The Queen Mother Has A Darker Legacy Than People Know

[@finnsmom8470]

I read a book about the British Royal family a few years ago. It gave some glimpses into both the private and public lives of the British Monarchy. It included an amusing story about The Queen Mother during QEII’s reign. The Queen Mother was scheduled to visit an “old folks home,” and showed up, dressed to the hilt. As she was led through the elderly care facility, she stopped to talk with an elderly lady, sitting in the hallway. The elderly resident didn’t seem to make enough, “to do” about the Queen Mother, which they described as an action that irritated her. Since the elderly resident seemed to be treating the Queen Mother like anyone else, the Queen Mother leaned in and asked her, “Do you know who I am?” Without missing a beat, the elderly resident replied, “Oh, don’t you worry, any of the nurses or staff that work here, will be happy to remind you who you are when you forget!”. LOL. Hilarious…..

[@genadelapena5861]

😂😅😂😅

[@ottonieoswald9184]

That's hilarious!!

[@timeresrch]

Do you really think we have time to read an essay??

[@theon9575]

@@timeresrch It's not compulsory, sir. !

[@gayprepperz6862]

Love it!

[@sandrah5405]

It always amuses me that she blamed Edward and Wallis for her husband's early death from lung cancer. Of course, chain smoking had nothing to do with it!

[@kiwi-to-a-tee]

She was definitely jealous of Wallis's beauty and figure and got the man she wanted all along.

[@Elizabethselby]

She blamed the fact that he was under more stress, and when he was under stress he would stutter more and was advised to smoke to help with then stutter. Naturally, as king, his stressed led to more smoking due to more stuttering and smoking although he had a wonderful speech coach from Australia as portrayed in the film The King's Speech.

[@jannywanny2201]

@@kiwi-to-a-tee”Wallis’s beauty”??!!!! 🤦‍♀️

[@kiwi-to-a-tee]

@@jannywanny2201 yes she had beauty,especially compared to the Queens mother. Wallis Simpson dressed herself more in a perfectly clean, neat, or tidy manner.She always appeared immaculately dressed than the old Elizabeth and was far more attractive to the eye, than old lizzie,after all she won the king's heart.

[@RichardDevereauxEarlofEssex]

@@kiwi-to-a-tee Wallis was a plain woman, there is no other way of describing her.

[@wellallrightthen]

I think she was a self-important, self-absorbed person who lived for all the attention she got as queen-which is why she took the death of her husband so hard: it meant she was no longer everyone’s main focus-and that’s what made her so bitter

[@KittymoreJoy]

It seems she had a Nark personality disorder, self absorbed, distorted view of her own importance, made calculating moves in public to make herself noticed. A lot like “ the other fool’s me-fan ‘. Ironic is it not?

[@fatimak1382]

She was the Meghan of the day,

[@DelbertaEklund-hg9zq]

Narcissist

[@susannebrown3255]

I never cared for her. She always came across to me as smug and sanctimonious. Her yellow teeth, come on, get them professionally cleaned

[@LizaFergison]

My mother knew an elderly man who had worked for the Queen Mother for years. He said she was a total snob and racist. She held almost daily drink sodden lunches where the guests were mainly gay men who idolized her. Her daughter, the late Queen Elizabeth, paid off her mother's debts. The QM was a self obsessed narcissist.

[@suzannebosjolie7532]

That I believe!

[@margaretflounders8510]

This is the first thing I believe..all the rest is hearsay

[@GR-hb5gk]

Years ago I met a former gamekeeper who worked at Sandringham estate, he told me how snobby and unkind she was to staff. Another told me the smell of gin was enough to knock you out

[@helenlesley5456]

@LizaFergison… that’s a piece of interesting history and one wonders if her snobbery was due to the fact that she was the daughter of the French family cook and the 9 th Earl, and why she was referred to as “cookie”… the most noble are usually the most humble… her lady in waiting Ruth Fermoy was another snob and princess Diana’s grandmother… together they plotted to get Charles and Diana together

[@brianschmidt9919]

My grandpa worked for a man whose brother's wife saw the queen drive by one day in the carriage and she agreed with you that was completely her Takeaway on the situation too.... You think people will say about you someday I mean the people that don't like you for whatever reason what are they going to talk about when you're gone

[@lyndawilliams4570]

Can we please stop lying about how “beautiful “ she was; none of them are beautiful from that line. She was as plain as plain could be.

[@RiggazaStrega2000]

Gives me long in the tooth vibes😂

[@marywenzel3199]

She was a very beautiful child but that didn’t last.

[@kerrycooper-dean4243]

So, she wasn’t plastic, dyed orange, with fake teeth and fake boobs, so she wasn’t beautiful? Please 🙄 What’s classed as beautiful today hasn’t always been classed as beautiful, and thankfully so.

[@CJScrol]

Beauty is after all, in the mind of the beholder.

[@justsusan4436]

Absolutely, very masculine features....😅

[@Glamrockqueen]

My brother was a guard at Buckingham Palace. He always said the Queen Mum was one of the nastier member of the family. Drank like a fish, and as someone else has also infered, very racist. She was not as nice as she appeared.

[@Celticmist-qz6ve]

She would have loved Camilla being Queen - NOT

[@MegaMesozoic]

She was a narcissist.

[@lspthrattan]

@@MegaMesozoic They all look narcissistic to me; they're raised to think they're better than any other family on Earth--which is ironic, as they're total parasites.

[@susancarver3685]

These people r no more than what they either were born to or married into. They r no different than wipes his butt with rough tp or had his poor staff do it. The fact she was such a nasty racist shows u what she was and who they r. Megan Markel will fit perfectly with these " ner do well" who think their title brings them absolute acquiesce by the supposed "peons" they rule!! Awful....awful.....awful. This woman lived her entire adult life NEVER understanding what mans humanity to man means!!!

[@KB-nr3ls]

Over the years, in everything I read about the "Queen Dowager," she surely had a hollow leg. 🍸🍷🍸🍷

[@Duchess_of_Cadishead]

Elizabeth Bowes Lyon declined Albert’s proposal because she was still hoping to nab Edward, and only settled on Albert once it was obvious she wouldn’t succeed. To say she didn’t want the “Royal life” is wrong.

[@JorethaPhotos]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iajHZHyJh6uSrbssi=lN0EXGeWYyA4DLQg

[@dancarl6803]

Incorrect. Elizabeth was in love with James Stewart the son of the earl of moray not Edward. How ridiculous. Spouting gossip as fact. Do your research.

[@sophroniel]

Why are you claiming to be a duchess? Silly.

[@annewalden3795]

Duchess of Cadishead how do you explain her dislike of Wallis and Edward which was consistent ? The Queen Mother blamed her brother in law for her husbands ill health and his premature death .

[@theon9575]

That's very interesting ... 🤔. What are your sources? Any evidence? How do know the private thoughts of someone who lived 100 years ago? She did not leave a diary or so, did she?

[@katherinehutton9870]

Actually the Queen Mother once said "frankly I'm not at all nice as people think I am" She never really hide it, she was quite honest about herself.

[@motherbinary7402]

Dark as they come. Human hunting parties cannibalism, and a host of other very very dark things. Do not be fooled by the Royals are incest, inbred monsters.

[@christinehall6441]

She loved gin. 😊

[@liz.j6822]

She was an unapologetic racist

[@zzzbbbooo]

The press was much more deferential in her day and she attained a respect from everyone that I don't think was quite deserved.

[@wilnavanderwalt3451]

That is why she did not like Diana....because Diana was kind,pure and friendly......she sounds like a witch not a person deserving the name queen.....so sad for history.

[@shelleylane7474]

I don't understand why people say she was beloved, I recall when I was VERY young being brought up in the UK that she was NOT liked. Being so young, I didn't understand why she was so disliked, but it has stayed with me all my life, and I'm now in my 82nd year.

[@paulinesimon2257]

Neither do I...

[@karenalexandre1498]

82 years old and online.. wow.. my mom is 80 and refuse to learn how to use technology since she was 50 yrs old in 1995..

[@JackiePecco]

@@shelleylane7474 she always been loved here in England

[@Gatteleylife9957]

​@@JackiePecco Rubbish!

[@dawnpettet5280]

She was a selfish, tyrant. Died owing millions.

[@jeromesullivan4015]

Yes, from one perspective, not Hers. She was a Queen, do you really think that after her death that she would correct anything that SHE refused to in life?

[@Paul-010]

Much like her daughter Margaret.

[@misst.e.a.187]

Which I'm sure Charles paid off

[@janicebillington1640]

​@@misst.e.a.187Queen Elizabeth ii settled her mother's debts.

[@ansiebrunkhorst1412]

​@@jeromesullivan401520:38

[@cathyshifley3472]

I never, being an American, knew about most of these stories until I read a bio of her. I was gobsmacked by her snobby behavior & how her family behaved. As one other commenter said, she was no beauty. She always seemed rather frumpy, and tried to hide it with clothing that only emphasized how short she was. I think her problem was that once she had power, there was no way she was going to relinquish it to anyone, even her own daughter and rightful heir.

