Queen Elizabeth, Queen Consort of George VI (Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon)
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite was born on the 4th August 1900 in Hitchin, youngest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. She spent much of her childhood at St Paul's Walden and at Glamis Castle. She was educated by a governess till the age of eight and then began school in London. She then returned to private education and passed her Oxford Local Examination with distinction at the age of 13.
On her 14th birthday, Britain declared war on Germany. Four of her brothers served in the army, with her eldest brother, Fergus, being killed at the Battle of Loos in 1915. During the war, Glamis Castle was turned into a convalescent home for wounded soldiers, which Elizabeth helped run. She also rescued much of the Castle's contents when it went on fire on the 16th September 1916.
In 1921 , she was proposed to by Prince Albert, Duke of York, but turned him down as she was worried about becoming a member of the royal family and becoming a public figure. Queen Mary visited Elizabeth and after that knew that she was the only girl for her son. She rejected another of his proposals but finally accepted in January 1923. The engagement showed the modernization of the monarchy as a royal was marrying a non-royal, the daughter of a peer. They married on the 26th April 1923 at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth laid her bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior on her way into the Abbey, in memory of her brother Fergus. This is a tradition still practiced today. She was from then styled HRH The Duchess of York and on her honeymoon caught whooping cough.
They toured Northern Ireland in July 1924 and East Africa from December 1924 to April 1925. Egypt was avoided on the tour due to the political tension. Albert had a stammer and Elizabeth aided him in the delivery of speeches. Albert and Elizabeth went to speech therapy clinic of Lionel Logue where Elizabeth helped with his exercises. By the time of their Australian Tour, Albert spoke flawlessly.
In 1926, Elizabeth gave birth to the couples first child, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, who was referred to as 'Lilibet'. Another child, Margaret Rose, was born four years later. Albert and Elizabeth embarked on a tour of Australia in 1927 to open the new Parliament House in Canberra. Elizabeth was distressed to leave her baby at such a young age and constantly fretted over her new baby back in Britain. The tour also took them to Jamaica, the Panama Canal, the Pacific, New Zealand (where Elizabeth fell ill with a cold), Mauritius, the Suez Canal, Malta, Gibraltar. On their return trip they prepared to abandon ship due to a fire, but it was put under control.
When George V died, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, Edward, Prince of Wales, succeeded to the throne. George V hoped that Albert would come to the throne, rather than Edward. Just a few months into his reign, Edward caused a constitutional crisis by wanting to marry twice divorcee American, Wallis Simpson. By wanting to marry a twice divorcee, Edward was going against the Church of England which he headed. The cabinet led by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin were against the marriage of Wallis to Edward, yet Edward didn't listen to their advise and so not to cause the Government resign and be forced off the throne, Edward abdicated in favour of his brother Albert on the 11th December 1936. Albert became King George VI while Elizabeth came to be known as Queen Elizabeth. They were crowned King and Queen of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions and Emperor and Empress of India on the 12th May 1937. When Edward and Wallis married, they were known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, with Wallis not gaining the style HRH (Her Royal Highness). That was a decision greatly supported by Elizabeth who referred to Wallis as " that woman" while she was called "cookie" as in the fat Scottish cook.
In summer 1938, a state visit to France was postponed as Lady Strathmore, Elizabeth's mother, died. Elizabeth wore all-white as a colour for mourning. The tour was a successful tour which established Elizabeth's fashion sense. In June 1939, George VI and Elizabeth toured Canada and the United States. The tour in the U.S. was to gain support for the war effort again NAZI Germany, and to show that Canada could be a self-governing kingdom with a common monarch as Britain. This tour bolstered the popularity of the British monarchs.
During the Second World War, George and Elizabeth became the symbols of the fight against fascism and a beacon of hope for the people of what was the British Empire. During the war Elizabeth stayed in London with her people and refused to go to Canada like many other royals who lived in safety or exile. Elizabeth also refused to send her children to Canada and just sent them to Windsor Castle for safety; "The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave". She performed many tours to raise the hopes and spirits of the people of Britain. Unlike Queen Mary, she would wear her best gentle coloured clothes to give hope to those who were hurt by the war.
Elizabeth and George VI lived at Buckingham Palace during the day and at night went to Windsor Castle for safety and security from any bombs. Much of the windows were bordered up due to them shattering from the bombs and most of the rooms were shut due to lack of staff. During the early days of the war, Elizabeth was given revolver training because of fears of German invasion. Hitler referred to her as "the most dangerous woman in Europe" due to her popularity and threat to German interest. Elizabeth also supported Winston Churchill, even though he supported a Queen Wallis.
