Elizabeth, originally Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon 1900-
Queen Mother, and Queen Consort of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Born in London, the daughter of the future 14th Earl of Strathmore, she spent much of her childhood at Glamis Castle in Scotland, where she helped the nursing staff in World War I. In 1920 she met the Duke of York, second son of George V and they were married in 1923. Princess Elizabeth (later Elizabeth II) was born in 1926 and Princess Margaret in 1930. The Duke of York came to the throne as King George VI (1936). She was with the king when Buckingham Palace was bombed (1940), and travelled with him to visit heavily damaged towns throughout the war. After George VI's death (1952), the Queen Mother continued to perform public duties, becoming a widely-loved figure. She never retired and, from 1953 onwards, found a new interest in restoring the Castle of Mey, on the Pentland Firth, as her favourite Scottish home. In 1978 she became Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, the first woman to hold the office. She is an expert fisherwoman, has great enthusiasm for horse-racing, and was Chancellor of London University (1955-80).

Bibliography: Grania Forbes, My Darling Buffy: The Early Life of the Queen Mother (1997)