[@jeromesullivan4015]

They are JUST THAT, stories, never confirmed by anyone…keep that in mind.

[@JEdwarrd]

@@jeromesullivan4015 That's why Charly was besties with Savile & Peter Ball Right? Cause those were "just stories" too right? Is it also a story how the British Monarchy got rich off genocide, subjugation & pillaging ? I'm just trying to establish how many ppl actually understand history rather than making it up as they go.

[@cathynewyork7918]

Well it's NOT FAIR to criticize the Queen Mother for not being a beauty - not fair at all -- but it IS fair to criticize her for her rude, condescending, and snobby behavior, which she seemed to do very often. Nasty woman, apparently.

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@JEdwarrd I agree the British royal family is guilty of genocide and slavery, but you could have expressed your point without being so condescending.

[@JEdwarrd]

@@cathynewyork7918 I think after years of education, and living around the world & seeing all the British Colonial "handy work". All the trauma the monarchy has created globally; it burns to see those that arrogantly defend the monarchy, like they're a moral institution. We don't talk abt Hitler affectionately, but "Saxe-coburg and Gotha"/ Windsor frauds seem to be able to commit crime after crime with impunity, not to mention they're billionaires off plundered wealth. Sorry, but my politeness has run out for willful ignorance in the face of human suffering. All this knowledge is accessible to all who want it, but many choose to be proudly ignorant. Look at Trump & Borris supporters.

[@traceywarren9750]

She was a horrid lady my grandmother worked for her family and she was very nasty to the staff

[@jackiegardiner7422]

I can imagine she let back stirs Billy and his partner Reg away with murder

[@manuelarita6801]

l don`t believe

[@jackiegardiner7422]

Yes I have heard she wasn't nice and lived very lavishly she was millions in debt which her late Majesty paid off and she did let the two old Queens Billy and Reg get away with murder

[@marshnn]

People should listen to people who worked for her they know what she was like

[@beccabbea2511]

@@marshnn I was in the military and I was a military brat, wife and mum and it was well known that she was an unpleasant piece of works and that she loved her drink, gin if my memory serves me correctly.

[@williamevans9426]

I've read elsewhere that her favourite hymn was "All Things Bright and Beautiful", from which she used to quote the verse, "The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate, God made them, high or lowly, And ordered their estate". In other words, know your place! The Queen Mother also initially refused to move out of Buckingham Palace on the death of her husband, King George VI, and continued to exercise her influence over her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, until her death almost fifty years later.

[@marieravening927]

I think the queen managed to be Queen Elisabeth the second, despite her mother. I think she was intelligent and sensitive enough to see through her mother's attitudes and form her own opinions.

[@williamevans9426]

@@marieravening927 I quite agree and stand corrected; I should have said 'tried to exert her influence over her daughter'. The two Elizabeths spoke on the 'phone every morning but you're right in saying that Elizabeth II was strong willed and 'ploughed her own furrow', to use a somewhat inappropriate phrase! She definitely took Prince Philip's side in early disputes with The Queen Mother and had her own highly successful approach throughout her 70-year reign.

[@Bella-zq6nb]

She brought up King Charles. God help us.

[@elizabethpeters4805]

​@@Bella-zq6nbactually, Charles, like most royal children, was brought up by nannies.

[@brianschmidt9919]

Werent having all the problems we're having now and people did at least people back then could tell you what a boy was and what a girl was for f*** sake

[@mrs.herculepoirot7763]

The Duke of Windsor was most certainly at his brother George VI's funeral. It was only his wife who was not invited.

[@manuelarita6801]

Quite so!

[@marahaquala1686]

This part has been misrepresented then, Intentionally.

[@michaelplunkett8059]

​@@marahaquala1686Like much else in this. Nippon is the Japanese word for Japan.

[@stephenleiperdefault1113]

There are many other errors in this poor quality video, she certainly couldn’t said ma’m rhymes with spam as a young woman at Glamis because spam was not invented until 1937. The British government were fearful that if the royal family were killed during the blitz it would be damaging to morale. The King refused to go, so she refused to leave him and the family decided that it would be better for morale if they and the kids stayed in london and did the walkabouts. The brightly coloured clothing was to cheer people up not to show superiority. As for what people thought just look at the crowds at Buckingham palace when the family went to the balcony at the end of the war.

[@manuelarita6801]

@@stephenleiperdefault1113 Very very well said! Thank God someone else can understand. It's complete disrespect these days to late royals. Probably soon they 'll start to accuse Queen Elizabeth ll too.

[@eddierogers9491]

Growing up in Redhill in the 70's. I can say that the Bowes-Lyon girls being in Royal Earlswood was not a secret, everyone in the surrounding towns knew the Queen's cousins were there

[@theon9575]

Quite right! The real nature of the Queen Mother, her family and such matters was about as secret as Camilla & Charles' relationship over the years 😂. The secret that everybody knows. I'm 75 years old and I've known the Queen Mother was a nasty, seriously alcoholic cow as long as I can remember. But documentary makers like this don't seem to know 🤣😂

[@jinxysanchez2990]

You are right It was a well known story.

[@LadyThunderbird63]

Not many people know that 5 cousins were all admitted the same day , katherine and nerrissa daughters of fenella , the other 3 were children of fenellas sister harriet.

[@valerieneal2747]

@@LadyThunderbird63 THAT IS BEYOND SHAMEFUL.

[@LadyThunderbird63]

@@valerieneal2747 there was obviously a defective gene in fenellas family not the bowes lyon family , and that is what was done in those days , thats how it was, we cannot judge them by todays standards of care , i had an aunt whos son was mentally and physically handicapped even as a child he was very big for his age and strong she couldnt cope , he was hitting her not realising he was doing something wrong and he could easily over power her , she was advised to send him into residential care this was in the early 70s , i also was a transport escort for mentally and physically disabled children and adults taking them to schools , day centers etc one child who was very autistic and non verbal was beating his mother up on a daily basis , a couple of times i arrived to pick him up and had to drag him off his mother with handfuls of hair ripped out of her head , he was also doing this to his siblings there was no quality of life for any of them , he attacked me one day in the transport one moment he was smiling at me the next he launched himself at me and bit my right breast and clamped down like a dog would we had to spend the last 5 minutes of the journey with him still clamped down on me the driver had to go in the school and get staff who had to prise his jaws open as his teeth finally released me i passed out , his mother who was at her wits end had tried to get help but there was no help that could protect her and the other children in the home , she said to me that she felt the only way for her children to get help would be if she committed suicide then they would have to help them she was so desperate eventually he had to go into residential care so that his siblings had a better quality of life . I think be should be careful not to judge parents who make the decision to put children in residential care we do not know what life was like for them , sometimes residential care is the best option, back when the 5 cousins were put in residential care they had likely been advised by drs to do that , it was the way of things back then , rich or poor these children cannot be cured only managed and cared for.

[@markhayward7400]

A good friend of mine was a nurse when, on one occasion in her later years, the Queen Mum was hospitalised. She was part of the team that looked after her during her stay in a private room. I remember asking my friend what she was like, to which came the reply "she's an old woman who smells of lavender and wee"

[@robjones2408]

I heard a similar story about her years ago. Very true indeed. Her tombstone gives her name, year of birth, and death. That's all you need to know.

[@binathere2574]

How disrespectful.

[@ladyv5655]

​@@binathere2574, respect is earned. I'm sure the nurse could have said even more unflattering things than that.

[@PLuMUK54]

​@ladyv5655 A nurse should be more compassionate towards an elderly patient.

[@MinkaSchlossberger4ever]

Oh, how the mighty have fallen...

[@sunnydavidson297]

I read that she left QEII with her massive debts. Apparently she wasn't concerned about "spending" beyond "means."

[@anthonytroisi6682]

I also read somewhere that QEII had to routinely cover the Queen Mother's expenses because her mother often went over budget. I wondered how the media could discuss the money she left her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren when it is probable that the Queen Mother had used up her assets with her extravagant spending. QEII did not live as lavish a lifestyle as her mother did.

[@donnawood3505]

She seemed to have a hard time getting over her role as Queen. I have read they had to ask her to move to Clarence House because she kept trying to undermine QE2.

[@donnawood3505]

I keep hearing you refer to Elizabeth 1 as a stunning beauty. 🤮🤮 I don’t see that. And her teeth, yuck.

[@kiwi-to-a-tee]

​@@donnawood3505even prime minister Winston Churchill had to tell her to back off and stop interfering,that QE2 was the monarch and everything went thru her..that's another reason why she got her knickers in a twist and fled to Scotland.