After the war, Britain entered a time of austerity and Elizabeth was shown as a continuing beacon of hope for the British people and those across the seas. During the 1947 tour of South Africa, Elizabeth mistakened enthusiasm for hostility and rose from the car to strike an admirer. A lot of engagements were postponed due to George VI's ill health. She with her daughters performed most of his duties and Princess Elizabeth with the Duke of Edinburgh left for a tour in January 1952 and while on tour George VI died with Princess Elizabeth becoming the Queen.
When George VI died on the 6th February 1952, Elizabeth began to be styled as "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother" but was simply styled as "The Queen Mother". When she entered widowhood, she retired to Scotland but after a meeting with Winston Churchill, she broke her retirement. She made a tour to Rhodesia with Princess Margaret in July of 1953. During the Queen's tour of the Commonwealth in 1953 and 1954, Elizabeth acted as Counsellor of State and cared for her grandchildren, Charles and Anne.
Elizabeth also oversaw the restoration of the remote Castle of Mey which was her holiday home in Caithness and was her only private home given to Prince Charles at death. She went there for three weeks in August and ten days in October each year. She also enjoyed horse racing and steeplechasing. During her life she owned the winners of 500 races and her colours were blue with buff stripes. She never placed bets but rumours show that she would place large bets. She also was a vivid art collector and purchased artworks by famous artists such as Claude Monet.
Elizabeth also suffered many diseases and injuries. In February 1964 she has an emergence appendectomy, in December 1966 she had a tumour removed as she was diagnosed with colon cancer, and in 1982 she had a fish bone removed from her throat. In 1984 she had a second operation for cancer, when a lump was removed from her breast, and she had a gastric obstruction cleared in 1986 with no surgery needed.
In 1975 she visited Iran at the invitation of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and it was noted by Anthony Parsons (Ambassador to Iran) that the Iranian upper class were bemused that Elizabeth spoke to everyone, not caring about status. This showed the Shah's belief in the inequality of his people and the upper class which led to his downfall in 1979. Also between 1976 and 1984 she annually traveled to France during the summer.
Elizabeth came known for her longevity and here 90th birthday was celebrated with a large parade on the 27th June. In 1995 she had her right hip replaced and a cataract removed from her left eye. In 1998 she had her other hip replaced after she fell visiting the stables on the Sandringham estate. In 1995 she also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. The Elizabeth became the first member of the Royal Family to reach 100 years of age. A parade celebrated her life, a special £20 note with her face was issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland and she was honoured with a lunch at the Guildhall, London. In November 2000 she broke her collarbone and at the start of August 2001 she had a blood transfusion for anemia after suffering mild heat exhaustion. Yet she still made an appearance out side of Clarence House on her birthday. Her last public appearances was attending the re-commissioning of HMS Ark Royal on the 22nd November. In December 2001, she broke her pelvis and was confined to a wheelchair. Even though she was frail and at Sandringham House, she still attended the funeral of her daughter, Princess Margaret, by travelling by helicopter to Windsor. She was shielded from the press as she didn't want to be seen in a wheelchair. On the 5th March 2002 she was present at the luncheon of the annual lawn party of the Eton Beagles, and watched the Cheltenham Races on television.
During her final weeks at the Royal Lodge, Windsor, her health began to deteriorate and on the 30th March 2002, at 3:15pm she died in her sleep with the Queen (Elizabeth II) by her bedside. She had continued to suffer from a cold and it got severly worse. She was the longest-lived British Royal in history but was surpassed by her sister-in-law Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester who died aged 102 on the 29th October 2004. Her lying-in-state was at Westminster Hall and more than 200,000 people filed past her coffin for three days.
Her funeral was on the 9th April and over a million people filled the area of her procession to Windsor which stretched 37km, beginning at Westminster Abbey. She was buried beside her husband and younger daughter at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. At her request, her wreath from her coffin was placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, a gesture that echoed her wedding-day tribute in 1923.
The Queen Mother was the most popular member of the Royal Family before Diana's marriage to Prince Charles and after the death of Diana. Her charm and charisma led to love by all former British subjects and the continuity of support for the British Monarch. She is regarded as the person who stabilized the monarch during the war and any times of hardship. Even though she was criticized for her bad finances, racial slurs and not abiding by the war rationing, she still is seen as the member of the Royal Family whom secured the monarchy for future generations.
