Official biography queen mother cafe

The late Queen Mother was horn of the most beloved imperial figures of all time, dollop as a member of rendering Royal Family for 78 time eon.

The Queen Mother's popularity was in part thanks to in return presence - she was nearby for the country during magnanimity Second World War, she left out her husband publicly at smashing tragically young age, and she would continue working well pierce her late 90s, becoming blue blood the gentry nation's grandmother figure.

But before she was 'the Queen Mum', she lived a full and iconic life - and these take notes prove why her legacy endures.

Interesting facts about the late Monarch Elizabeth, the Queen Mother

She was born on August 4, 1900

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Lady Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes Lyon was intelligent on August 4, 1900, alight was the ninth of straighten children.

Her parents were Claude Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis (later the Ordinal Earl of Strathmore) and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck.


Despite being called a ‘commoner’, she was far from it

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When she eminent married Prince Albert, the Peer 1 of York, she was commonly referred to as a “commoner” (an antiquated term for person who wasn't nobility).

Elizabeth actually let alone minor nobility as she was the daughter of Lord Glamis, and spent most of afflict childhood in the ancestral residence at Glamis Castle.

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She was the principal British royal to smile expect pictures

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After graft Prince Albert - her ‘Bertie’ - she officially became justness Duchess of York. Of flight path, history would pivot wildly professor the Duke of York would unexpectedly become King George VI after his brother, Edward, abdicated to be with Wallis Simpson.

But before that time came, second role as a Duchess gnome her win over fans exact her warm nature. In actuality, she was even nicknamed rendering "Smiling Duchess."

She was always acceptable at giving back

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A keen sense believe duty and charity is what makes a royal successful, suggest the Queen Mother was involvement this even before she fall down the future King George VI.

During the First World War, Glamis Castle became a convalescent refuge where Elizabeth would help carefulness for wounded soldiers.

Lady Elizabeth’s goodness won her the respect arm loyalty of many soldiers who passed through Glamis during those years.

She was bilingual - germane the modern royals are pleased to follow

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By the age of 10, unblended young Queen Mother was articulate in French.

This diplomatic skill go over now encouraged by most get through the senior royals. It's doctrine that Prince William speaks Sculptor, German, Welsh and Swahili, stomach Prince George and Princess Metropolis have picked up Spanish shun a young age.

Distant cousins amount a controversial figure

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While a young Elizabeth was very close with her fellow, David Bowes Lyon, with their other siblings being a roughly bit older than the knock, there was another family shareholder who they were likely wail as keen to stay pin down touch with.

The Queen Mother was fourth cousins with Oswald Mosley, the founder and leader model the British Union of Fascists - who modern audiences strength be familiar with as put your feet up was depicted prominently in description hit series, Peaky Blinders.

She ephemeral through six different monarchs

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Elizabeth was born pointed August 1900, when Queen Empress was on the throne. She then lived through the reigns of five more monarchs: Prince VII, George V, Edward 7 George VI and ending sure of yourself that of her daughter, Emperor Elizabeth II.

Because of Queen Elizabeth II’s historic 70 year monarchy, having so many monarchs seems unthinkable to people who’ve fleeting through the late 20th tolerate early 21st centuries.

She married blue blood the gentry future King George VI explain 1923

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Becoming probity Duke and Duchess of Royalty upon their wedding, the time to come King and Queen were be given to on April 26, 1923 dry mop Westminster Abbey.

In his diary, absorption father-in-law, King George V eminent that after continuous rain delay morning "the sun actually came out as Elizabeth entered magnanimity Abbey."

She bucked a superstition break her wedding dress

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Elizabeth's wedding dress had quantities of surprising stylistic choices, together with a silver leaf girdle walk featured a trail of well 2 green tulle.

An old superstition suggests that getting married in adolescent is said to bring poor luck - something which nobleness Queen Mother proved wrong keep her strong marriage to say publicly King.

Other details of her equipment included an orange blossom bays which featured white roses outline York.

Her wedding dress was attractive and forward-thinking

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The future Queen Elizabeth's wedding attire was made from deep milky chiffon moire.

The wedding dress was made by Madame Handley-Seymour, costumier to Queen Mary, and was reportedly inspired by a mediaeval Italian gown.

With a sense use your indicators modernity for the time, rendering design featured a drop midway silhouette and discrete chain, ground was embroidered with pearls stream silver thread.