[@elizabethroberts6215]

….…yes, her grog bill was £7MILLION! She left it for QEII to pay, as ‘revenge’ for being QEII, & that she (QEtQM) was no longer such…… She was a horrible person, a narcissist, who portrayed a ‘facade’ as a ‘likeable person’. She was anything but. Nasty woman, to many people, including her husband KGVI………

[@suegardner]

The stunning beauty is something I have tried and failed to see in this woman.

[@Ingi132]

I think its only that she was a pretty child. She was no raving beauty in her day, like these videos suggest!

[@anned372]

It was male MTF

[@zzzbbbooo]

@@Ingi132 If her brows were shaped a bit and her teeth fixed, she would have been lovely. She really did have a pretty face apart from these.

[@Thebaron8t1]

Spot on 👏

[@lynek2126]

A distasteful elitist, who hated Wallis Simpson out of jealousy. Edward (David) rejected her, so she would have hated anyone he married. I do not care for Wallis, but Elizabeth’s hatred was excessive. Not permitting a brother to attend a funeral is beyond nasty.

[@sugarplum5824]

Why would she have preferred David, knowing how much she disliked the constraints of being queen? I find that conclusion highly suspect.

[@rosemarymonty5399]

What a load of hogwash! Elizabeth blamed her husbands early death on Edward VIII Abdicating the throne for divorced Wallis Simpson. That is why she hated the two of them.

[@Celticmist-qz6ve]

I think she thrives in royalty personally but she had corresponded with Edward she called him naughty and delicious. She loved David and her other beau was sent out to America to get him out of the way by Queen Mary

[@KB-nr3ls]

@lynek2126 I am in total agreement with you. She was hateful to Wallis before Edward even abdicated the throne. Further, Wallis did not want Edward to abdicate and was not particularly interested in marriage. I don't think QEI liked women in general--she was a bit of a hateful cow all throughout the years.

[@psychedelicyeti6053]

Ah, a royal "pick-me" 😝

[@davinasquirrel7672]

You could see it in her face, what a nasty piece of work EBL was. Even in those early years, you could see the smiles were just a mask. I never understood why so many people fell for the act. That she had actually set her sights on Edward/David, got rejected, explained the later vindictiveness to Simpson (and to Edward/David). She was a spoilt brat, who had set her sights on a top husband. All that talk of blaming the stress of monarch on Bertie/George's early demise was such a cover story. She got the job she wanted in the beginning, Queen Consort. She just didn't have that job for as long as she wanted.

[@jerrymoore838]

The same could be said of Diana lol

[@margaretcaine4219]

Her husband smoked himself to death from lung cancer. Stress had nothing to do with his early demise.

[@brianschmidt9919]

Oh I know she just looks like the devil herself like maybe the worst human being is ever lived that is unless you met her which thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of people did invariably almost every person who has ever asked about it so she was gracious and warm and kind and made them feel very special people like you who are envious of people who have what you don't and hate the people for it we'll find some reason to not believe or to doubt or to justify your hate instead of looking inside you and going why don't I like that person what is it about me that makes me feel like that instead of what is it about that person who you've never met in your life it's astoundingly obvious and sad that people hate other people not because they were bad because they had something that you don't I'd suggest you grow up

[@annewalden3795]

The Queen Mother was concerned about her husband's health and had no desire to be Queen.

[@annewalden3795]

​@@margaretcaine4219The cigarette consumption was linked to the stress he suffered as King .

[@mimsicle1]

I don’t believe the Queen mother was a positive influence in the lives of her daughters.

[@sugarplum5824]

How so? Elizabeth, her mother and sister remained close throughout their lives. Her grandchildren adored her.

[@kathryncashner3294]

I never understood why she allowed the 2 girls, 4 years apart in age, to be essentially raised as twins. Margaret was given all sorts of "abilities" well beyond her years. And then one wonders why she grew up as a spoiled brat. True that Elizabeth had a bit of education at Eton that Margaret didn't get as well as a lot of preparation from her father. But in all things social, the girls were treated as equals. I'm not talking about rank; I'm thinking of things like bedtimes, what one gets to do at what age, etc. And before someone says that I don't get it, my sister and I are under 5 years apart in age. Now we are extremely close, but at age 4 and 8, there was a huge ability and maturity difference between us. As to the queen mother needing to be coaxed out of retirement when her husband died, I need proof. She inserted herself in every aspect of Elizabeth II's early reign and was not happy about being told she couldn't live in the palace and be part of day to day business. I guess people see what they want to see.

[@elizabethroberts6215]

……she didn’t allow her two daughters’ to be educated, until they turned 12, bc she was jealous of them ‘outshining’ her………thoroughly nasty piece of work she was………

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

@@sugarplum5824 Have you ever made the effort to check out the life of Princess Margaret? Seems like she didn't do a very good job on her. And she virtually ignored all of her Grandchildren but Charles. Her whole life was consumed with Elizabeth and Charles lll. And it was well known by her that Elizabeth ll was afflicted with Obsessive-Compulsive syndrome which the Queen Mother conspired to hide all her life. She also hid Charles most glaring problems. She was all about position and appearances.

[@sugarplum5824]

@vernonsheldon-witter1225 Of course, appearances are extremely important for the royals, as their positions are ultimately in the hands of their subjects. And yes, I'm quite aware of Margaret's infidelities, alcoholism, arrogance and coldness. The fact remains that those 3 ladies remained very close throughout their lifetimes. In the end, no one here personally knows any of the royals. All we have is propoganda, whether through the palace or tabloid misinformation. However, they were ultimately human and, therefore, fallible with their own frailties, faults and idiosyncrasies. Too few people see them as such; most seem to view them as either villainous or beyond reproach. Neither conclusion can be accurate. To judge harshly a woman who was born over 120 years ago in aristocratic circumstances is unfair. She came up with Victorian and Edwardian values; hardly "modern." In her defense, she was a loving and faithful wife who lived through difficult times with her husband, witnessing both World Wars and losing family in each one. She allowed her oldest daughter to participate actively (as best a princess could) in WWII defense, gave her blessing allowing Elizabeth to marry for love, stood her ground in Britain during imminent danger from the Nazi bombings, actively participated in the upbringing of her grandchildren (in the absence of their parents), et al. And if true, who really cares if she liked to knock down a few belts throughout the day? If she outspent her means, she certainly isn't the first royal to do so. If she inadvertently made mistakes in bringing up her children, she's in good company; rare is the parent who hasn't done likewise. I don't like judging people I don't know, preferring instead to give her/him the benefit of the doubt, fully realizing their propensity to human falliblity.

[@ShinbiBelldandy]

Knowing how the family treated Prince John, Catherine & Nerissa’s treatment is not a surprise. Mental health & Mental Illness were poorly understood then, but it was exceptionally cruel to abandon children. And they could afford humane treatment. Granted, Prince WAS taken care of, I give the Royal Family that, but he was literally hidden away & erased after his early death.

[@UrdVerdande-dt3ey]

Viewing the early 20th century treatment of children with mental disabilities or conditions such as epilepsy through a modern lense does not make much sense. By raising Prince John by himself, they protected him from the stress which could cause seizures, as there were no medicines to prevent them, and from people judging him and deeming him crazy (or posessed by evil spirits). This would be reckoned to be very good care. (I also think John has been forgotten because he only lived to be thirteen years old and everyone who knew him, died several decades ago. It is not as if younger sibling of monarchs are much remembered in history unless they have done something extraordinary.) At this time it was less than one hundred years since George III's and his unruly sons' reigns, Victoria had probably been depressed the last 40 years of her life and many of her offspring had suffered from hemophilia and some relatives allegedly from porphyria. Their apparent hereditary weaknesses combined with overwhelming German heritage at a time when war was brewing in Europe would have made the British RF's position as rulers of the UK quite vulnerable. George V and Mary seem to have done their best to improve their image as strong, loyal, patriotic and foremost British, even changing the name of the family and stripping relatives of titles. When it comes to "hiding" relatives with learning disabilities in care homes - this was normal practise until just a few decades ago. I do not condone, but I see why it was done.

[@sugarplum5824]

@@UrdVerdande-dt3ey The Kennedy's in America hid their sister, Rosemary, from public view for 60 years after her botched lobotomy, arranged by her father, Joseph Kennedy. Any sort or degree of mental or physical impairment was considered shameful until only recently.

[@michaelrooney1454]

Prince John is nothing to do with Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

[@srvntlilly]

74 years old, and I'm just now learning about Prince John?! I had no idea. They definitely did do a good job of keeping it secret.

[@user-midlander]

He was not kept a secret he unfortunately died young so not many photos of him. I have seen a photograph on the internet of the four brothers ,Richard Duke of Gloucester the third brother also lived a private life.

[@Jacky9071]

She really wasn’t ’strikingly’ beautiful, but she was Queen, so no one would say it as it was. None of the blood royals are beautiful, just well groomed and well dressed. They appeared attractive in a times when the public were very poor.