On her 14th birthday, Britain declared war on Germany. Four of her brothers served in the army, with her eldest brother, Fergus, being killed at the Battle of Loos in 1915. During the war, Glamis Castle was turned into a convalescent home for wounded soldiers, which Elizabeth helped run. She also rescued much of the Castle's contents when it went on fire on the 16th September 1916.
In 1921 , she was proposed to by Prince Albert, Duke of York, but turned him down as she was worried about becoming a member of the royal family and becoming a public figure. Queen Mary visited Elizabeth and after that knew that she was the only girl for her son. She rejected another of his proposals but finally accepted in January 1923. The engagement showed the modernization of the monarchy as a royal was marrying a non-royal, the daughter of a peer. They married on the 26th April 1923 at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth laid her bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior on her way into the Abbey, in memory of her brother Fergus. This is a tradition still practiced today. She was from then styled HRH The Duchess of York and on her honeymoon caught whooping cough.
They toured Northern Ireland in July 1924 and East Africa from December 1924 to April 1925. Egypt was avoided on the tour due to the political tension. Albert had a stammer and Elizabeth aided him in the delivery of speeches. Albert and Elizabeth went to speech therapy clinic of Lionel Logue where Elizabeth helped with his exercises. By the time of their Australian Tour, Albert spoke flawlessly.
In 1926, Elizabeth gave birth to the couples first child, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, who was referred to as 'Lilibet'. Another child, Margaret Rose, was born four years later. Albert and Elizabeth embarked on a tour of Australia in 1927 to open the new Parliament House in Canberra. Elizabeth was distressed to leave her baby at such a young age and constantly fretted over her new baby back in Britain. The tour also took them to Jamaica, the Panama Canal, the Pacific, New Zealand (where Elizabeth fell ill with a cold), Mauritius, the Suez Canal, Malta, Gibraltar. On their return trip they prepared to abandon ship due to a fire, but it was put under control.
When George V died, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, Edward, Prince of Wales, succeeded to the throne. George V hoped that Albert would come to the throne, rather than Edward. Just a few months into his reign, Edward caused a constitutional crisis by wanting to marry twice divorcee American, Wallis Simpson. By wanting to marry a twice divorcee, Edward was going against the Church of England which he headed. The cabinet led by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin were against the marriage of Wallis to Edward, yet Edward didn't listen to their advise and so not to cause the Government resign and be forced off the throne, Edward abdicated in favour of his brother Albert on the 11th December 1936. Albert became King George VI while Elizabeth came to be known as Queen Elizabeth. They were crowned King and Queen of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions and Emperor and Empress of India on the 12th May 1937. When Edward and Wallis married, they were known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, with Wallis not gaining the style HRH (Her Royal Highness). That was a decision greatly supported by Elizabeth who referred to Wallis as " that woman" while she was called "cookie" as in the fat Scottish cook.
In summer 1938, a state visit to France was postponed as Lady Strathmore, Elizabeth's mother, died. Elizabeth wore all-white as a colour for mourning. The tour was a successful tour which established Elizabeth's fashion sense. In June 1939, George VI and Elizabeth toured Canada and the United States. The tour in the U.S. was to gain support for the war effort again NAZI Germany, and to show that Canada could be a self-governing kingdom with a common monarch as Britain. This tour bolstered the popularity of the British monarchs.
During the Second World War, George and Elizabeth became the symbols of the fight against fascism and a beacon of hope for the people of what was the British Empire. During the war Elizabeth stayed in London with her people and refused to go to Canada like many other royals who lived in safety or exile. Elizabeth also refused to send her children to Canada and just sent them to Windsor Castle for safety; "The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave". She performed many tours to raise the hopes and spirits of the people of Britain. Unlike Queen Mary, she would wear her best gentle coloured clothes to give hope to those who were hurt by the war.
Elizabeth and George VI lived at Buckingham Palace during the day and at night went to Windsor Castle for safety and security from any bombs. Much of the windows were bordered up due to them shattering from the bombs and most of the rooms were shut due to lack of staff. During the early days of the war, Elizabeth was given revolver training because of fears of German invasion. Hitler referred to her as "the most dangerous woman in Europe" due to her popularity and threat to German interest. Elizabeth also supported Winston Churchill, even though he supported a Queen Wallis.
