Queen Elizabeth (Queen Mother) 1900 - 2002 |
Widow of King George VI
From childhood days The Queen Mother and her older sisters had been friendly with the children of King George V and Queen Mary. Occasionally members of the Royal family stayed at Glamis Castle. In 1922 Lady Elizabeth acted as one of the bridesmaids at the wedding of their daughter, Princess Mary. In January 1923 came the announcement of her engagement to HRH The Duke of York, The King and Queen's second son. They were married on 26 April 1923 in Westminster Abbey. They had two children, Princess Elizabeth (the present Queen), born on 21 April 1926 at the Strathmores' London home, 17 Bruton Street, and Princess Margaret, born on 21 August 1930 at Glamis Castle. When King Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December 1936, the accession of the Duke and Duchess was proclaimed and they assumed the responsibilities of the throne. Their coronation took place on 12 May 1937. With the outbreak of war in 1939, it was thought that the Queen and her daughters should evacuate to North America, but throughout the Second World War they remained in Britain even though Buckingham Palace was bombed in September 1940. The Queen and the King visited badly damaged areas throughout the country after the air-raids, and toured Britain visiting hospitals, factories and troops. In 1948 the King and Queen celebrated their Silver Wedding. Broadcasting to the nation, the King spoke movingly of the inspiration that he had received from his marriage. The last major public occasion that he and the Queen attended together was the opening of the Festival of Britain in May 1951. In autumn 1951, Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh took his place on a tour of Canada, and did so again the following January on a postponed visit to Australia and New Zealand. It was at the beginning of this trip that the King died peacefully at Sandringham, on 6 February 1952. The Queen Mother meets Chelsea Pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on Founder's Day. This is held each year to mark the Hospital's foundation by Charles II in 1682 as a home for old soldiers. The Pensioners wear sprigs of oak to commemorate Charles II when he hid from Cromwell's forces in an oak tree after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. In 1995, The Queen Mother officially opened the VE (Victory in Europe) 50th anniversary commemorations in Hyde Park, London; she appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with her daughters, as they had in 1945. In 1952 Queen Elizabeth moved out of Buckingham Palace to Clarence House in St James's. In 1953 she bought the Castle of Mey, in the extreme north-east of Scotland, and spends time there in August and October every year. The Queen Mother also finds time to pursue her love of the countryside and sport; she has been a keen and expert fisherwoman and enjoys horse-racing. She remains at the centre of the Royal family's life, retaining the closest links with every generation. Honours The Queen Mother was created a Lady of the Garter in 1936, when she became Queen. At the time of the coronation she became, as a Scottish Queen, the first Lady of the Thistle ever created. In 2000 she celebrated her 100th birthday. She died
peacefully in her sleep on 30th March 2002 aged 101. |