[@rt66vintage16]

I wonder if eyebrow plucking had been invented in Queen Elizabeth's time.

[@annewalden3795]

Jacky9071 I think Princess Margaret was beautiful but apparently her personalty was less pleasing.

[@peachygal4153]

I always thought Princess Margaret was beautiful. In her youth anyway.

[@peachygal4153]

and we can see Charlotte will be a beauty too.

[@annewalden3795]

@@peachygal4153 Charlotte is very young but remarkably her face is full of character.

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

She admitted late in her life "I am not as nice as people think I am"- talk about hiding the truth.

[@nambc777]

Can we not look at these people through 21st century spex. She was not Academic, she belonged to the Land Owning class, and had ' absolutely no idea' about real people. She was of her time. She is a museums piece.

[@rachelhenderson2688]

Well it wasn't the 21st century, and their attitudes were very different!

[@hildahilpert5018]

But that doesn't excuse her.My relatives in Germany were landholders,burgermeisters,etc.Some of the ladies in the family became School Sisters of Notre Dame and Sisters of Charity.As sisters of Charity they came in contact witj the poor daily .Many rich people do care about the less fortunate.Thete are quite a few religious ordets of men and women who were wealthy.Andtew Carnegie built libraries across the US, for one example.

[@winkyhere8697]

@@hildahilpert5018 You're right, of course. Standards & tastes *do* change. But Good & Bad themselves don't waver all that much, esp. in a mere century or so. A snob is a snob in any era, just as a greedy person in one century would likely still be considered greedy in another time period. Same goes for the kind-hearted. Some souls glow, wherever they're placed. And others glower, even when they have so much more than others. Noblesse Oblige isn't really a newfangled idea these days (in fact, it's considered increasingly outdated in *some* circles these days, as serfdom sadly comes back into vogue). She may have been a snobby racist like most of her family (those do sound like their top "traditions"), but I was relieved to read about how she panned Hitler. If David hadn't rejected her, and she'd been his wife instead of his brother's, one hopes the same would still be true. Thank Heavens we'll never know. As an American in the current era, I'm a fan of people in powerful positions who Don't call Nazis "very nice people" even though they murdered millions of innocent souls less than a century ago.

[@Contessa6363]

She did have a degree though way before her grandson did. It was never advertised that she actually held a BA.

[@Threadbow]

She did go to the bombed out east end of London Not all bad Times were different

[@bobp6742]

And don't forget that at the start of the WW1 the royal family changed their name from the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor to make everybody forget they were Germans.

[@poodle_soup211]

Hallaluyah, let the truth be known!!!!!

[@Celestialtarotreadings]

😮

[@momonita100]

The english royal family are not german. You cant track their line centuries back in time.

[@bobp6742]

@@momonita100 Trace the line back and you get Queen Elizabeth II daughter of George VI, brother of Edward VIII, both sons of George V, son of Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria, husband of Prince Albert of Saxe - Coburg and Gotha. The real name of the British Royal Family. Hardly going back centuries.

[@dasikakn]

She inserted herself into everyone’s business and forced people into marrying or breaking up because they didn’t fit her idea of a couple. She ruined Margaret’s life, Charles life, and then Diana’s . These are just the ones we know of.

[@HelenHawk-x4f]

THAT ENTIRE FAMILY IS RACIST EXCEPT FOR HARRY.....AND THEY HAVE AND ARE MAKING HIM PAY FOR IT.

[@theon9575]

I am a 75 years old Australian, and a "royal watcher" for about 70 of those years. I even have Coronation memories from pre-school. Like others of my age here, I can tell you that IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN COMMON KNOWLEDGE that this woman had a "darker side". She was a nasty piece of work. Everybody knew. What is weird is that journalists like producers of this vid treat it like a well-kept secret. In the '50s in Australia, every taxi driver could have told you what you are "REVEALING" today. And much more. Her alcoholism was legendary. 😂😅.

[@Mrstigger747]

Here in Canada she was the favourite target of our comedy sketch show, especially after she got a new hip. ❣️👋🇨🇦

[@elizabethroberts6215]

……the way she treated people she didn’t like was abominable. Thoroughly nasty little, plump narcissist she was. She was instrumental in getting KEVIII off the Throne, along with Cosmo Lang (A of C), & Stanley Baldwin (PM). She wanted him when she was younger, but he spurned her several times’, so she took her ‘revenge’ on him………

[@narajuna]

@@Mrstigger747 find that hard to believe from the english conservative side.

[@andrewpattison3716]

Remember the Australian children that disappeared with the royal family they have a lot to hide

[@anniematthews]

There was a story about her I think, that her airs & graces made her appear more royal than The Royals. She definitely liked to keep up lots of traditions too

[@barbaratg5230]

When discussing the purchase of some lavish, pure white ostrich feathers from Paris for a hat being made for her, it was pointed out to her that one feather would cost as much as a miner's annual salary (about £100,) in late 1920's Britain, she ignored the concern and said, I also want some in blue.

[@theon9575]

Well, the taxpayer was paying, so why should she care? 🥲

[@LoriDitchfield]

Wow! That's some real "let them eat cake" stuff.

[@JudgeJulieLit]

@@LoriDitchfield And coal miners "get black lung." Yet without their work, she could have frozen to death.

[@llamamama2910]

Narcissists make decisions out of ego/fear, not love.

[@lauramason5667]

I read that she denounced Mein Kamf and declared that Adolf was dangerous and crazy. He in turn declared her to be the most dangerous woman in Europe .She deserves credit for this boldness.

[@katherinehutton9870]

That's completely true. Because she was the queen of the kingdom that he wanted to take over the most. Cause England put up th such a fight and he didn't like them at all. And a lot that was because of the queen mother saying stuff about him and she said a lot of stuff about him and not one bit of it was flattering.

[@elenal2012]

So? The former king was friendly disposed towards Hitler, Prince Philip's sisters were married to high ranking nazis, the queen mother, the king and two princessess are photographed saluting in nazi style. She didn't risk anything, she wasn't on the front line nor in a occupied country.

[@shimshonbendan8730]

You read wrong. She was shown with a Nazi salute before WW II. Unfortunately, there were people of the royal family with Nazi sympathies.

[@cissiepierce664]

There are pictures of EBL, Elizabeth, Margaret Rose and David giving the Hitler salute!

[@katherinehutton9870]

@@cissiepierce664 This is absolutely correct. That picture was taken in like 1930. Before Hitler had let everybody know what his plan was. In fact Hitler did it in stages piece by piece. He said he was taking territory back, but slowly he began moving into other countries.People realize what his real aim was.So when did began in 1930O Germany was not considered a dictatorship he was just their leader or what they considered a president or his party that had come into power. Hitler was originally voted in by the people .Nobody truly knew his design.He kept that back from everyone except the very ones closest to him

[@violetlight1548]

The Queen Mother's dislike of Diana is especially ironic. She didn't think the woman Charles actually loved, Camilla Shand, was good enough for the Royal Family (his opinions didn't matter), and she insisted he pick one of the daughters of *her* old friend instead, the Spencer girls. She didn't even care which one. A lot of nastiness could have been avoided, and Diana might not have died, if she had just backed off and let Charles marry who he wanted to begin with.

[@lornapalmer6426]

She knew about Camilla and kept her favourite grandsons secret.

[@susanmitchell4744]

She was of her time and rank and gave as good as she got. Simpson called her ‘Cookie’ because there was a rumour she was the result of a liaison between the Earl of Strathmore and a French cook.

[@elizabethherndon1814]

Unneccessarily low. I think "Cookie" derived from her more rounded figure type than the clothes hanger divorcee.

[@maryannklein2235]

It's true.

[@rachelhenderson2688]

@@maryannklein2235 Yes, I always understood that the nickname"Cookie" was because she was short and round. In all my 80 years I have never heard any stories of her being the product of a liason

[@JimMac23]

Wallis Simpson spread that rumor because she was a nasty old cow. There isn't a bit of truth to it.

[@Drive-y2m]

@@rachelhenderson2688those rumours have been circulating for a long time

[@theresareynolds3133]

I have read a few things about the queen mother, and I've asked my friend Chris about them, he lives in London, and according to him, she was extremely snobbish, she thought she was better than everyone, and, just like Camilla, the queen mum was not an actual queen, she was queen consort, it just meant she was married to the king, she hated Prince Phillip because he was an actual Prince, and she was pretty much a commoner. The young Princess Elizabeth fell in love with Prince Phillip and her father, King George VI gave them his blessing to be married, this really angered the queen mum, she argued Prince Phillip was below their station but there was nothing she could do, her husband was the king, and he had the final say. According to Chris, most people in the UK pretty much despised her because of her lavish spending, huge parties, she neither tried nor wanted to help the people, it was all about her. Chris also told me that the young Princess Elizabeth was very sympathetic about the people and of those fighting against Germany, which was why when she was old enough and with her father's blessing, she joined the Army, so did her sister Princess Margret when she was old enough.

