Quick Facts
- NAME: Queen Mother Elizabeth
- OCCUPATION: Political Leader, Queen
- BIRTH DATE: August 04, 1900
- DEATH DATE: March 30, 2002
- PLACE OF BIRTH: London, England
- PLACE OF DEATH: Windsor, Bershire, England
- Originally: Elizabeth Bowes- Lyon
- AKA: Wueen consort of the United Kingdom
- Nickname: The Smiling Duchess
Best Known For
Queen Elizabeth was the Queen consort of King George VI until his death in 1952, is best known for her moral support to the British people during WWII.
Queen Mother Elizabeth. (2012). Biography.com. Retrieved 09:10, Feb 09, 2012 from http://www.biography.com/people/queen-mother-elizabeth-9286203
Queen Mother Elizabeth [Internet]. 2012. http://www.biography.com/people/queen-mother-elizabeth-9286203, February 09
"Queen Mother Elizabeth." 2012. Biography.com 09 Feb 2012, 09:10 http://www.biography.com/people/queen-mother-elizabeth-9286203
'Queen Mother Elizabeth', Biography.com,(2012) http://www.biography.com/people/queen-mother-elizabeth-9286203 [accessed Feb 09, 2012]
"Queen Mother Elizabeth," Biography.com, http://www.biography.com/people/queen-mother-elizabeth-9286203 (accessed Feb 09, 2012).
Queen Mother Elizabeth [Internet]. Biography.com; 2012 [cited 2012 Feb 09]. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/queen-mother-elizabeth-9286203.
Queen Mother Elizabeth, http://www.biography.com/people/queen-mother-elizabeth-9286203 (last visited Feb 09, 2012).
Queen Mother Elizabeth, http://www.biography.com/people/queen-mother-elizabeth-9286203 (last visited Feb 09, 2012).
Synopsis
Queen Elizabeth was the Queen consort of King George VI until his death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. She was popular with the public,
earning the nickname "Smiling Duchess" because of her consistent indomitable spirit. She was of great moral support to the British public during WWII.
Profile
(born August 4, 1900, St. Paul's Waldenbury, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England—died March 30, 2002, Windsor, Berkshire) queen consort of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1936–52), wife of King George VI. She was credited with sustaining the monarchy through numerous crises, including the abdication of Edward VIII and the death of Princess Diana.
The Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the youngest daughter of Claude George Bowes-Lyon, 14th earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (d. 1944); the Bowes-Lyon family could claim descent from Robert I the Bruce, king of Scotland. On April 26, 1923, Elizabeth was married to Albert, duke of York, second son of King George V. This marriage was a popular departure from the long-standing practice of an English prince marrying into a foreign royal family. On December 11, 1936, upon the abdication of Edward VIII and the accession of her husband as George VI, Elizabeth became queen consort. She never forgave Edward, afterward duke of Windsor, for having abandoned the throne to George without the latter's adequate anticipation or preparation. Shy and prone to melancholy, George seemed ill-suited for the role of king. Elizabeth's unflagging support, however, helped transform him into a confident and much respected monarch; it was at her urgings that he sought treatment for stuttering. As queen consort, Elizabeth also enjoyed great popularity, enhanced in part by her actions during World War II, when she refused to leave London during German air raids, even after Buckingham Palace was bombed. Many credit her with setting the tone for the modern British monarchy, as she eased formalities and established an unprecedented rapport with the public.
Elizabeth bore two daughters: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the future queen Elizabeth II (b. April 21, 1926), and Princess Margaret Rose, the future Countess of Snowden (b. August 21, 1930—d. February 9, 2002). After her husband's death on February 6, 1952, and the accession of Elizabeth II, she became known officially as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. She remained, however, an influential figure and made numerous appearances in England and around the world. Her public duties continued until shortly before her death. Noted for her humour and easygoing nature, the “Queen Mum,” as she became affectionately known, was one of the most popular and admired members of the royal family.
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