Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

ELIZABETH BOWES-LYON d2002. Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11th December 1936 to 6th February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was also the last Empress of India from 1936 until the British Raj was dissolved on 15th August 1947. After her husband died, she was officially known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother to avoid confusion with her daughter Queen Elizabeth II. In 1936, her husband unexpectedly ascended the throne (as George VI) when his older brother (Edward VIII) abdicated in order to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson. She then became queen consort. She accompanied her husband on diplomatic tours to France and North America before the start of WW2. During the war, her seemingly indomitable spirit provided moral support to the British public. After the war, her husband's health deteriorated and she was widowed at the age of 51. Her elder daughter, aged 25, became the new monarch. After the death of Queen Mary in 1953, she was viewed as the matriarch of the British royal family. In her later years, she was a consistently popular member of the family, even at times when other royals were suffering from low levels of public approval. She continued an active public life until just a few months before her death on March 30th 2002  (at the age of 101) ; seven weeks after the death of her younger daughter Princess Margaret