[@loots9821]

Camilla's not a snob at all. Don't know where you got that from. She's also meant to be great fun, great sense of humour.

[@erica6825]

@@loots9821 I think you misunderstood, "... just like Camilla, the queen mum was not an actual queen, she was queen consort..."

[@rossmansell5877]

Anyone who marrys a King is Queen Consort.🙄

[@jayawilder3835]

I don't think that she was unpopular with the British public. My impression from growing up in the UK during the later 5 or 6 decades of her life was that MOST people who hadn't actually encountered her affectionately believed her benevolent Press image. She was reported as the "Queen Mum" and the "Nation's Favourite Grandma". It seems she found this amusing, declaring unashamedly that she wasn't as nice as people thought. Seems that those members of the public who did get to see her in the flesh, like those East Enders mentioned in the video, got to see through the smiling charm.

[@steph9806]

Joined the army! Please. She learnt about engines . All PR.

[@katja6332]

4:49 with her striking beauty and effortless charme 😂 good joke, made me laugh out loud

[@Factinate]

😉

[@mariacheung9391]

Perhaps in those days her appearance symbolized beauty and glamor.

[@barefootcontessa3112]

Underneath her public persona the Queen Mother had a soul of pure granite, she was an out and out snob who demanded subservience from her staff and she neither forgot or forgave anybody who crossed her. She proved that with her unwavering attitude towards Wallis Simpson, and the fact she allowed Charles and Camilla to continue their affair using her private apartments. I would have loved for her to still be around to deal with Henry and Rachel, there is no doubt in my mind she wouldn’t have tolerated Harry’s wife in anyway what so ever.

[@lisathornton6374]

Yes, because she was a racist. Meghan would never have been accepted by the Queen Dowager

[@mang88888]

Who is Rachel?

[@lisathornton6374]

@@mang88888 Meghan. Her given first name.

[@hazelpearson7807]

Who is Henry and Rachael I could ask but you have a need to show anyone reading your comment how very knowledgeable you are on the first names of two people no one finds important

[@ruthkletke]

Harry's first name is actually Henry (followed by several others) but he got nicknamed Harry and it stuck. Meghan's first name is actually Rachel which she changed herself as she thought it better suited her Hollywood image. @@hazelpearson7807

[@cathycartier484]

You fail to mention that she was a big drinker and a big gambler . She was also a racist .

[@asfiaa5501]

How was she racist?

[@amsodoneworkingnow1978]

The definition of the term racist meant nothing during this period of time and sadly while unnamed it was simply a world wide attitude during this time. Look at American history if you want a definition of the term racist.

[@Tracy-d4b]

Bla bla bla

[@jerrymoore838]

Racist is a term tossed around so loosely, along with the endless phobs and hurt feels

[@Tracy-d4b]

@@asfiaa5501 she wasn't.

[@nancyjohnson5810]

Pfffft what a joke as Lady Dianna had more royal blood in her than Elizabeth ever did!

[@mc.8391]

you are so right but not many know that......

[@beverleyedwards9165]

True!!!

[@anntillapaugh5160]

Seems a shame the RF never lifted a hand in saving the lives of cousin Csar Nicolas & entire family ,when they were all brutally shot to death by the Russian Bolshivics (sp) . Oh and the two neices in the asylum knew they were related to RF, but no one believed them, handicapped as they were.

[@jerrymoore838]

I thought that sad as well, but was persuaded that they feared a similar fate had they given political asylum

[@lizlyon2902]

The abandonment of the Tsar was during the reign of George Vth, in 1917! Nothing to do with QE the QM!, and long before she joined the RF. It was a political decision which is well documented, for those who care to research.

[@serahloeffelroberts9901]

I really don't think the RF ever thought that the Czar and his family would meet such a terrible end. I think that they figured the family eventually would be allowed to go into exile. Sadly they misjudged the Bolsheviks.

[@rachelhenderson2688]

"Bolsheviks" and "Nieces"

[@saucieq]

Queen Mary made the decision not to.

[@jeanpalumbo3411]

Princess Diana, like the U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Jr., captured the world with their charm, good looks and grace. Never to be forgotten.😢🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@elisemiller13]

Only thing that "captured" my interest in Diana, was her humanitarian efforts to stand against aids phobia & demonization + her efforts to bring attention to clear undetonated bombs and humanity toward those harmed by them. As for charm, good looks & etc. that only goes so far with me. JFK was assassinated when I was just 7. When I learned of his life and his powerful presidency cut short, what impressed me were such as... his desire to end the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war + his skill in averting the Cuban missile crisis.

[@christinehall6441]

People tend to admire good looks regardless of the person's qualities.

[@Alieortwo]

Diana wasn' t good looking at that time. Weird odd hair and clothing. 😂😂😂

[@sunnydavidson297]

I read that Queen Elizabeth II inherited the Queen Mum's rather considerable debts. "Hey, hey big spender...."

[@lisaann3840]

I've heard the same thing via royal historians.

[@brianthesnail3815]

It is said she was an inveterate gambler on horses.

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

She inherited her ways from her Grandmother Queen Mary, who she was most like. QM was a Kleptomaniac.

[@lisaann3840]

@@vernonsheldon-witter1225 Queen Mary was not the Queen Mother's mother. The Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes Lion married into the royal family.

[@lisaann3840]

@@vernonsheldon-witter1225 Queen Mary was not the Queen Mother's mother. The Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes Lion married into the royal family.

[@sheilawhite8314]

at the end of the day the queen mother ruled until her dying day. then our Wonderful Queen Elizabeth II got into her rule she wore amazing bright colours so people could see her she finally got out of her mothers background and finally be herself and which she did for over 70 years well done to you xxx

[@auntyvenom133]

Yes, when the Queen Mum died, our beloved Queen Elizabeth 2 really blossomed. I miss her so much ( QE2 )

[@CastielLovesIt]

I think Her Majesty had things how she wanted. I admired her very much.

[@janebrown7231]

But QE II had only 20 years on the throne without her mother living.

[@maureenfrost2872]

The Queen Mother couldn’t bear losing her dominant role after the death of the King. It is well known that she continued to interfere and hinder her daughter’s role, considering herself entitled to continue with her previous role. She knew best, such was her hubris. She refused to leave BP as was protocol and there were many upsets between herself and Prince Philip, in this and other regards. It must have been very difficult for the late Queen stuck between her mother and husband. Eventually the Queen Mother did move to Clarence House but still managed to interfere. She had immense difficulties accepting that she no longer held a pivotal role.

[@JudgeJulieLit]

She did not outlive her mum by 70 years.

[@carmaela2689]

I remember when she curtsied when Diana's casket went by and my mother thought it was so nice. I always got the creeps when I looked at her, even when I was a kid.

[@iriscollins7583]

Me too.

[@eileenpritchard9154]

​@@iriscollins7583 Same here.

[@maggiecameron743]

Didn't the Queen Mother and Princess BOTH not shoe respect when Diana's coffin went by? Certainly our dear late Queen bowed het head ❤️

[@maggiecameron743]

*show

[@maggiecameron743]

Apologies.....*her head ❤️

[@Calidore1]

EBL looks snooty and unkind, but notice how sweetly the young Elizabeth greets the elderly man at 7.42. Looks like sincere charm.

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

Queen Mary taught her how to do this. Not her mother who was too busy with her Husband.

[@margodoyle3557]

I am surprised that there was no mention of the rumour of her paternity. She was referred to as "Cookie" a reference to a cook in the royal household who supposedly birthed her.

[@brianthesnail3815]

Yes. Hence the rather vague record of where she was actually born. The Wikipedia page suggests several places which is rather odd for someone of such nobility and not born that long ago when careful records were kept in the most developed country on the planet at the time.

[@gulmerton2758]

That’s funny that you mentioned that because looking at her, I’ve always thought she looked more like the cook of the castle than the Queen. She was small, fat and there was nothing “royal “ looking about her. The jewels and expensive clothes that she wore looked awkward and out of place on her.

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

That was David and Wallis nickname for her. They thought with her weight and questionable fashion sense, that she looked like a Scotch Cook. Called her Cookie.

[@margaretflounders8510]

Just read that her father did not file the proper paperwork for Elizabeth's birth..(Aug.4th.1900) It wasn't recorded until Sept.21.. He was fined!@@brianthesnail3815

[@heatheryearwood9199]

Such interesting bleached tripe perfectly cleaned and soaked in lime and salt we call this Cobblers

[@ScottPothan]

She was also famous for her appalling halitosis

[@ginac895]

I'm not surprised It looks like she had a mouthful of Rotten teeth

[@theguest4516]

With those teeth, I can believe it.

[@mesquitemagic]

I woudn't be surprised,considering she drank like a fish.

[@annewalden3795]

Scott she needed a Dentist as halitosis is a sign of gum problems and may be rotten teeth.

