This elegant and always smiling woman entered the history of the British monarchy as Her Majesty the 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 be one hundred and one years old. For the fighting spirit that she knew how to instill in the British army, Hitler called her the most dangerous woman in Europe.
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. The official birthplace of Elizabeth is 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 persons of her circle, inown castle Glamis in Scotland, surrounded by countless nannies and governesses. When the child grew up, the three main attachments to which she remained faithful all her life were clearly identified: sports, ponies and dogs. No, no, later her horizons were very broad, and her outstanding intellect put her on a par with the smartest women of her time, but this childish love remained with her forever.
Youth of Elizabeth was overshadowed by the First World War, which brought grief to the aristocratic family. Of her four brothers who participated in the battles, one died, and the other was listed as missing. Only after some time it became clear that, wounded, he was taken prisoner, where he remained until the end of hostilities. Apparently, from these years, the future Queen Mother hated the war and was imbued with deep sympathy for everyone who defends the Fatherland. This feeling was clearly manifested in her during the years of the next world massacre.
The Recalcitrant Bride
A gift for her twenty-first birthday was a marriage proposal from Prince Albert, the second son of King George V. A little older than his chosen one (he himself was only twenty-six years old), the prince fell in love with a Scottish aristocrat without memory, but, to his chagrin (and considerable surprise), was refused. Subsequently, Elizabeth explained her act solely by her unwillingness to embarrass herself for 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 British kings flowed,undertook a long-term "siege of the fortress" and a year later repeated the attempt, which turned out to be equally fruitless. Sympathizing with the heartache of her son, who declared that he would not marry anyone else, his mother, Queen Mary, personally paid a visit to the obstinate bride, but considered it prudent not to interfere and let the young people sort out their feelings.
Decoupling of a love story
Only in 1923, after the third attempt, the insistent groom finally received consent. And what girl would have resisted the onslaught of a handsome young prince, who, moreover, had simply innumerable white horses. Their love story, which lasted almost three years, received a worthy conclusion in Westminster Abbey, where they got 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 pictures taken in the years of her youth, she appears as a young charming girl, and it becomes quite understandable the tenacity with which Prince Albert sought her hand.
On her wedding day, Elizabeth started a tradition that continues to this day. On the way to the abbey, she laid a bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (there are such memorials not only in Russia), and this noble gesture was subsequently copied by all the brides from the royal family.
Happy marriage
Becoming husband and wife, the young do notdisappointed each other. It was that rare case when marriage did not cool feelings and did not turn married life into a tedious routine. In the early years, they traveled a lot, visiting various countries both as individuals and during official visits. In 1926, a stork brought them their first child, the young Princess Elizabeth. By the way, the honorary title of Queen Mother was later given to her in order to avoid confusion when mentioning her and this girl, who also rose to the English throne over time. The next time the industrious 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 royal highness and majesty lies a whole abyss. If the second title belongs to persons occupying the throne, then the first applies only to their closest relatives. This abyss helped Elizabeth to step over the case, or rather, the character of the direct heir to the throne, her husband's older brother, Prince Edward.
Another love story in the royal family
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 previously been married twice and divorced the same number of times. The fact that she was not of royal blood could be forgiven, after all, where are so many princesses in our time to attack. But the trouble was that the Anglican Church categorically forbids marriagedivorced, and English society would never recognize her as queen.
The king was faced with a dilemma: either the crown and all the honors that accompany it, or marriage - the same pig in a poke, from which it is still unknown what to expect. But it turned out that in love he is as reckless and persistent as his younger brother. In the same year, for the sake of his bride, the daughter of the American banker Wallis Simpson, Edward abdicated the throne, which, under the name of King Henry VI, was taken by his brother Albert, Elizabeth's husband. Now, in her title, the word "highness" has been replaced by the much coveted "majesty" and the Queen Mother Elizabeth of England has plunged 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 combat power, and it was clear that a new world war was inevitable. In 1938, the Queen Mother and her husband King Henry VI visited France.
This was not an ordinary courtesy visit - the purpose of the trip was to create an Anglo-French anti-Hitler coalition. The next step was to visit the USA. Meeting at the White House with President Roosevelt, the august couple negotiated American support for European forces in the event of a German aggression, as well as the status of Canada in the face of hostilities.
World War II
During the war that soon followed, the Queen Mother and her husband were a modelunparalleled 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. It could be seen in military units, hospitals, defense enterprises and wherever 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 were exploding on its territory. Only for the night they moved to Windsor Castle, where it was somewhat safer. It was then, paying tribute to her fighting spirit, which had a beneficial effect on the British armed forces, that Hitler called her the most dangerous woman in Europe.
Widow's Bitterness
The post-war years brought many problems for Elizabeth. The previously poor he alth of her husband, King George VI, also deteriorated sharply. The Queen Mother and her daughters were forced to assume all his public duties. In 1949, he underwent surgery, and was soon diagnosed with lung cancer. He died in 1952, passing away at night, while sleeping.
After his death, the widowed Elizabeth was officially called Her Majesty the Queen Mother Elizabeth. She suffered the death of her husband very hard and even retired from everyone for several months, settling in her castle in Scotland. But soon a sense of duty and a sense of responsibility entrusted to her prevailed over grief, and she returned to London again, continuing her mission.
Life inold age
As it was said at the beginning of the article, she loved sports until the end of her days and, despite her age, took part in equestrian competitions, winning a total of five hundred races. Her other hobby was collecting art. The collection of the Queen Mother contained paintings by many famous masters of the past and present.
In subsequent years, the Queen Mother of Great Britain traveled extensively. Being an unusually charming person, she always knew how to win over the public. In particular, when Elizabeth visited Iran in 1975, she pleasantly impressed the inhabitants of this eastern country with her manner of freely communicating with everyone, regardless of status and social status.
Long-liver from the royal house
It is known that the Queen Mother went down in history as a rare centenarian. 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 she was one of the main figures in the celebrations to commemorate the half-century anniversary of the end of the war. Her centenary became a real national holiday, celebrated throughout the country. In honor of this significant event, the image of the Queen Mother was minted on twenty pounds sterling coins.
Last years of life
In the late nineties, her he alth deteriorated markedly. The Queen Mother, whose photo of the last years of her life is presented in the article, underwent several operations, mainly caused byinjuries sustained by her during falls as a result of bouts of dizziness. A heavy 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 its entirety what great significance she had for the nation. During the farewell, which stretched for three days, more than two hundred thousand people passed in a funeral procession past the coffin, exhibited in 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, whose chapel was her final resting place. According to Elizabeth's dying request, the funeral wreath from her coffin was taken to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The Queen Mother of Great Britain, whose biography is inextricably merged with the history of her country, is rightfully recognized as one of the most popular representatives of the royal house. Even during her lifetime, an ocean liner was named in her honor, during the launching of which she was personally present, and in 2009, the memorial of her husband, King George VI, was also decorated with her own statue by sculptor Philip Jackson.
