This elegant and always smiling woman went down in the history of the British monarchy as Her Majesty Queen Mother Elizabeth. For many years she was the most popular member of the royal family, who also set a record for longevity, having lived to one hundred and one years. For the fighting spirit that she knew how to instill in the British army, Hitler called her the most dangerous woman in Europe.
The childhood and youth of the future queen
The future Queen of England, whose full name is Elizabeth Angela Margaret Bowes-Lyon, was born on August 4, 1900 in the family of the Scottish aristocrat Claude George Bowes-Lyon. She was the ninth of ten children of this highly respected and prolific nobleman. Elizabeth’s official birthplace is considered to be their family castle, but in reality the baby was born right in the ambulance, in a hurry to deliver her mother Cecilia Cavendish-Benting to the district hospital.
The young lady spent her childhood, as befits the people of her circle, in her own Glamis castle in Scotland, surrounded by countless nannies and governesses. When the child grew up, the three main affections with which she remained faithful all her life were clearly identified: sports, ponies and dogs. No, no, later her horizons were very broad, and her extraordinary intellect was on a par with the smartest women of her time, but this childhood love remained with her forever.
The youth of Elizabeth was overshadowed by the First World War, which brought sorrow to the aristocratic family. Of the four brothers who participated in the battles, one died and the other was reported missing. Only after some time it became clear that, wounded, he was captured, where he was until the end of hostilities. Apparently, from these years, the future Queen Mother hated the war and was imbued with deep sympathy for all who defend the Fatherland. This feeling was clearly manifested in her during the years of the next world massacre.
Intractable bride
A gift for her twenty-first birthday was a marriage proposal from Prince Albert, the second son of King George V. Slightly older than his chosen one (he was only twenty-six years old), the prince fell in love with a Scottish aristocrat, but, to his chagrin ( and considerable surprise), was refused. Subsequently, Elizabeth explained her act solely by her unwillingness to constrain herself the rest of her life with the framework of court etiquette and the requirements for members of the royal family.
However, Albert, in whose veins the blood of the British kings was flowing, undertook a long-term "siege of the fortress" and a year later repeated an attempt, which turned out to be equally futile. Sympathizing with the heartache of the son, who stated that he would not marry anyone else, his mother, Queen Mary, personally visited the obstinate bride, but considered it prudent not to intervene and allow the young ones to sort out their feelings.
The denouement of a love story
Only in 1923, after the third attempt, did the persevering groom finally receive consent. And what kind of girl would resist the onslaught of a young handsome prince, who, moreover, simply could not count the white horses. Their love story, which lasted almost three years, was worthy of completion at Westminster Abbey, where they married on April 26, 1923.
It should be noted that in 2002, when the Queen Mother died, the pages of newspapers and television screens replicated mainly her photographs taken in the last years of her life, and she remained in the memory of her contemporaries as a smiling kind old woman. But in the photographs taken during the years of her youth, she appears as a young charming girl, and the tenacity with which Prince Albert sought her hand becomes completely understandable.
On the day of the wedding, Elizabeth laid the foundation for a tradition that has been steadily adhered to today. On her way to the abbey, she laid a bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (such memorials are not only in Russia), and this noble gesture was subsequently copied by all the brides from the royal family.
Happy marriage
Having become husband and wife, the young did not disappoint each other. It was that rare case when marriage did not cool feelings and did not turn married life into a boring routine. In the early years, they traveled a lot, visiting various countries both as individuals and during official visits. In 1926, the stork brought them their first child - the young princess Elizabeth. By the way, the honorary title Queen Mother was given to her later to avoid confusion at the mention of her and this girl, who also ascended the English throne over time. The next time a hard-working bird appeared in 1930 with another daughter - Margaret Rose.
By marrying Prince Albert, Elizabeth received the title - Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York. However, it should be noted that between the royal highness and majesty lies a whole chasm. If the second title belongs to persons occupying the throne, the first refers only to their immediate family. Elizabeth helped to step over the incident, or rather, the character of the direct heir to the throne, the elder brother of her husband - Prince Edward.
Another royal love story
After the death of his father - King George V, which followed in 1936, the eldest son Edward took his place on the throne. But soon the unexpected happened - the newly-made monarch announced his desire to marry an American, who had managed to be married twice and get divorced as many times. It was possible to forgive the fact that she was not of royal blood, in the end, where so many princesses have got enough in our time. But the trouble was that the Anglican Church categorically forbids marrying divorced, and English society would never have recognized her as a queen.