[@janeholmes9374]

NEEDED A DENTIST ????? THAT FAMILY HAD AND HAVE EVERYTHING. HER TEETH ALWAYS LOOKED BAD@@annewalden3795

[@elizabethgrant70]

It was said that when she smiled her eyes did not-they were as cold as ice.

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

Like a shark.

[@supaflysye]

Wallace Simpson was overheard calling Elizabeth the dowdy duchess. When realising the yorks were standing there Wallace went to greet them when she replied i came to dine with the king. Also when the dinner was over she stood first and guided the ladies to the drawing room as she was the most senior royal lady there snubbing Wallace even more.

[@rachelhenderson2688]

her name was WALLIS, not 'Wallace'!

[@valery668]

Diana and the Queen Mum: two QUEEN BEES. They recognized what a rival they each could be if near one another. Diana knew instantly she had an equal opponent in the Queen Mum and the old woman knew that beauty and youth can possibly overwhelm her own Machiavellian scheming. Power politics come in many forms and these two women had the best weapons to use!

[@highpsi11]

So her nephew was a chronic alcoholic and so was the Queen Mother. Supposedly she had at least 10 "units" of alcohol a day, took a flask of alcohol with her in cars and insisted that other people who ate lunch or dinner with her keep up with her number of drinks, over their objections, even if they had to work or drive later.

[@gretahassock8914]

Why did she drink so much

[@jerrymoore838]

Amazing that she could live to such an advanced age if she were so very alcoholic. Especially with less treatments available for addressing the health issues associated with long term drinking

[@elizabethherndon1814]

Splendid party animal! True Scot.

[@annann4786]

Striking beauty? You lost your glasses?

[@amsodoneworkingnow1978]

She actually was beautiful but the fashion and hairstyle with beauty products in use made it impossible for ANY WOMAN OF THAT TIME PERIOD TO LOOK BEAUTIFUL AS EVERYTHING WAS DULL FLAT AND UNINSPIRING.

[@dianaroach3093]

She was pretty plain but not gorgeous. Catherine Princess of Wales is gorgeous. Megan was pretty, but all the plastic surgery is making her look fake. Her attitude is horrible. Beauty comes from within. Which Megan doesn't have.

[@annann4786]

@@amsodoneworkingnow1978 de gustibus non est disputandum!

[@kingston163]

Just a striking '5'!

[@jerrymoore838]

No wonder so many people have cosmetic procedures and eating disorders these days. Ruthlessly picked apart for their looks

[@carolinel6236]

I find it interesting that it is reported that Liz BL was well loved and admired when the opposite was true particularly during the war when she sauntered around in all her glory with the "look at me" I'm such an angel visiting the poor and bombed out homeless. There is only one other person who reminds me of her and that is MM

[@mc.8391]

My Nan was an east ender and disliked the Queen Mother (Queen Eliz.) all her life. I think her dislike originated from those World War ll years when the Queen would float around the bombed east end watched by the blitz shocked Londoners among their bomb damaged homes..... they did not regard her very highly, despite what the press have stated.

[@rachelhenderson2688]

Well people DID take comfort from her visits, which is more than can be said for MM!

[@graemekeable8461]

Marshall Mathers reminds you of EBL?

[@scooby6742]

Pardon my ignorance, please, but who is MM? I'm afraid my "Americanism" is showing!😮😊​@@rachelhenderson2688

[@IchBinKajira]

I was thinking Marilyn Manson, 😂, but Marshall mathers works too 😂.

[@susancolvin101]

Her middle name was Marguerite, she was rumoured to be fathered by her dad but the mother was their French cook, Marguerite

[@jackiegardiner7422]

Thought she was called Angela ?

[@susanyates4233]

Angela was her middle name.

[@zenguidancetarot]

​@@jackiegardiner7422it was both

[@steph9806]

'Lady Colin Campbell' doesen't know them. Neither is she a friend of anyone in the Royal Family.

[@Perepetespal]

@@steph9806 Agree. She was the subject of a scandal and her husband divorced her within the first 12 months of their marriage. She is not accepted in Royal circles and gets her information from a "close source" - the tabloid press.

[@sheilarennie2636]

From a private waitress in a house party, the QM was demanding. She forgave nothing. Ended up a pampered pooch with a drink problem😅

[@brendacunningham9849]

I’ve never been a fan of hers. Everyone seemed to cover up her true nature as she got older. But she definitely was a nasty piece of work. It says a lot when she demanded to be called Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother instead of the proper title of the Dowager Queen. She bullied Queen Elizabeth II in the beginning, went to parliament behind QEII’s back about the Princess Margaret issue and Margaret was never really happy the rest of her days. I think she was very jealous of her daughters, and of others.

[@lizlyon2902]

She most certainly did NOt go to Parliament about Princess Margaret either then or any other time. The RF are not allowed into the House of Commons! Do do some research before posting!

[@sharonlynnpatrick3272]

While EBL was certainly Dowager Queen, she was concurrently the Queen Mother, as the mother of Elizabeth II. She could choose which title she wanted to be known by.

[@clivedunn]

Yup! Inserted “Queen” twice into her title!

[@Perepetespal]

There already was a Dowager Queen when Elizabeth was widowed. Queen Mary was the Dowager Queen and you couldn't have two queens with the title of Dowager. They came up with The Queen Mother to differentiate.

[@janethollman7894]

I was aware of her selfish and arrogant attitude and her ability to hold a grudge. She really was supposed to be a nasty piece of work. As for beautiful no neither inside or out. I was never a fan l think she was a bad influence on Charles. She also wasn’t supposed to be helpful or nice to Diana.

[@tammylewis2408]

Everyone talks about Meghan and Harry, but I always wondered how the Queen Mother would have reacted to Catherine and also wondered if that played a role in why William waited until the Queen Mother died to officially date Catherine, and then marrying her, that she was a commoner and perhaps Catherine would have been at the Queen Mother's mercy like Diana was. It's been known that Charles waited until his granny died before he was able to marry Camilla. The Queen felt embarrassed by her mother's antics (she was more like her dad, thank goodness), and even Phillip felt a sense of dismay (and can you blame him).

[@maureenfrost2872]

The Queen Mother actively campaigned for Charles’ marriage to Diana with Diana’s maternal grandmother, Lady Fermoy. Lady Fermoy also famously testified against her daughter with regards to custody of their young children (Diana and Charles Spencer), following the divorce of Earl Spencer and his wife Frances.

[@katja6332]

Wait a second. Wasn't it Queen Mom who allowed Charles and Camilla to conveniently have their affair (while both being married to others) to regularly meet at her - Queen Moms- places? 😅 Doesn't look like she was against Camilla being Charles mistress.

[@t-and-p]

Catherine/Kate is not a "commoner". We were sold that line, so a lot of people believe it, but she really isn't - and her parents aren't "self made millionaires" like all the papers reported at the time of the royal wedding, either. Kate's father was a trust fund baby. His family were successful businessmen 100-150 years ago and owned most of Leeds. That's how they paid for all 3 of their children (Kate included) to go to very expensive boarding schools. Kate's parents met when he was an airline pilot and she was a stewardess - so she (Carole) was a commoner, but he trained as a pilot because he enjoyed flying. It was more of a hobby than a job for him. Their "party business" (that supposedly made them self-made millionaires) wasn't launched until *after* William and Kate got together - and, after years of making little to no money, it went into receivership. It was a front, designed to make it look like the royal family were "modernising". The only thing Kate was missing was a title. I mean, she went to the same school as Eugenie.

[@zzzbbbooo]

@@maureenfrost2872 And then conspired with others to find places for the sexual trysts of Charles and CAMILLA!

[@carmelmhennessy9738]

For someone who doesn't take much notice of the royal family, I could take them or leave them, yet even I knew that she was supposed to be a ghoul. She is an example of Billy Joel's song, 'Only the good die young'

[@helenweatherby1694]

Why the Royal family should be held responsible for the two handicapped nieces is beyond me. They were the responsibility of their immediate family, who were wealthy and obviously able to pay for their care.

[@theon9575]

Jesus wept! A disabled child needs nothing more than they need love from immediate family. Just like you and me. Paid care is cheap - it's free where I live.

[@aaronbrowme5268]

Totally agree

[@caz3502]

​@@theon9575but in those days it wasn't free. Remember, times are different now

[@theon9575]

@@caz3502 🧐mmm ... is that so? Thank you!

[@sissyroxx]

So.... Money is the cure for shutting family up in an institution and forgetting about their existence? It seems sociopathy isn't simply a royal trait but can be found among the British commoners as well.

