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Queen
Elizabeth and King George VI
by
Grace Sydney
To the British people King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
will be forever revered as symbols of their nations' courage
and dignity through England's darkest hour. Theirs was a
union which survived both war and family scandal, and in
the end only death had the power to separate them.
THE
EARLY YEARS
The
future Queen Mother's love affair with Scotland began at
the age of four, when her father, the Earl of Strathmore,
inherited Glamis Castle, which was to become her family's
summer home. A fearless child, the young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
loved to hear tales of the spirits rumored to inhabit the
abode. During World War I, when Glamis Castle was converted
into a convalescence hospital, Elizabeth won the hearts
of the soldiers as she played card games with the ailing
men and helped them write letters home to their loved ones.
Glamis Castle, still owned by the Queen Mother's
family, is open to the public, and for more information
on this historic landmark, which is said to have inspired
Shakespeare as he wrote Macbeth, click
here.
WEDDING
Prince
Albert, Duke of York, a shy man who felt ill at ease in
social situations due to a speech impediment, had difficulty
at first in winning the hand of the vivacious Elizabeth,
who was the life of every party. She turned down his first
proposal of marriage, but as time passed her feelings for
the man she affectionately called Bertie deepened, and as
they strolled together through the woods of her childhood
home, St. Paul's Walden Bury in Hertfordshire, Elizabeth
agreed to be his wife. Their wedding took place on
April 26, 1923 at Westminster Abbey, and in a gesture which
would be emulated by successive royal brides, Elizabeth
placed her wedding bouquet of York roses and heather upon
the Tomb of The Unknown Warrior, which is located just past
the entrance of the Abbey.
KING
AND QUEEN
As
the second son of the monarch, Albert was never meant to
reign as king. Fate intervened, however, when his elder
brother, David, renounced the throne in order to marry an
American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. It was a scandal which
could have toppled the monarchy, but Albert, known as King
George VI upon his coronation, and Elizabeth held their
country together through the crisis. The king and queen
were to demonstrate their loyalty to the British people
yet again when they refused to leave Buckingham Palace
as the bombs fell around them during the second World War.
The official London residence of the reigning monarch, sections
of Buckingham Palace are open to the public during the months
of August and September.
QUEEN
ELIZABETH, THE QUEEN MOTHER
The
king's death in 1952 left a void in Elizabeth's life which
she filled with charitable work and family life. Now known
as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, Clarence House
became her London residence, and she vacationed with her
family at Windsor and Balmoral. For a private getaway, she
bought a 16th century castle as a holiday retreat. The Queen
Mother transformed The Castle of Mey into an inviting
home, and surrounded herself with a lifetime's collection
of mementos and toy souvenirs, such as a stuffed Loch Ness
monster, which can be found displayed next to a priceless
tapestry. Abiding by the Queen Mother's wishes, the Castle
of Mey is now open to the public, and it offers a rare
glimpse into the personal life of one of England's most
loved figures.
At
the age of 101, The Queen Mother passed away, and in St.
George's Chapel at Windsor Castle she has been reunited
with her beloved husband.
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The
world watched these royal nuptials held at London's
St. Paul's Cathedral.