The Queen’s birthday present that changed her life forever

The Queen's birthday present for her 18th could be seen as a truly life-changing gift and remains strongly associated with her to this day.

• Her Majesty celebrated her 96th birthday on April 21st and took to social media to share more about one of most iconic birthday presents ever. 
• When the Queen was 18 years old she received her first corgi from her father and this adorable breed has become one of her favourites.
• This royal news comes as the Queen was photographed with rarely-seen adorable family members in a special new birthday portrait.

Though many royal fans might already be aware of why the Queen has two birthdays, it’s so often her official birthday that immediately comes to mind when people think of the monarch’s big day. Traditionally marked with other members of The Firm and Trooping the Colour, this occasion is a public celebration. But the Queen’s actual birthday on April 21st is also honoured, with many royals sharing sweet tributes this year as she turned 96. 

Now as the Queen celebrates privately, the Royal Family social media accounts have shared a short quiz about Britain’s longest reigning monarch. And it seems that one of the Queen’s birthday presents likely changed her life forever...

Taking to Instagram Stories the Royal Family posed the question of what Her Majesty’s first corgi was named. Revealing the answer to be Susan, they shared that she was the Queen’s birthday present for her 18th.  

Susan was a thoughtful gift from her father King George VI and the Queen has gone on to own over 30 corgis and dorgis (a dachshund and corgi mix) since this milestone birthday. All these years later this adorable breed of dog is still consistently associated with Her Majesty. 

The Queen’s corgis are known to be incredibly important to her and one of her current corgis, Candy, was one of the four pets featured alongside the monarch for her 90th birthday portraits. Over the years they've even made their presence known in Buckingham Palace photos and the monarch's affection for her dogs always comes shining through. 

Meanwhile, the significance of corgis to Her Majesty’s life has reportedly become even more pronounced in recent years. In the months before Prince Philip died, reports suggested that there were two furry new arrivals to the palace in the form of puppies Muick and Fergus.

Tragically, just after her husband’s death reports emerged that the Queen’s dorgi died, with a source claiming to The Sun that the Queen was "absolutely devastated".

"The puppies were brought in to cheer her up during a very difficult period," they added, suggesting that the dogs were a great source of comfort during Philip's time in hospital last year.

Since then, she has apparently welcomed a new family member in the form of a corgi puppy that is said to have brought her joy amid her grief. 

“The Queen has had a rough time and she is absolutely delighted to have a new corgi. She was distraught when Fergus died suddenly, but this new dog will be perfect company for Muick going forward,” a source alleged to Express.co.uk at the time. 

Although the gift of Susan as the Queen's birthday present was many decades ago, this life-changing gift could be seen to have cemented the monarch's love for this adorable breed which has reportedly given her such comfort over the years.