[@lilgeorge34]

I was so happy that she put her wedding bouquet on the unknown warrior grave. And now its a tradition which I think is so lovely and thoughtful. The video of the king ( not this video) waving the then princess Elizabeth off on tour always get to me because he died not long after and she never saw her Dad alive again.❤

[@geetatanwar7809]

Who set this tradition Queen'mom Or queen

[@lilgeorge34]

@@geetatanwar7809 It was the Queens Mother. During the wedding of Lady Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) and King George VI in 1923, Lady Elizabeth paused on her way down the aisle to lay her bouquet on the grave of the Unknown Warrior, in memory of her brother Fergus who was killed in 1915 at the Battle of Loos during the First World War.

[@Mariah0777]

My Grandmother was born and raised in Yorkshire, England. She said that the Queen Mother was mean and she did not like her. A lot of people didn’t like her.

[@Lea-ce2vf]

My grandmother always maintained the queen mother was not a nice person.

[@dianeruiz0721]

She was considered beautiful back in that time. The high class women back then wore fancy clothes and lots of jewelry, but light on the makeup. She did have beautiful blue eyes and was said to have a sparkling personality, out in the open anyway. Her looks were appealing to men of the age. Men of today are used to a different style and look of women.

[@joanofarc8099]

Its funny you should say that as my 30 year old daughter said the same thing to me recently about princess Diana....after a little though i could see what she meant and replied she was a beauty of her day!......

[@learnwithlisa24]

​@@joanofarc8099I don't think there is any comparison. Diana would have been beautiful in any era, whether you liked her hairdo and shoulderpads or not. The QM is another story.

[@JimMac23]

@@learnwithlisa24 Diana was beautiful. The QM was ugly and plain.

[@dawnysinger7835]

If the Queen mother wanted a quiet life, I've heard she didn't want the royal life, why was she interested in David? Just a thought.

[@margaretflounders8510]

Because Albert wasn't supposed to be King..

[@rachelhenderson2688]

It was more that David was interested in her! It was quite a long time before she allowed herself to be caught, too!

[@dawnysinger7835]

@@rachelhenderson2688 True.

[@AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor]

I think many YT channels mistakenly state she wasn't interested in royal life because she refused to marry Albert. But to me, it clearly looks she was interested in the royal life, but the prince she wanted wasn't interested in her, so she finally settled for his younger brother. That would also explain why she hated Wallis so much.

[@annewalden3795]

@@AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor The Queen Mother was widowed at an early age . I think she was very upset by the loss of her husband and it suited her to blame Wallis and the Duke of Windsor rather than his smoking and drinking.

[@lethasatterfield9615]

She was most definitely flirting with James Stuart, and was very deliberately separated from him. Edward, I don't believe for a minute. She couldn't stand him as he would screw a hamster if one was available. Class awareness was very important back then. That's just the way it was. This wasn't limited to the royal family. As she wasn't lived in a sort of bubble, so she wouldn't be in touch with the changing culture. Her drinking was no secret either. You should read the alcoholic schedule Winston Churchill's alcohol schedule each day. This, again, just wasn't uncommon. Racism was also very common. It was the rule rather than the exception and it went down to even the lower classes. She had flaws, definitely. But she was a formidable woman. Gambling also isn't surprising. She saw Diana was weak. She saw her as breaking the practice of never complain and never explain. Finally, sticking people that were considered flawed were routinely done. The Kennedy's stuck one of their sisters in the mad house and given a labotomy (can't spell). Not cool, but it was common practice. One of my own aunts (my grandmother was born in the late 1800s) was put in an asylum and forgotten about just because she had a hunched back...and they were a poor family. Looking at characters according to current norms norms isn't really fair, IMO.

[@HR-nl7fc]

She did enjoy poker. During one visit to Jamaica, when they were Duke and Duchess of York, they played poker with my grand aunt and grand uncle.

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

You forgot the 3rd rule, and so did she. Never make excuses.

[@lethasatterfield9615]

Oh yeah! Right? lol@@vernonsheldon-witter1225

[@Theaddora]

Boy!! She was arrogant from the beginning!!!

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

Spoiled rotten as she was the only girl in a family full of boys.

[@jerrymoore838]

Arrogant, confident or self-assured

[@XRos28]

In opposed to Queen Elizabeth II, I never liked "The Queen Mother", she was a wicked woman, through and through.

[@marshalutz2561]

Do you all know that most people especially those of royal statues has secrets or a "dark side"

[@alangiles2763]

WE ALL have a dark side, I think - things we wouldn't know anybody to know about us. I certainly have - an no. I am not telling you what it is!

[@lisalambrecht6676]

You would think being so wealthy she would have taken better care of her teeth!

[@maribelivorysosad8040]

🤣🤣🤣🤣exactly

[@vaquero1117]

Looking at her teeth, I always wondered if she smoked cigarettes.

[@AngelaHolderfield]

This needs better fact checking. For one thing, it refers to Prince Albert, better known as George VI as the youngest son of King George V.

[@sarchalto]

It may get confusing to keep all the same named people straight, more so when one's first given name is not what they're known as.

[@Celticmist-qz6ve]

Yes he was the younger son but the youngest was Prince John

[@janetwilcock2120]

Yes, Prince Albert was the second son of King George V. He had three younger brothers, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Prince John.

[@OHhooverpoof]

Thank you!!!!!!!! She would NEVER have appeased Hitler.....Lies!!!

[@amsodoneworkingnow1978]

She loathed Hitler and his henchmen with a passion as he had openly made it clear that when ???? He subjugated Britain his intention was to have Edward crowned as king and Wallis as Queen detain king George herself, Princess Elizabeth and princess Margaret somewhere in Germany for the rest of their lives

[@LoriCiani]

My mum used to tell me about the time she was in the land army during WWII and one day Elizabeth turned up. As she walked down the line of land girls she gave my mother one of the most horrible full daggers drawn look. She walked swiftly past my mother. My mother never knew why Elizabeth would look at her like that. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@elizabethlinsay9193]

It's probably because your mother was pretty and Elizabeth was not so she was jealous.

[@Belevaqua]

Yup. All with her little spiky brown teeth!!!

[@forbesmeek6304]

Diddums😅

[@marilynbrown5274]

What a snotty woman.

[@hellooutthere8956]

Maybe your mother had a quality abt her or was pretty. Money doesn't make a lady. It just teaches them how to hide it. Being queen she no longer had to pretend.

[@amel2784]

In re: her beauty. We have to take into account that the standards of beauty were different in the days when she was young woman. As I look at her images I see that she had clear skin, clear flashing eyes, dark hair and ivory skin. This would have made her beautiful in their opinion.

[@teresawest5602]

Real beauty is timeless, no matter the thoughts in any century or decade she was NOT beautiful actually borderline horse faced!

[@christinehall6441]

No fancy dental work in her day.

[@divadaedalus]

She was not their guardian. They were the children of her brother and his wife. She had no legal right to intervene.

[@Celticmist-qz6ve]

They were Her two nieces

[@sarchalto]

Perhaps no legal right but what about a moral right overlooked by all who knew of them. I understand, but do not condone, their desire to have their bloodline deemed perfect - their heavily inbred bloodline at that which is cause for many health issues, but I feel they had an obligation to check on the girls well-being. Of course the very best would have been to educate them to the best of their ability as well as see them trained in areas of their pleasure. Development Disability does not mean fully incapable and they could have learned a great deal. The Royals missed a chance to create help to benefit all people like the girls. My former neighbor was one such person and from his caring parents and the USA Goodwill organization he learned to keep his own home, use public transit to get to and from his full-time job, shop, cook, laundry...in all ways care for himself. Most important is he knew to ask for help with what was beyond him and in my years as his neighbor that only included help when his cable TV acted up but many without his type of brain need the same help. Yes, had the Royals been less about image their girls and thousands of others could have enjoyed rich lives instead of shut away.

[@Celticmist-qz6ve]

She still had blood connection. She could have visited them

[@margaretflounders8510]

That wouldn't stop her! @divadaealus...

[@ileanaacacostaacosta1813]

Of course her brother and sister in law were these unhappy girls parents, she was only their aunt nothing more, they are the ones who abandoned them and the guilty ones here

[@rossmansell5877]

Bowes Lyon was her father. Her mother was reputed to be the French cook as Lyon's wife could not have children. Elizabeths brother was also born of the cook. She used to go to France "for clothes" but really she spent hours in a closed room at the coutourie with her mother....The old Duke of Windsor always called her Cookie..He knew.....

[@hanaluong2672]

I wonder why they don't get rid of the Royal family. Such a waste of money.

[@shortsweettoo]

I have zero skin in the game, so I can say without prejudice, that you are so wrong. The Royal Family generate billions of dollars in tourism each and every year for the United Kingdom. Without them, there would only be empty meaningless castles, no 'Pomp' and no 'Weddings'. These things are integral to England and its identity, so be careful what you wish for.

[@claireangier3322]

Wallis Simpson would call the Queen Mother "that fat Scotch cook" and also " Cookie".

[@DolsieMercado]

Being born into the royal family doesn’t grant that you will come out looking beautiful. Now Princess Diana was born with a gorgeous face.