After the war, Britain entered a time of austerity and Elizabeth was shown as a continuing beacon of hope for the British people and those across the seas. During the 1947 tour of South Africa, Elizabeth mistakened enthusiasm for hostility and rose from the car to strike an admirer. A lot of engagements were postponed due to George VI's ill health. She with her daughters performed most of his duties and Princess Elizabeth with the Duke of Edinburgh left for a tour in January 1952 and while on tour George VI died with Princess Elizabeth becoming the Queen.
When George VI died on the 6th February 1952, Elizabeth began to be styled as "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother" but was simply styled as "The Queen Mother". When she entered widowhood, she retired to Scotland but after a meeting with Winston Churchill, she broke her retirement. She made a tour to Rhodesia with Princess Margaret in July of 1953. During the Queen's tour of the Commonwealth in 1953 and 1954, Elizabeth acted as Counsellor of State and cared for her grandchildren, Charles and Anne.
Elizabeth also oversaw the restoration of the remote Castle of Mey which was her holiday home in Caithness and was her only private home given to Prince Charles at death. She went there for three weeks in August and ten days in October each year. She also enjoyed horse racing and steeplechasing. During her life she owned the winners of 500 races and her colours were blue with buff stripes. She never placed bets but rumours show that she would place large bets. She also was a vivid art collector and purchased artworks by famous artists such as Claude Monet.
Elizabeth also suffered many diseases and injuries. In February 1964 she has an emergence appendectomy, in December 1966 she had a tumour removed as she was diagnosed with colon cancer, and in 1982 she had a fish bone removed from her throat. In 1984 she had a second operation for cancer, when a lump was removed from her breast, and she had a gastric obstruction cleared in 1986 with no surgery needed.
In 1975 she visited Iran at the invitation of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and it was noted by Anthony Parsons (Ambassador to Iran) that the Iranian upper class were bemused that Elizabeth spoke to everyone, not caring about status. This showed the Shah's belief in the inequality of his people and the upper class which led to his downfall in 1979. Also between 1976 and 1984 she annually traveled to France during the summer.
Elizabeth came known for her longevity and here 90th birthday was celebrated with a large parade on the 27th June. In 1995 she had her right hip replaced and a cataract removed from her left eye. In 1998 she had her other hip replaced after she fell visiting the stables on the Sandringham estate. In 1995 she also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. The Elizabeth became the first member of the Royal Family to reach 100 years of age. A parade celebrated her life, a special £20 note with her face was issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland and she was honoured with a lunch at the Guildhall, London. In November 2000 she broke her collarbone and at the start of August 2001 she had a blood transfusion for anemia after suffering mild heat exhaustion. Yet she still made an appearance out side of Clarence House on her birthday. Her last public appearances was attending the re-commissioning of HMS Ark Royal on the 22nd November. In December 2001, she broke her pelvis and was confined to a wheelchair. Even though she was frail and at Sandringham House, she still attended the funeral of her daughter, Princess Margaret, by travelling by helicopter to Windsor. She was shielded from the press as she didn't want to be seen in a wheelchair. On the 5th March 2002 she was present at the luncheon of the annual lawn party of the Eton Beagles, and watched the Cheltenham Races on television.
During her final weeks at the Royal Lodge, Windsor, her health began to deteriorate and on the 30th March 2002, at 3:15pm she died in her sleep with the Queen (Elizabeth II) by her bedside. She had continued to suffer from a cold and it got severly worse. She was the longest-lived British Royal in history but was surpassed by her sister-in-law Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester who died aged 102 on the 29th October 2004. Her lying-in-state was at Westminster Hall and more than 200,000 people filed past her coffin for three days.
Her funeral was on the 9th April and over a million people filled the area of her procession to Windsor which stretched 37km, beginning at Westminster Abbey. She was buried beside her husband and younger daughter at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. At her request, her wreath from her coffin was placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, a gesture that echoed her wedding-day tribute in 1923.
The Queen Mother was the most popular member of the Royal Family before Diana's marriage to Prince Charles and after the death of Diana. Her charm and charisma led to love by all former British subjects and the continuity of support for the British Monarch. She is regarded as the person who stabilized the monarch during the war and any times of hardship. Even though she was criticized for her bad finances, racial slurs and not abiding by the war rationing, she still is seen as the member of the Royal Family whom secured the monarchy for future generations.
Titles and Styles
- 4 August 1900 – 16 February 1904: The Honourable Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
- 16 February 1904 – 26 April 1923: 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
- 11 December 1936 – 14 August 1947 (for British India): Her Imperial Majesty The Queen-Empress
- 6 February 1952 – 30 March 2002: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother