Forget Diana, what about the Queen Mum?

Question

At the tender age of just 101, she had her whole life before her.

Answer 1

It's hard for people to realize now that Elizabeth Bowes Lyon was the most eligible debutante of her day, famous for her beauty and her charm. Fashions of the day were named after her, even colours, "Lady Betty blue" was the popular shade to wear.

She could have had her pick of aristocratic males. Instead, she refused Prince Albert's proposals several times, not wanting to face a life of protocol and restraint. When she accepted him finally, the whole nation was glad and the Royal Family were overjoyed. Even in the eyes of crusty old King George V, she could do no wrong, even when she arrived late for dinner. Their wedding was the social event of the season.

Her popularity was every bit the equal of Diana's, but in an age without modern communications, she did not have the world wide impact that Diana did. Her staunch refusal to move out of London during the Blitz, and her determination to share the hardships that the rest of Britain endured, won her undying respect. Her husband, King George VI would never have been able to continue without her support, and it was her care for his precarious health that kept him going.

Answer 2

And so young too. Poor Queen Mum.

Answer 3

its all about the controversy behind it

Answer 4

What about Mother Theresa, oh sorry she wasn't pretty enough or sleeping with the right people.

Answer 5

NO!..Don't forget Diana. She was wonderful.

Answer 6

Yes she was lovely its just a pity her and her daughter Margret didn't do something a bit constructive than sitting around spending ones money while waiting to die.

Diana did more in her short time as a royal than these two put together I don't remember one charity they supported unless it was a brewery.

Answer 7

Yes, but the Qeen Mum wasn't killed in a tragic accident was she!!!

Answer 8

She was cool.

Answer 9

To Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon's credit, she

------was the most charming debutante of her day as equally acclaimed for her beauty as Lady Diana Spencer,

------her marriage into the Royal family in 1923 was considered "a gesture of political modernisation" since at that time princes only married princesses (not the fourth daughter of a Scottish Earl and his Lady, who was the daughter of a clergyman),

------was never linked with any adulterous behavior during her time as Duchess of York and as queen consort,

------kept up appearances during the Blitz, visiting the East End in full battle gear--high heels, pearls, hat, furs, and stylish frocks,

------until well into her 80s kept a full calendar of royal engagements,

------had a keen acerbic wit,

------didn't respond to hecklers and knew how to wave!

George VI and Queen Elizabeth received public ciriticism for their impartial support of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain  during the appeasement crisis in 1938.  She also held life-long grudges against the Duchess of Windsor and the Germans.

Privately, the old Tory

------drank too much gin,

------bet on the horses,

------at one time had a multi-million pound bank overdraft,

------reputedly made disparaging remarks about people of color.

------Reports also vary as to whether she complied with rationing restrictions during World War II and afterwards.

One of the few observers who felt free to comment upon the then Queen Elizabeth, Eleanor Roosevelt noted that she was "a little self-consciously regal."  After a private luncheon, Mrs. Roosevelt also reported, "It was nice, and they are nice people, but so far removed from real life, it seems."

Many critics also believe that the Queen Mum helped produce the modern monarchy in the United Kingdom.

Answer 10

I, thought of her today, and yes I think since she was around for so long I think there should be something to remember her long life.

Answer 11

She was lovely

Answer 12

Just like Princess Diana, the former Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon certainly had her challenges in her long life, didn't she?

Keep in mind that during her teenaged years, she lost a brother in WWI, and had another brother who was held as a POW. Plus she also saw her ancestral home get turned into a convalescent center for the soldiers, but rather than complaining...she pitched in to help.

Remember, too, she also had to weather a different relationship scandal...one that would change the course of her life forever. In 1936, her brother in law King Edward VIII abdicated the throne! He turned his back on duty and country because he just had to be with the twice divorced American wannabee socialite Wallis Warfield Simpson.

The Queen Mother's pastoral and somewhat private life was quickly disrupted when she and her husband became King George VI and Queen Consort...and all because of love...or rather all because of the former King's pathological obsession with a self-absorbed, ugly, crass, social climbing clotheshorse with n**i sympathies.  Yet, despite her deep disappointment with "David's" decision and some say very bitter resentment of Wallis, the Queen mum would not "dish" publicly about them...throughout her life she referred to Wallis only as "that woman."

Neither the Queen Consort nor King George VI had been groomed for accession, so they basically had to learn how to be "royal" OJT.  Yet, they rose to the challenge, didn't they ? Back in the day, people took the phrase "keep a stiff upper life" literally, and she did exactly what was expected of her. She learned grace under pressure, and that is just as admirable as the many good deeds that Princess Diana did in her short lifetime.

The new "sudden" monarchs also had to deal with representing England while the country was at war. At first they were scorned and jeered, but later on Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was credited as being instrumental in keeping up the morale of the British people during that time.  Despite being advised to go abroad with her children, she refused to leave London out of loyalty to the King and to her subjects. She chose to stick it out "for the duration"  and went through the same hardships as other Britons.  When Buckingham Palace itself took several hits during the height of the bombing, Elizabeth was able to say, "I'm glad we've been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face."  This statement and her fortitude endeared her even more to the people.

I thought it was interesting that Hitler referred to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother as "the most dangerous woman in Europe."  Behind her constant smile, she must have been one heck of a politically savvy and strong willed woman to scare the bejeezers out of that despot!

Not bad for the woman who initially turned down her husband's marriage proposal in 1921. She said no to marrying because she was  "afraid never, never again to be free to think, speak and act as I feel I really ought to."  Thank goodness that didn't turn out to be the case. At any rate, it can't be argued that at the ripe old age of 101, the Queen Mother had enjoyed a long, full and very interesting life...and had rightfully earned the respect and love of millions worldwide.

May she, too, rest in peace.

Answer 13

The Queen mother was already old and died peacefully in her sleep. She was even lucky to reach the age of 101 whereas, Diana, a young elegant lady was tragically killed at the tender age of 36 and not only left behind two young sons, but various charities, property, clothes and jewellery, friends as well as the millions of people who admired her.  Now you can see how she had her whole future flushed down the toilet.

Answer 14

What did the Queen Mother ever do apart from sit at Clarence House sipping Gin and Tonics while either watching the horse racing on Channel 4 or discussing with her courtiers what a dreadful lot those black people are!

Answer 15

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was the epitome of a regal lady, from a similar background to lady Spencer she was a great beauty by the standards of her time, but she left no hint of scandal knowing exactly where the demarcation lines of appropriate behaviour lay, she and King George VI dragged the Monarchy from the mire of Edward VIII and the Ugly Common American and back to its proper station as an example of moral propriety. It is unfortunate that Prince Charles her favourite Grandson should have done so much to drag it back down again by lacking the moral courage to marry the lady of his choice and making her his mistress insread.

Answer 16

She certainly was very, very special in many, many ways.

But the Queen Mum had a long life.

We need to remember Diana's tragedy and, more important, all the marvellously good works which she did - in such a short time.

Answer 17

If you knew the real 'Queen mum' as you call her you would know that her public and private faces were very different. She was a right wing facist loving harridan who drank too much and spoke about ordinary people in a most disparaging way. This family are usurpers of the English throne which rightly belongs to the Stuarts not this Greco -German mob.

Answer 18

it cost the brits millions of taxpayer monies to keep that corpse breathing for the last 15 years of her "life". Good riddance of rotten garbage.