HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900-2002)

[BeatrixFan]

"This doesn't shock me at all but I can't see anything but a negative reaction coming from stories like this. As one of the commenters said, by the end of it how can you be anything else but a committed republican?"

If you think that presidents are better than you're quite wrong! Just look at Argetina of the Perons, the Philipines of Imelda Marcos and co or Romania's Ceasescu couple or some African presidents and I could go on with them...

Well yes but bear in mind Andrew that the Perons, Marcoss and Ceaucescus were all at the head of extremist regimes. Certainly Nikolai and Elena were and their palace shows the enormous abuse of state wealth they indulged in. Imelda seemed to spend more than her husband and as for the Perons, I think it became almost expected that as Eva was of Queen status she should live like one. There are Presidents who have lived to their small personal budget!

 

[andrew]

well

Maybe the late Queen Mother overdid a bit in spending...but QEII is really taking care that there are no extreme spendings from the taxpayers money.
Prince Charles seems to be a bit like his grandmother-in extravagance-but he does a lot of charity.
For example here in Romania he supports financially the preservation of the medieval Saxon fortress-churches. And he does not get a penny from taxpayers money(correct me if I'm wrong), he earns quite a lot from his duchy.

 

[Al_bina]

Prince Charles seems to be a bit like his grandmother-in extravagance-but he does a lot of charity.

I agree with you on the above. It comes as no surprise at all that Prince Charles has got his extravagant whims. After all, he is Prince ...

 

[Harry's polo shirt]

I think the Queen Elizabeth doesn't have much of choice right now to be less extravagant. With so many people complaining about the monarchy taking so much money from taxes and wanting to demolish the monarchy. She has to be a little more careful about were money goes now.

 

[ysbel]

All the Queen's children have a reputation for being very frugal, Charles included. They were instilled that from childhood; the Queen was known to make her sons go back and find a dogleash when they'd lost it because leashes cost money.

Everybody knew the queen mother's lavish spending and while she was alive, no one had a problem with it.

 

[wbenson]

BBC Announcement of the death of the Queen Mother
(starts 30 seconds in)

YouTube - BBC: Announcing the Queen Mother's Death 2002

 

[rebbevb]

I highly doubt that HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mum would allow her husband to abuse her when Adolf Hitler was said to be afraid of the Queen Mum so yeah i highly doubt she would put up with being abused.

 

[randomlyKeira]

That's hilarious!!! I never heard that before!! I always thought that the Queen Mum would be a very kind, but still strong person. She just has an air about her I think that gives off that sense of complete cool sophistication while still having such a posture and stature (not tite) that makes her seems so strongly imposing....

 

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

The Queen Mother when "Britain's smiling Duchess", and when Queen ... she has always been a dear favorite of mine - her strength and courage should be admired

http://i31.tinypic.com/s6j22r.jpg
http://i25.tinypic.com/33e2buf.jpg
http://i27.tinypic.com/4j8ciu.jpg

 

[Skydragon]

Rare private photographs of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother hosting a birthday lunch for close family and friends have come to light for the first time.

Unseen photographs of the Queen Mother's 95th birthday lunch - Telegraph

Backstairs Billy auction - Telegraph

The Royals as you've NEVER seen them before: The private photo album of the Queen Mother's loyal servant Backstairs Billy | Mail Online

 

[Skydragon]

It was just a handwritten note with instructions for an alfresco lunch in the sunshine - but yesterday it was sold for £16,000.

Queen Mother's note requesting Dubonnet and gin fetches £16,000 | Mail Online

 

[Onassis Line]

Billy Tallon was devoted to the Queen Mother, the article was a lovely read.

What an amazing collection of artifacts, collected over a vast number of years, I think it's right and fitting that they should purchased by people who will treasure them as much as Billy did.

 

[Warren]

From The Telegraph 4 August 2008, a video recording the Queen Mother's 100th birthday in 2000...

 On this day - Telegraph TV
.

 

[Skydragon]

The Queen Mother has been described as a "ghastly old bigot" by one of the presenters of the BBC's Today programme

Edward Stourton said comments she made in a conversation with him in the early 1990s were "nasty" and gave him the impression she was bigoted.
The journalist described the exchange in a forthcoming book about political correctness

BBC presenter says Queen Mother was 'ghastly bigot' - Telegraph

"The words were delivered with the eyes on maximum tiara-strength twinkle", which says to me that the QM judged you correctly Mr Stourton and no I was not a fan of the QM particularly!

 

[muriel]

Classic! Only the QM could have gotten away with a comment like that!

 

[murphy's mom]

Anyone know when the official biography of the Queen Mother by William Shawcross is to be published?

 

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

Royalty Photo Postcards

Queen Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother PC of photograph by Dorothy Wilding

http://i41.tinypic.com/241qmih.jpg


Where are all the negatives? * just teasing *

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

There was an interesting programme the other week on the Queen Mother's closet page, William Tallon, called Backstair's Billy, on channel 4. Those who live in the UK still have the chance to watch a catch up.
Backstairs Billy: The Queen Mum's Butler | Watch Online | Free Catch-Up on Channel 4 Shows

Interesting stuff as the programme gives a unique insight into the private world of Clarence House through the rise and fall of William Tallon, devoted servant, friend and butler to the Queen Mother for over 51 years. After the Queen Mother's death though, the royals quickly cleaned up with her old habits, world & lifestyle, converting Clarence House into a modern household.

