgi and the Queen by Caroline Perry with illustrations by Lydia Corry is now on sale.
