17 Facts You May Not Know About The Queen Mother
The Queen Mother was a figure that can be described as a sweet, but strong Edwardian lady living in an increasingly modern world. She was everything sweet and magical but had a backbone of steel, she was a great influencer, who never actually shared her opinion, she was a never ending smile on the cloudiest of days, and she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders but was always ready for a party and a few stiff drinks. What fascinates me the most about this woman is that she lived through the entire 20th century and really, did not change all that much. She remained strong from childhood through old age, she lived by rituals and customs that were from a bygone era, and studying her life has not just taught me about a particular culture, but brought an entire class of people to life that we often imagine as purely fictional characters. As I have studied her life, a few facts about her have always jumped out at me, so let’s dive in to the life of The Queen Mother!
1. She was Scottish
Born Elizabeth Angela Marguarite Bowes-Lyon, she was part of a very very old Scottish noble family. She lived in Scotland at Glamis Castle, her ancestral home and the home of the Earls of Strathmore, which her father became.
2. She was the daughter of an Earl
When she was born, she was styled as The Honourable Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon because her grandfather was still the alive and thus, The Earl of Strathmore. When he passed, her father ascended to the Earldom and so she was then Styled as The Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
3. She was the 9th out of 10 children!
The 14th Earl and Countess of Strathmore had a very large, silly and fun loving family. She was their last daughter and ninth child. She did have one younger brother.
4. The early years of her life were very much like the lives that the daughters in Downton Abby lived
For those trying to imagine what the Queen Mother’s early years were like, growing up in a castle as part of a Scottish noble family, the period drama Downton Abby actually gives a great example of what her life would have been like. The Queen Mother was born in 1900, which puts her at a few years younger than the three daughters in the show, and a few years older than their fictional cousin Lady Rose. So, if you blend the lives of these Victorian born noble young ladies, you will get a lot of similarities to the Queen Mother’s life. Just like in Downton Abby, Glamis Castle, the Queen Mother’s childhood home, was turned into a hospital during World War I and the Queen mother helped to nurse the soldiers, just as the girls did in the show. The Queen Mother also was big on the social scene, much like Downton’s Lady Rose, going out dancing in to the wee hours, and oftentimes with “Bertie and David” the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. It’s remarkable to think about anyone’s upbringing being similar to that of the character’s of Down Abby, but for the Queen Mother, this was a reality!
5. She was a party animal!
Many of her diary entries from around 1920 illustrate how much she really loved to be out on the town. She often wrote about “dancing all night with Bertie and David!” (The then Prince of Wales and his brother, her future husband, The Duke of York.)
6. Her first Royal Title was the Duchess of York
Traditionally, the second son of the British monarch is styled as the Duke of York. So, this meant that upon marriage to her husband, the Duke of York, Elizabeth became the Duchess. This also means that her daughters (now Queen Elizabeth and the Late Princess Margaret’s first titles were “Princesses of York” just like the current Queen’s Granddaughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York.)
7. She never wanted to be royal, she even turned her husband down twice!
As a young lady, she was good friends with both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. Although she was very fond of the Duke of York, she turned him down the first two times he proposed to her because she did not want to be a royal. She accepted him on his third proposal after he assured her that they would have a quiet life together because he was not to be King. Things didn’t quite turn out that way! But, theirs was a match that was wanted by both families, and they were very very happy together.
8. She gave an interview early on in her royal life which her father in law, the King, was upset about and so she never gave an interview again
The Queen mother became famous for her discretion and a political way of being. This is largely due to the fact that in the early 1920s, she gave a harmless interview about life in the royal family and that did not sit well with her Father in Law, the then King George V. He believed that the royal family needed a sense of magic about them which is something that the Queen Mother kept with her for the next almost eighty years.
9. She was a huge support and stability for her husband
Although the then Duke of York had to propose to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon three times before she agreed to marry him, it was not for lack of love on her end. Once she did marry him, she became his backbone and stalwart support for the remainder of his life. She was the one who was able to calm down his temper, she took charge and found people to help him overcome his speech impediment, and during the war when it was advised that she and their daughters be relocated to the country for safety, she responded by saying, “The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave.” All through his life, she never wavered in her support and love of him, and that devotion continued even after his death.
