Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Queen Mother of the United Kingdom
The Honourable Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born on August 4th 1900 to the parents Claude Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis and Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Lady Glamis. Elizabeth was the last daughter and second last child of Bowes-Lyon's as they had ten children. In 1904, Elizabeth's father, Lord Glamis, succeeded her grandfather as Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and therefore, her mother became the Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Elizabeth then received the title of The Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Following succeeding the Earldom of Strathmore and Kinghorne, the Bowes-Lyon's received a number of large family estates, such as Glamis Castle in Scotland.
In 1921, Prince Albert, Duke of York, second son of King George V and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, proposed to Lady Elizabeth, and she turned him down based on misgivings of the Royal Family. In 1922, Lady Elizabeth was a bridesmaid for Prince Albert's younger sister, Princess Mary, who was marrying Viscount Lascelles. A month after the wedding, Albert proposed again, but Elizabeth turned him down yet again. In 1923, Elizabeth finally decided to accept Albert's proposal and the couple wed at Westminster Abbey, London on April 26th 1923. Lady Elizabeth had now become Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York.
On April 21st 1926, The Duchess of York had her first child, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York. The Duke and Duchess of York's second child, also a daughter, Princess Margaret Rose of York was born on August 21st 1930.
Prince Albert, the Duke of York was not the heir to the british throne, as he was only second in line to the throne. In 1836, after Prince Albert's father, King George V died, Prince Albert's elder brother, Prince Edward became King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, but after a short 11 months of reign, Edward abdicated to marry an american divorcee, Wallis Simpson, and the reluctant Prince Albert was King George VI of the United Kingdom, and Elizabeth was his Queen Consort. Their daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were now the first and second in line to the throne of the United Kingdom. Also, the young princesses of York were now the Princesses of the United Kingdom. It was a dramatic move for the York's, especially for the young Elizabeth and Margaret. King George VI and Queen Consort Elizabeth had their coronation in 1937, as they were crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom, the British Dominions, and Emperor and Empress Consort of India. Their Majesties were the last Emperor and Empress Consort of India, as India became a republic in 1950.
In 1947, King George and Queen Elizabeth's eldest daughter and heiress apparent to the throne, The Princess Elizabeth, married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. By marriage, the couple became the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
King George and Queen Elizabeth's first grandchild, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George of Edinburgh was born on November 14th 1948 from their eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth the Duchess of Edinburgh and her spouse, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, Duke of Edinburgh. In the photo below, is a picture of (from left to right): Prince Charles of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, Prince Philip, King George, Princess Elizabeth, and Princess Anne of Edinburgh in the carriage.
King George's health was deteriorating after the Second World War and was made worse by his heavy smoking. On February 6th 1952, King George finally died at the age of 56. His consort, Queen Elizabeth, was devastated, along with the rest of the British Royal Family. Princess Elizabeth, was on a tour in Kenya, Africa with her husband, Prince Philip and was rushed back to the United Kingdom, as the new Queen Elizabeth. Her mother, the Queen Consort Elizabeth, was now known as the Queen Mother or Queen Mum to avoid confusion with her daughter. In the photo below, is a picture of the three queens at King George's funeral (from left to right): Their Majesties Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Consort Mary (Consort of King George V), and Queen Consort Elizabeth the Queen Mother (Consort of King George VI).
In June of 1953, the Queen Mother's daughter, now Queen Elizabeth II was crowned as Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms. A few months before the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother's mother in-law, Queen Mary, died, but let it be known that she wanted the Coronation to proceed anyways incase of her death. In the photo below, is a picture of (from left to right): Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret in the front, Prince Philip at the back, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
In 1960, the Queen Mother's younger daughter, Princess Margaret, married Antony Armstrong-Jones. The couple became the Earl and Countess of Snowdon by marriage as a peerage from Margaret's sister, Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen Mother had received another grandchild in 1960 from her elder daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward, Duke of York. In 1961, the Queen Mother received her first grandchild, David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, from her younger daughter, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.
In 1964, the Queen Mother received two more grandchildren. Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis of the United Kingdom in March of 1964, from Queen Elizabeth II, and The Lady Sarah Frances Elizabeth Armstrong-Jones in May of 1964 from Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, as the Queen Mother's youngest grandchildren. In the photo below, is a picture of (from left to right): Prince Edward, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, David Armstrong-Jones (Viscount Linley), Princess Anne in the front (left), The Queen Mother Elizabeth in the middle, and the Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (Now The Lady Sarah Chatto) in the front (right).
The Queen Mother had very close relationships with her two daughters, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. This is a photo of the Queen Mother and her two daughters, Queen Elizabeth to the left and Princess Margaret to the right.
In 1978, Princess Margaret's marriage failed to Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon, after Margaret had series of hidden affairs. Princess Margaret stayed especially close to her mother after this time, to most royal engagements and appearances.
The Queen Mother's grandchildren married and gave Her Majesty her first great-grandchildren, the first of them being Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne, who was born in 1977, and her youngest, James, Viscount Severn, who was born in 2007 and whom the Queen Mother never lived to see. Among the Queen Mother's great-grandchildren were (from date of birth (oldest to youngest)):
Peter and Zara Phillips from Princess Anne (Queen Elizabeth II's daughter)
Prince William and Harry of Wales from Prince Charles (Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son)
Princess Beatrice and Eugenie of York from Prince Andrew (Queen Elizabeth II's second son)
Samuel and Arthur Chatto from The Lady Sarah Chatto (Princess Margaret's daughter)
The Honourable Charles and Margarita Armstrong-Jones from Viscount Linley (David Armstrong-Jones) (Princess Margaret's son)
(The Queen Mother did not live to see The Honourable Margarita Armstrong-Jones)
The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Viscount Severn from Prince Edward (Queen Elizabeth II's son)
(The Queen Mother did not live to see Lady Louise or Viscount James)
The Queen Mother's younger daughter, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, died on February 9th 2002. The frail Queen Mother, along with the rest of the Royal Family were devastated by the news. The Countess of Snowdon died from strokes, declining health from drinking and heavy smoking. Princess Margaret died at the age of 71.
The Queen Mother Elizabeth herself died on March 30th 2002, after suffering a cold for the last 4 months of her life. She was at a very old age of 101. At the time of her death, she was the longest lived member of the British Royal Family, a record that was broken by her sister in-law, Alice, Duchess of Gloucester in 2003; The Duchess of Gloucester died in 2004.
The Queen Mother was certainly an extraordinary woman, as the Duchess of York, Queen Consort, and Queen Mother. She did her duty well as both a member of the Royal Family, as well as being a spouse, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. God Save the Queen.
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