Some info on him, a flamboyant personality:
Will Backstairs Billy, the Queen Mother's eccentric retainer, spill his royal secrets from the grave? | Mail Online

 

[Warren]

The Queen Mother has been described as "the last of the Edwardians" and no doubt Clarence House was run in that grand Edwardian style. Of course, no-one would say no to her and she more or less did (and spent) as she pleased, but I guess that's part of the appeal. In terms of image management she did rather well: warm and fluffy on the outside, while being cold and ruthless as she saw fit. One day this public/private contrast will be examined fully, but probably not for a while yet.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

The Queen Mother has been described as "the last of the Edwardians" and no doubt Clarence House was run in that grand Edwardian style. Of course, no-one would say no to her and she more or less did (and spent) as she pleased, but I guess that's part of the appeal. In terms of image management she did rather well: warm and fluffy on the outside, while being cold and ruthless as she saw fit. One day this public/private contrast will be examined fully, but probably not for a while yet.

The programme did hint at this attitude and both - QM and her page - seem to have suited each other well in that respect. She was untouchable for the Royal Family and he was untouchable for the househould because of her back-off. But how could it be differently after 51 years and the closeness that developed?

Anyway, the fact that QEII removed her ailing mother from Clarence House and took her to Windsor, out of Backstair's Billy's range and asked him to move out of his lodge shortly after her death says it all. Not only because of Billy I guess a lot of people were glad when QM finally passed away and the Edwardian style went down to the grave with her.

As you Warren I am curious when there will be the first biography of QM without any icing.

 

[Menarue]

There was an interesting programme the other week on the Queen Mother's closet page, William Tallon, called Backstair's Billy, on channel 4. Those who live in the UK still have the chance to watch a catch up.
Backstairs Billy: The Queen Mum's Butler | Watch Online | Free Catch-Up on Channel 4 Shows

Interesting stuff as the programme gives a unique insight into the private world of Clarence House through the rise and fall of William Tallon, devoted servant, friend and butler to the Queen Mother for over 51 years. After the Queen Mother's death though, the royals quickly cleaned up with her old habits, world & lifestyle, converting Clarence House into a modern household.

Some info on him, a flamboyant personality:
Will Backstairs Billy, the Queen Mother's eccentric retainer, spill his royal secrets from the grave? | Mail Online

Reminds one of the faithful Brown and Queen Victoria. Edward VII couldn´t get rid of him as he had already gone but he got rid of every little whimsical souvenir that existed of him in his mother´s effects.

 

[Elspeth]

The programme did hint at this attitude and both - QM and her page - seem to have suited each other well in that respect. She was untouchable for the Royal Family and he was untouchable for the househould because of her back-off. But how could it be differently after 51 years and the closeness that developed?

Anyway, the fact that QEII removed her ailing mother from Clarence House and took her to Windsor, out of Backstair's Billy's range and asked him to move out of his lodge shortly after her death says it all. Not only because of Billy I guess a lot of people were glad when QM finally passed away and the Edwardian style went down to the grave with her.

As you Warren I am curious when there will be the first biography of QM without any icing.

Probably not in Charles's lifetime, at least not an authoritative biography by an author with access to the royal archive, and that's the sort of biography you'd need in order to avoid criticisms of a tabloid hack doing a hatchet job.

I think an authoritative biography that really does stick to facts and gets rid of the rose-coloured perspective will come as a real shock to people who seem to have taken the Queen Mother at her own valuation and haven't wanted to look beneath the surface. I hope it'll happen in my lifetime but I doubt it.

 

[lblockton]

I was just reading that President Obama is going to visit the Queen and it stated that the Queen Mother would not appreciate that and would not have him in her home. I was so SHOCKED to read that; We never knew that she was prejudiced. What a disappointment, I have lost all respect for her now as I'm sure other people will as well. How terrible to know that she was that way!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Skydragon]

I don't think anyone could say with certainty what QEQM would or would not have thought, least of all such a statement that she would not have had him in her home, (which wouldn't have happened anyway).

 

[Warren]

How terrible to know that she was that way!!!!!!!!!!

But how do you know?

 

[muriel]

I was just reading that President Obama is going to visit the Queen and it stated that the Queen Mother would not appreciate that and would not have him in her home. I was so SHOCKED to read that; We never knew that she was prejudiced. What a disappointment, I have lost all respect for her now as I'm sure other people will as well. How terrible to know that she was that way!!!!!!!!!!

Apart from the fact that few would actually know how the QM may have felt, was your "respect" for the QM so flimsy that an article, irrespective of who may have written it, enough for you to loose respect?

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

what's the point in speculating how a person might have felt or reacted who died seven years ago?

 

[Jeniann]

I was just reading that President Obama is going to visit the Queen and it stated that the Queen Mother would not appreciate that and would not have him in her home. I was so SHOCKED to read that; We never knew that she was prejudiced. What a disappointment, I have lost all respect for her now as I'm sure other people will as well. How terrible to know that she was that way!!!!!!!!!!

I think she would've let him in her home at least in her later years. I've always thought she was probably less racist than Prince Philip, or at least better at concealing it.

Even if she was prejudiced I think she was a smart enough lady to realize the President of the United States is the President of the United States and you need to show him the respect that comes with his station.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I was just reading that President Obama is going to visit the Queen and it stated that the Queen Mother would not appreciate that and would not have him in her home. I was so SHOCKED to read that; We never knew that she was prejudiced. What a disappointment, I have lost all respect for her now as I'm sure other people will as well. How terrible to know that she was that way!!!!!!!!!!

Where did you read this article from?
I'm sure she wasn't like that.
x

 

[Mermaid1962]

Yes, that's what I think, also. She certainly knew how to do her duty.

Even if she was prejudiced I think she was a smart enough lady to realize the President of the United States is the President of the United States and you need to show him the respect that comes with his station.