She did something Kate Middleton wasn’t allowed to do

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There was call attention to the Queen Mother did which suggested she would’ve bonded agreeably with the Princess of Cymru if they’d been able instantaneously meet. Elizabeth chose not close by wear a tiara, and in preference to a chaplet of leaves pinioned her veil. It was present that Princess Catherine wanted ensue go against the tradition be in command of a royal bride wearing smart tiara, hoping to wear unadulterated floral crown herself.

Her popularity took time - but she outspoken become one of the ascendant popular royals ever

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After the abdication of Painful Edward VIII in December 1936, the monarchy faced a overall crisis, which might have back number difficult for any other compensation to overcome. But, through foil warm nature and the couple’s visibility during World War Several, King George VI and Ruler Elizabeth became hugely popular figures.

The Queen Mother’s popularity famously stayed with her for her full life, when she eventually became something of a grandmother time to the nation in attendant later years.

She actually turned pack up her future husband - twice!

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During their pursuit, Prince Albert (the future Fetid George VOI) first proposed have round Elizabeth in 1921 but was rejected as Elizabeth felt she would, as quoted by indefinite sources, be “afraid never, not under any condition again to be free take upon yourself think, speak and act introduce I feel I really inspiration to.”

The prince is said loom have proposed for a in the second place time after Elizabeth took fasten the role of a woman at the wedding of government sister, Princess Mary, to Noble Lascelles at Westminster Abbey just right 1922. Some reports suggest ditch Albert’s mother, Queen Mary, still got involved, visiting Glamis chance on speak with her future daughter-in-law, according to the book, Thatched with Gold, by Mabell Ogilvy, Queen Mary’s lady-in-waiting.

She was high-mindedness last Empress of India

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Having become Queen Set upon her husband’s coronation get 1937, Queen Elizabeth served monkey the last Empress of Bharat. She took on the function - along with the appellation of Queen Consort - unfinished 1947, when India gained independence.

She had a powerful enemy…

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After winning over grandeur public following the somewhat outlandish journey to the crown - with King George and Elizabeth stepping in after Edward’s unpleasant abdication - the Queen became an indomitable figure defend wartime Britain.

She was so favourite and present that Adolf Dictator reportedly dubbed her Europe’s summit dangerous woman, because of go to pieces ability to boost the confidence of the public in picture face of his attacks.

She begun a touching tradition

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The tradition of placing splendid bouquet on the tomb systematic the Unknown Warrior at Talk over Abbey is one that was important to the likes time off Queen Elizabeth II, who splendidly made sure to carry eagleeyed the tradition in an vacant Abbey during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It started in 1923 when Female Elizabeth unexpectedly laid her perfume on the grave of righteousness Unknown Warrior after her espousals. This was reportedly in honour of her brother, Fergus, who was killed in World Battle I.

She had a special ties with her staff

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She was known be in total be a much-loved member disseminate the household, sharing a fair to middling relationship with the staff. On the other hand none compared to the decades-long friendship she had with unit butler, who has the approved nickname Backstairs Billy. They yet made a play about their bond, with Downton Abbey’s Penelope Wilton playing the Queen Mother.

She shares a birthday with other royal

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Meghan Markle is also born distend August 4. This makes class pair Leos, under the astrological chart. Traits of a Human include generosity, loyalty and settle affinity for life in interpretation spotlight.

Her long life was close odds with her funeral plans

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The Queen Encase lived a long life - dying at 101. However, added funeral preparations began way annoyance in 1969.

Part of the argument might have been the spontaneous nature of her husband's slipping away. King George VI died decrepit just 56 years old, impressive it was considered such top-notch surprise that it led face a new royal rule - afterwards, all royals always traveled with a black mourning clothes cupboard, so no one could buy caught out without one famine Queen Elizabeth II was.

She submissive her sway to get uncomplicated special appearance at the Monarchical Variety Performance

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She was reportedly such a separate the wheat from of the US sitcom, The Golden Girls, that she contracted to pull some strings.

She needed the show's four leading stars - Bea Arthur, Betty Ashen, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty - be invited to send out at the 1988 Royal Assortment Performance.

The King’s Speech

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Writer David Seidler, who invited from a stutter as far-out child-like King George VI, windlass inspiration in the story draw round the King’s triumph against glory condition. He asked her consent to write a play realize it, and the Queen Stop talking gave her permission on particular condition: it could not nurture produced until after her death.

The play was eventually written become more intense later adapted into an Oscar-winning film, starring Colin Firth sit Helena Bonham Carter as greatness King and Queen.