10. She was a style Icon
Known for her amazing hats and bright colors, a tradition that we also see in the Queen’s clothing today, The Queen Mother was trend setting in the fashion scene for decades before most of us remember. In the Late 1930’s, with pre World War II tensions running high, the royal family was set to make a very important visit to pre-war Paris. Unfortunately, The Queen’s mother, the Countess of Strathmore, passed away weeks before their trip, which meant that traditionally, the Queen should have dressed in mourning colors. Not wanting to head into this very important trip in somber clothing, the Queen and designer Normal Hartnell put aside all of the carefully planned and created outfits for the trip and decided to revive a centuries old mourning tradition of wearing all white. So, for the duration of their time in France, which was wildly successful, the Queen wore white from head to toe. At the time, this was sensational, it made daily headlines across the globe, and boosted the popularity of the royal family ten fold.
11. Hitler called her the most dangerous woman in Europe
It was around the time of her famous fashion visit to Paris that Hitler called Queen Elizabeth “The most dangerous women in Europe.” She was given this title because Hitler saw how popular she was and how much true influence she carried across Europe. Hitler was very nervous that she would influence Europe at large with ideas and beliefs contrary to his own.
12. She was the last Empress of India
During the reign of her husband, the glory days of The British Empire came to and end. This meant that he was the last British King styled as “Emperor of India” a title which Queen Victoria took on in the 1800s, and she was in turn the last “Empress of India”.
13. She was never Queen in her own right
Although she was called “Queen” for the majority of her life, The Queen Mother was never “The Queen”. She first was a Queen Consort, which simply means that her husband was the King. After his death and the accession of her daughter, the current Queen Elizabeth, she became a Dowager Queen. She was known however as “Her Majesty, The Queen Mother” which is simply another way of saying the she was a Dowager Queen. Although being a Queen Consort or Dowager Queen affords you the same level of respect as being a Queen Regent, the difference is is that the Queen Mother never actually was a ruler, as her daughter is today.
14. She bought her own castle
In 1952, when visiting some friends in North Scotland, the Queen Mother stumbled across the and purchased the dilapidated Castle of Mey (she changed the name from Barogill Castle back to the original name, Castle of Mey). Legend has it she purchased the castle for only one hundred pounds and she then got to work renovating it. She brought the Castle of Mey back to life (and many believe it helped bring her back to life as well after the death of her husband) and it became one of her very favorite retreats.
15. She loved her racehorses
Much like her daughter, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother had a very big passion for her racehorses. She was very involved in deciding what stallion she would breed her mares to, what horse would run where, etc. She had such big plans that she actually wrote out all of her chosen breeding matches for her horses up through the year 2003, which would have made her 103! The amazing part is, she nearly got there!
16. She loved Gin and Tonics
Even in her 90s, the Queen Mother was often seen with a Gin and Tonic in hand! She was no stranger to having one or two at lunch along with wine. One of her Equerries also shared that she called 6pm “The Golden Hour” because she was once again able to have her first cocktail for the evening!
17. She very close to prince Charles who described her as a “magical Grandmother”
When Prince Charles was growing up, his grandmother was very involved in his life and nurtured the sensitive side of his personality, something he didn’t always get from his parents. As a result, they shared an extremely close bond all of his life, and it is even rumored that he and his then mistress, now wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles often met at the Queen Mother’s house. Upon her death, Charles made a speech and called her the most “magical grandmother” that a person could have. And after learning everything I have learned about this remarkable woman, I without a doubt believe that to be true!
I hope you find the Queen Mother as interesting as I do. For further information about this amazing women, here are a few of my recommendations…
The Queen Mother The Official Biography by William Shawcross
This book is about 1,000 pages, but worth the read. You will come to appreciate what a remarkable woman she really was.
Behind Palace Doors: My Years With The Queen Mother By Major Colin Burgess
If you weren’t already, this book will make you fall in love with her. Stories of hilarious things she said, her staying up all night sharing drinks and stories with guests who could barely keep their eyes open, and more!
The Queen Mother: 100 Years in 100 Minutes
This documentary can be found almost anywhere, just type it in and it will show up!
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Thank you! I always marvel at how much she saw in her life.
I love how you paint a portrait of her as a ‘real person’, rather than just a historical icon. As someone also rather partial to a gin and tonic, there was a lot in her life that resonated with me!