The dilemma faced the king: either the crown and all the honors associated with it, or marriage - the same cat in the bag, from which it is still unknown what to expect. But it turned out that in love he was just as reckless and persistent as his younger brother. In the same year, for the sake of his bride - the daughter of an American banker Wallis Simpson - Edward abdicated the throne, which under the name of King Henry VI was occupied by his brother Albert - the husband of Elizabeth. Now, in her title, the word "highness" was replaced by such a coveted "majesty" and Queen Mother Elizabeth of England went headlong into state affairs.
Prewar years
By this time, the situation in Europe was becoming more and more tense every year. Germany, in which Hitler came to power, was building up its military power, and it was clear that a new world war was inevitable. In 1938, the Queen Mother visited France with her husband, King Henry VI .
This was not an ordinary courtesy visit - the purpose of the trip was to create an Anglo-French anti-Hitler coalition. The next such step was a visit to the United States. Having met at the White House with President Roosevelt, the august couple held talks on America's support for European forces in the event of the outbreak of German aggression, as well as on the status of Canada in conditions of hostilities.
World War II
In the years of the war that soon followed, the Queen Mother and her husband were a model of unparalleled patriotism. Even in the most difficult days, when London was bombed by German aircraft, Elizabeth did not leave the capital and refused to send her children abroad. She could be seen in military units, hospitals, defense enterprises and everywhere where moral support was needed for people who were under enemy fire.
The Queen Mother of Great Britain and her august husband did not leave Buckingham Palace, even when bombs exploded on its territory. Only at night did they move to Windsor Castle, where it was somewhat safer. It was then that, paying tribute to her fighting spirit, which had a beneficial effect on the British armed forces, Hitler called her the most dangerous woman in Europe.
Bitterness of widowhood
The postwar years brought Elizabeth many problems. The previously poor health of her husband, King George VI, sharply worsened. The Queen Mother and her daughters were forced to assume all his public duties. In 1949, he underwent surgery, and soon was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died in 1952, having passed away at night, during sleep.
After his death, the widowed Elizabeth became officially called Her Majesty Queen Mother Elizabeth. She was experiencing the death of her husband very hard and even retired for several months from everyone, settling in her castle in Scotland. But soon the sense of duty and the consciousness of the responsibility entrusted to her prevailed over the grief, and she returned to London, continuing her mission.
Old age
As it was said at the beginning of the article, until the end of her days she loved sports and, despite her age, took part in equestrian competitions, winning a total of five hundred races. Her other hobby was collecting art. In the collection of the Queen Mother were the canvases of many famous masters of the past and present.
In the following years, the Queen Mother of Great Britain traveled a lot. Being an unusually charming man, she always knew how to attract the audience. In particular, when in 1975 Elizabeth visited Iran, she pleasantly impressed the inhabitants of this eastern country with her manner of communicating freely with everyone, regardless of status and social status.
Centenarian of the Royal House
It is known that the Queen Mother went down in history as a rare long-liver. In 1990, at a celebration organized in honor of her ninetieth birthday, she still cheerfully hosted a parade in which more than three hundred organizations she patronized participated, and five years later was one of the main figures in the celebrations to mark the half-century anniversary of the end of the war. Her centenary has become a real national holiday, celebrated throughout the country. In honor of this momentous event, the image of the Queen Mother was minted on coins in denominations of twenty pounds.
last years of life
In the late nineties, her health noticeably worsened. The Queen Mother, whose photo of the last years of her life is presented in the article, underwent several operations, caused mainly by injuries sustained by her during falls as a result of dizziness attacks. A severe shock for Elizabeth was the death of her second daughter, the seventy-two-year-old Princess Margaret. She could not recover from this blow and died on March 30, 2002.
The death of the Queen Mother showed in all its fullness how immense she had for the nation. During the farewell, which lasted for three days, more than two hundred thousand people passed in a funeral procession past the coffin exhibited at the Palace of Westminster. About a million more stood on the street, near the courtyard, thereby wanting to express the gratitude that the Queen Mother deserved with her life and work. The funeral took place at Westminster Castle, the chapel of which became the site of her last resting place. According to Elizabeth’s death request, a funeral wreath from her coffin was taken to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The Queen Mother of Great Britain, whose biography has inextricably merged with the history of her country, is rightfully recognized as one of the most popular representatives of the royal house. Even while she was alive, an ocean liner was named after her, during the launch of which she was personally present, and in 2009 the memorial of her husband - King George VI - was also adorned with her own statue by sculptor Philip Jackson.