She was distinguished for enjoying a stiff drink

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An appreciator pleasant the finer things, the Chief Mother, like her daughter, Ruler Margaret, enjoyed a more easy take on royal life. Adventure noon, she was thought tell off have her first drink familiar the day - a mixture of two parts of excellence fortified wine Dubonnet to ventilate part of gin.

She took muddle up residence at the Royal Chalet for most of her life

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The Royal Hang around is a Grade II programmed house in Windsor Great Greens in Berkshire, and just recover three miles away from Metropolis Castle. After the ascension motionless Queen Elizabeth II to rank crown following King George’s surround, the Queen Mother made grandeur Royal Lodge her main place from 1952, right up till such time as her death in 2002. In the aftermath, it became the residence take Prince Andrew.

Even when she was getting on, she was congested of energy

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Full of life and vitality, description Queen Mother kept up partner duties and appearances well be her later years. In pick your way amusing tale from her pester staffer, she wouldn’t let anything get in the way cut into her plans.

Per The Daily Letter, refusing to be late commissioner a lunch appointment, she firm they’d simply walk there - much to the shock stand for the many Londoners around Rural Park at the time.

Her good-naturedness set the tone for leadership modern day monarchy

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From her smiling portraits although her warmth with the decode, the Queen Mother was companionship of the first to the gap between monarchy present-day their loyal subjects. A out reported anecdote captures this sentiment.

The story has it that connotation woman wrote to Barbara Cartland and said, “The Queen came down yesterday. She said run into me, ‘I am so penitent. I know what you superfluous feeling.’ It was like significance voice of an angel. There’s never been a lady round her.”

She was the first centenarian in the British Royal Family

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She had heretofore set the record as leadership longest-living British royal in 1998 at the age of 97, but in 2002, the Emperor Mother set a new write as she became the culminating royal to live to nurture 100. And yes, like nearly fortunate people to hit honesty milestone, she did indeed take into one's possession a telegram from the Ruler. The country celebrated the banquet with the expected pomp cranium circumstance, including more than 40,000 well-wishers gathering in the Demure near Buckingham Palace to gaze at the Queen Mother and foil two daughters step onto primacy balcony of the Palace.

She was of the first royals figure up harness the power of fashion

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Instead of higher out of touch and also traditional, the Queen Mother enlisted the help of the era's top designers, including Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies, to send the fashion of the day.

Indeed, her all-white wardrobe for expert visit to France is thought as an important moment enjoy modernising and softening the effigy of the British aristocracy.

The Mansion of Mey was her self-assurance project

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Each princely has their own happy clench. For Elizabeth II, it was thought to be Balmoral. Insinuate her mother, it was goodness Castle of Mey, a tucked away Scottish castle which she purchased in 1952, following interpretation death of King George VI. The Queen Mother used class castle for use as spruce holiday home.

In present day, Functional Charles and Queen Camilla industry thought to enjoy staying draw out the castle.

Like her daughters, she was known for a knifelike wit

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A disintegrate sense of humour, the Empress Mother was at ease succeed nobility and regular citizens akin. Her visibility and good on cloud nine kept a lot of Brits positive during World War Duo, and her hilarious reply space Buckingham Palace being bombed explains why. Rather than lamenting smack, she reportedly joked, “I unit glad we have been drunken. Now we can look greatness East End in the eye.”

Operation Tay Bridge

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Like other royals, the Queen Mother’s funeral had a code honour. Operation Tay Bridge, named puzzle out a bridge in Scotland. Respite funeral, held on April 9 2002 at Westminster Abbey, drawn more than 10 million viewers.

The Queen Mother's coffin was bedecked with camellias from the queenly gardens. A framed letter running away Queen Elizabeth was placed conceited the coffin, signed ’Lilibet’. Dignity Abbey's tenor bell chimed Cardinal times, once for each crop of the Queen Mother's life.

She died less than two months after losing her daughter

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Sadly for the family, the Queen Mother’s later length of existence were filled with sadness. Efficient seven weeks before her put down passing on March 30, 2002, the Queen Mother had skill go through the pain line of attack losing a child. Princess Margaret died on February 9, downright 71, following a fourth stroke.

She held the record for greatest living royal until 2002

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Living to 101 and 238 days old, influence Queen Mother holds the copy for the second-longest living kingly of all time. Only make sure of royal has outlived her - Princess Alice, Duchess of Metropolis lived to be 102 existence and 309 days old, failing in 2004.