| Queen Elizabeth | |
|---|---|
|
Style of Address |
Her Majesty |
|
Official Title |
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother |
|
Gender |
Female |
|
Status |
Dead |
|
Life |
4 August 1900 - 30 March 2002 |
|
Tenure |
Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, Empress consort of India |
|
Spouse |
George VI of the United Kingdom |
|
Issue |
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom |
|
Resting place |
St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle |
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (born The Honourable Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, later Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon; 4 August 1900 - 30 March 2002) was the wife of King George VI of the United Kingdom and mother of Queen Elizabeth II.
Early life
The Queen Mother was born as The Hon. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon on 4 August 1900, it is unknown where was she born, but it was registered as Hitchin, England, other people believe that she was born on a horse-drawn ambulance on the way to the hospital. She was the youngest daughter of the-then Lord and Lady Glamis, who would later become the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. In 1904, her father Claude Bowes-Lyon inherited the Strathmore title and a small fortune, making them billionaires in today's money. On her 14th birthday, the First World War began, her family turned their residence, Glamis Castle into a hospital for wounded soldiers, she would entertain them and after their recovery, she wrote letters to them.
Royal bride
Elizabeth was an attractive young lady. In 1920, she met the-then Duke of York at a ball, and he fell instantly in love with Elizabeth. In 1921, he proposed to her but she decline, another proposal came and she did not move, and on the third one she accepted. They married in Westminster Abbey on the 26 April 1923, in the prescence of the King and Queen and Queen Alexandra. She accordingly became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York.
Duchess of York
Albert, her husband, was the second son of King George V and Queen Mary, and was not expected to be King, his elder brother Edward was the heir to the throne. The Duke and Duchess of York, after three years of marriage, were blessed with a child, who they named Elizabeth Alexandra Mary and her title was Princess Elizabeth of York, another daughter, Margaret Rose would follow four years later. Shortly after the birth of Elizabeth, the Duke and Duchess left for an extensive tour of the Empire, she dreaded that she could not see her child for months, when they came back the child did not recognise them. In 1934, they were guests at the wedding of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, shortly after they were also guests at the wedding of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott, a close friend of the Duchess. In 1935, the King and Queen celebrated their Silver Jubilee and they participated in the celebrations. In 1936, the King died and Edward succeeded, he abdicated within eleven months to marry divorced socialite Mrs. Wallis Simpson.
Queen consort
On 11 December 1936 the Instrument of Abdication of Edward VIII went into force, making her husband King George VI. They were crowned on the date set for Edward's coronation, 12 May 1937, their children, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret attended, along with her mother in law, Dowager Queen Mary, she was the first already crowned British queen consort to attend another King's coronation.
In 1939, the world was at war again, the Queen, when out in town dressed extravagantly, to the dismay of the public. But later she explained: "If you were coming to see me you would put on your best clothes, so I decided to do the same". Later in the war, during the Blitz, Buckingham Palace suffered a direct hit, to which she answered "I'm glad we were bombed, it makes feel I can look the East End in the face".
During the War she boosted the people's broken morale with her style and human appearence. She entrusted her public image to couture designer Norman Hartnell who she patronised until his death in 1979.
After the war, the King looked ill and aged dreadfully. During his periods of illness she acted as Counsellor of State.
In 1947, her eldest daughter Princess Elizabeth, wed Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, who she called the Hun (making reference to his German brothers in law who were Nazis). Elizabeth and Philip wed on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey. A year after she became a grandmother with the birth of Prince Charles in 1948 and Princess Anne in 1950.
In 1951 the King had a lung removed due to cancer, but it had already spread. On 31 January 1952 they waved off Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Heathrow Airport, they were going on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, while the couple were in Kenya, the King died and Princess Elizabeth succeeded to the throne on 6 February 1952, she inmediately returned to the United Kingdom.
Queen mother
Elizabeth was now a dowager queen. She was granted precedence inmediately behind The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. At the funeral of her husband she was accompanied by her daughters, The Queen and Princess Margaret and by her mother in law Queen Mary, who became Queen Dowager as grandmother of the Sovereign. She was slow to leave Buckingham Palace, the new Queen was forced to take up residence in Clarence House, later she moved in with her mother to Buckingham Palace. The Queen Mother moved to Clarence House in 1953. The next year, 1953, preparations were in full swing for the coronation, sadly ten weeks before, Queen Mary died on 24 March at Marlborough House, Mary said that if she died, the coronation would go on as planned. On 2 June 1953, Elizabeth saw her daughter crowned Queen along with her grandson Charles.
Elizabeth acted again as Counsellor of State in 1953-54 while her daughter and husband were on a tour of the Commonwealth.
She did not retire from public life, she was seen at Royal Ascot, Trooping the Colour, official engagements and charity work.
In 1960, her younger daughter, Margaret married society photographer Antony Armstrong Jones, who was created Earl of Snowdon a year later. The marriage produced two children David and Sarah, the couple divorced in 1978.
In 1969, she attended the investiture of her grandson Charles as Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.
In 1973, she attended the wedding of her granddaughter Princess Anne to Capt. Mark Phillips on 14 November, birthday of the Prince of Wales. Later she became a great grandmother with the birth of the couple's first child Peter Phillips.
In 1980, she became 80 years old. In 1981 she witnessed the Wedding of the Century of her grandson Charles, who had an affair with Mrs. Camilla Parker-Bowles, and Lady Diana Spencer, a granddaughter of a close friend and lady-in-waiting, Ruth, Dowager Lady Fermoy. On her birthday in 1982, her great grandson Prince William was christened. William was followed by a brother, Harry in 1984.
In 1986 Prince Andrew wed Sarah Ferguson, the couple became Duke and Duchess of York, like the Queen Mother herself and King George VI from 1923 through 1936. The Waleses and the Yorks separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996.
After the controversial death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Queen Mother and her daughter and the rest of the family came back to London from Balmoral for the ceremonial funeral of the late Princess of Wales, which used the Queen Mother's personal funeral plans "Operation Tay Bridge".
She became a centenarian in 2000, and celebrated her birthday in the tradition of stepping out at the gates of her London residence, Clarence House followed by an appearance on the Balcony at Buckingham Palace.
Later life and Death
The Queen Mother celebrated her 101st birthday in August 2001, shortly after, she had fallen at Clarence House. During the last decades she had undergone hip replacements and many surgeries. During Christmas 2001 she contracted a severe cough which persisted for several months. In February the next year her younger daughter, Princess Margaret died after suffering a stroke, her funeral was held on the day the funeral of the Queen Mother's husband 50 years ago. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother died on 30 March 2002. Her death did not affect the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Her funeral was held on 9 April 2002, her burial was held later that day at the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle. She was interred next to her daughter's ashes and her husband.
Titles and styles
- 4 August 1900 - 1904: The Honourable Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
- 1904 - 26 April 1923: The Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
- 26 April 1923 - 11 December 1936: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York
- 11 December 1936 - 6 February 1952: Her Majesty The Queen
- INDIA: 11 December 1936 - 22 October 1948: Her Imperial Majesty The Queen-Empress
- 6 February 1952 - 30 March 2002: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother