It’s 1953, the year Elizabeth is to be crowned Queen of England. Elsie Kettle can`t wait to go to London to see the celebrations on Coronation Day. Elsie lives with her Nan – her mum works as a showgirl, so she`s not around very often. Spirited and imaginative, but often lonely, Elsie longs for a best friend. Luckily, she and Nan are very close; Elsie just wishes she was allowed a cat to keep her company sometimes. Then tragedy strikes. Nan and Elsie both fall ill with tuberculosis, and Elsie finds herself whisked away to the children`s ward of the hospital. Confined to bed for months on end, Elsie finds it very hard to adapt to the hospital`s strict regime. But she invents astonishing ways of entertaining the other children on the ward, and for the first time finds herself surrounded by true friends – including Queenie, the hospital`s majestic white cat. Finally, Elsie is well enough to leave hospital. But before she does, she has one very special, very unexpected visitor...