Elizabeth, queen consort of George VI of Great Britain

Elizabeth, 1900–2002, queen consort of George VI of Great Britain, mother of Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, b. London. She was Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon until her marriage (1923). During the Blitz in World War II, she and the king remained in London, becoming symbols of courage to the British people. Elizabeth assumed the title Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, when her daughter was crowned. An active public figure, affectionately called the “Queen Mum,” she was chancellor of the Univ. of London (1955–80) and one of the most enduringly popular members of the royal family.

See biography by W. Shawcross (2009).

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