Crowned her husband and daughter, who died at 101: what was the life of Elizabeth II’s mother

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was not supposed to become queen, nor was she supposed to become the wife of George VI. The girl twice refused his marriage proposal before accepting. They married in 1923, and three years later they became parents – their daughter Elizabeth Alexandra Maria was born.

In 1936, after the coronation of her husband George VI (after the sudden abdication of Edward VIII), Elizabeth unexpectedly became queen. During the war, the couple refused to leave London and the queen did everything she could to maintain the morale of her subjects. Thus, for all Britons, she became a symbol of hope, and Adolf Hitler himself called her “the most dangerous woman in Europe.”

Elizabeth was widowed early: she was 51 when her husband George VI died. In the same 1952, the crown passed to his eldest daughter, Elizabeth II. Until the end of her life, the Queen Mother supported her daughter and took an active part in the public life of Great Britain, remaining very popular among the people. She was adored – in the truest sense of the word.

Although the Queen Mother did not become a trendsetter, her outfits were highly regarded as they reflected her mood or the current political situation. So, Elizabeth adored bright dresses, with the help of which she tried to charge those around her with a good mood.

The Queen Mother became famous for her longevity. Its 90th anniversary was celebrated with a loud parade, attended by around 300 organizations. In 2002, Elizabeth could have turned 102, but the death of her youngest daughter, Princess Margaret, in February of the same year knocked her down, not to mention several fractures received one after another and a cold. The Queen Mother died 7 weeks after this tragedy at the age of 101 years and 238 days.

At that time, she was the oldest member of the British royal family in history. The Queen Mother’s record was broken by her sister-in-law, Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott, who died aged 102.

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