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Historical figures #8N

Queen Elizabeth the queen mother

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900 – 2002) was the wife of King George VI and the mother
of Queen Elizabeth II. Born into a family of British nobility, she came to prominence
in 1923 when she married the Duke of York, the second son of King George V and
Queen Mary. As such she never expected to be Queen.

In 1936, her husband unexpectedly became king when his brother, Edward VIII,
abdicated in order to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson (how times have
changed!). Elizabeth then became Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the
Dominions from her husband's accession in 1936 until his death in 1952. She was
also the last Empress of India. From 1952 she was known as Queen Elizabeth The
Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter. Or simply The Queen Mum to
most Brits.

During WWII her indomitable spirit provided moral support to the British public. In
recognition of her role as an asset to British interests, Adolf Hitler described her as
"the most dangerous woman in Europe". After the war, her husband's health
deteriorated and she was widowed at the age of 51.

From the death of Queen Mary in 1953, Elizabeth was viewed as the matriarch of the
British royal family. In her later years, she was a consistently popular member of the
family, even when other members were suffering from low levels of public approval.
She continued an active public life until just a few months before her death at the
age of 101.

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