[@bethewalt7385]

Though Diana and Charles were related, cousins, it was not the degree of inbreeding Charles was from, Diana's lineage specifically was not that of royal inbreeding so she was blessed in a sense to be quite lovely and carry fresh blood into that royal family lineage, William truly was blessed by the introduction of his mother's genetics

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

@@bethewalt7385 The Queen and Prince Phillip were much more closely related (2nd Cousins). Diana blew all that inbreeding out the window. This is why William (despite the Mountbatten male pattern baldness) and Harry did not end up with their Fathers genetically unfortunate looks.

[@Littlemissdirtbag]

Diana had a humongous nose and dead eyes. And her attitude and things she did to her children made her very unattractive. Anyone who would throw themselves down a flight of stairs while they are pregnant to try to get the attention of their husband it's nothing more than a piece of s***.

[@katekelly1]

Well, since the Queen Mother, Elizabeth, was always at odds with Prince Philip, and he was known to have, intentionally, curbed "her wings" -- with her influence over her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, one can only say, factually, that the Queen Mother tried to have some power over her daughter's decisions, but was very unlikely to have held much sway with her, as, in those days, and beyond, men, especially the much loved, willing to be feisty, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, helped her with major decisions during her reign.

[@heatherward6283]

One writer found a story to sum up QM. Being rebuked for "not another new (? expensive dress) The young Elizabeth was asked tartly "who do you think you are?!" To which our beloved Queen responded : "The Queen, mummy , The Queen!" 😂

[@mejustme71]

Why isn’t the story told in a chronological manner? It would be so much easier to follow.

[@margodoyle3557]

All the RF children start off ok. Some better than others but they all lose whatever pleasant features they had early on in life This has puzzled me for over 50 years.

[@laurae7594]

Hay un motivo

[@kdsgirly5573]

Thing is they thought the hoi polloi, the masses ‘loved’ her. We didn’t.

[@anthonytroisi6682]

The Queen Mother's reluctance to accept Prince Albert's proposal was possibly due to her infatuation with his equerry. Unwisely, Wallis mocked the Duchess of York's figure and dress sense.

[@shawnnewell4541]

Wallis also mocked the dress sense of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.

[@alexandraferia9397]

Wallis made fun of everyone. She considered herself superior and looked down on British society, with the exception of Eduard, then Prince of Wales, and his wanton life until the moment he fell so much in love with her and abdicated the throne for her... This situation which was not to her liking, as we know. Contrary to fairy tales, Wallis and Eduard were UNHAPPY EVER EVER...

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

Wallis said exactly what she thought. And she was not wrong. Her clothes were picked out to make her look much less frumpy than she was, and Wallis knew this.

[@dwanaatkins5916]

Short, homley, and no fashion sense. Nothing being rich could help!!

[@susanmitchell4744]

Wallis was elegant QM was a dollop.

[@benjopabriga8466]

The queen mother was still hungry for power, eventhough Elizabeth II was queen

[@brendacunningham9849]

Please, she wanted David. She finally accepted Albert when it became clear behind the scenes that David would probably eventually step down, making her a Queen.

[@Lmshaw68]

I remember a then famous photograph of the three queens mourning Bertie together at his funeral, with Queen Mary (his mother) the Queen Mum and new Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen Mum was visibly grieving the most, so any reports claiming she didn’t shed a tear are false.

[@pixibelle3282]

In those times, putting people with mental & intellectual issues into "care" institutes, was usual. We shouldn't look at that incident from our point of view but from the perspective of the times in which they lived. It was possibly safer for them there than in the general public.

[@elizabethpeters4805]

State-of-the-art care in those times was not terribly effective so there was, honestly, very little to do except try to keep people suffering from mental disorders from harming themselves or others. And there were, for example, no medications to control seizures for epileptics. It wasn't until the 1960s-1970s that advances were made with medications to help the patients. About all that could be done was to institutionalize them or have them live a fairly isolated life so they were not constantly "triggered."

[@pixibelle3282]

Very true.@@elizabethpeters4805

[@cherimolina2121]

Never cared for her. Never thought she was pretty much less beautiful. Im sure she knows her place now!

[@Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhg]

Elizabeth didn’t have the best behaviour. Though it is true that sometimes she could be rude but a friend of my grandfather used to work for her back in the mid 70s and he mentioned she was funny, sometimes demanding and cheery. Elizabeth’s drinking wasn’t hidden, and majority of the British knew she drank but back then it was considered normal. Elizabeth set up charities both publicly and privately and also helped her husband with speech problems and other issues. She wasn’t a major role in her daughters upbringing, as seen in royal documentaries and secret video recordings shown to the public. She was very cheerful, funny and seemed there for her family. When Lilibet and Margot were younger, she wasn’t quite there for them. But as they grew she was more seen as a motherly figure. Wallis and Elizabeth had a very difficult and scandalous relationship. Wallis referred to her as a fat Scottish cook and Edward didn’t bother to defend her and laughed. When Elizabeth found out she was in tears and began to snub Wallis. She was out of touch, but she also grew up in a time where certain things weren’t expressed or told. Personally, I think she could’ve chosen to do better. I believe she knew she could, but chose not to as back then a Queen consort didn’t hold much power.

[@wendy470]

Bertie not Birdy

[@jackiestewart3651]

😂😅

[@patsytyler2199]

American pronunciation

[@spottedreptile2671]

To be fair although I'm not a huge fan of her, the Balmoral incident is slightly misreported here. It was the King, not Wallis, who should have greeted the Yorks as the host. Wallis had no status and usurped Edward's role. This is why Elizabeth declared she was there to dine with the King. Wallis had Edward completely under her thumb at this stage & he did what she told him to do. Elizabeth was just making a rather public statement of her feelings on this.

[@lakid9749]

I heard she wanted to marry Edward. But he wasn’t interest in portly. He ignored her so when George asked she excepted

[@rachelhenderson2688]

"Accepted", not 'excepted'

[@lilithdoomaj9]

Edward knew she had wanted to marry him and be queen consort and teased her by calling her your majesty sometimes when he was still king. He turned out to be right, she did become queen consort just not with him as king.

[@gigiarmany]

"with her striking beauty" I spit my tea out..I mean please..🤦🏻‍♀️🙄😂

[@americangirlx4]

She despised the little people!! 😅. That's rich, considering her bio mother was the castle cook. She hated Wallace because she was tall, thin and stylish besides Wallace called her "Cookie" to her face. She was a homely, dowdy and an envious drunk! This family tries desperately to project a perfect image, but the truth always finds a way out.

[@misst.e.a.187]

What a pair of harridans

[@User_-qj5kn]

Don’t idolise Wallis she was also a nasty, going behind her husbands back writing letters to her ex husband.

[@americangirlx4]

@@User_-qj5kn No one's idolizing Wallace. They both had personality flaws. Wallace found herself trapped in a situation she didn't anticipate and was railroaded into a marriage with a spoiled and petulant man child. She unhappily accepted her fate and tried to make the best of it. As a commoner, she was treated like dirt by the "royals" (just like poor Princess Catherine is now) and her reputation was destroyed. She died lonely, bitter and alone. Cookie had an ace propaganda team that scrubbed her public image of all her hateful deeds.

[@KnawedOne]

Crushing that the king declined to help the Romanovs.

[@susanmitchell4744]

What has that got to do with the Queen Mother?

[@lizlyon2902]

It was George VTH in 1917 , and a political decision. Nothing to do with George V1th or Elizabeth ! Do do some research before posting!!.

[@zzzbbbooo]

And stop yammering on about this. They did themselves in.

[@elizabethcompton738]

Prince Albert was NOT the youngest son of George V. He was the SECOND son. Thus the reason he became King after the abdication. The youngest son was George, who became the Duke of Kent and was killed in a plane crash.

[@christinehall6441]

George was a black sheep.

[@doggyteabreaks9362]

Youngest son was actually Prince John who had epilepsy and died aged 11

[@andreathomas5688]

I have been interested in the royals since Princess Diana. If it wasn’t for Princess Diana we wouldn’t have really known about them. I understand that those countries were on the map. But Diana made us all sit up and pay Attention.

[@jackiemartin9737]

Yes Diana certainly did.

[@cathynewyork7918]

Those of us who are educated were already aware that those countries were on the map, long before Diana came on the scene. Yes, we really already knew about them.

[@alexandraferia9397]

Or you're too young or you're toooooooooo....

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@alexandraferia9397 Yes!!!

[@Digeroo123]

The nieces had always been known about. They went under their names Bowes Lyon, anyone involved with them knew precisely who they were. I knew about them even in my teens in the 60s. Considering their disabilities they both lived very long lives. Attitudes towards handicapped people changed from the 1970 leading to the shock horror revelation of the sisters in the 80s. This revelation did nothing to improve their lives. I have one sentence for people who suddenly get all sentimental about people with disabilities. Where the hell were you when I needed help with my handicapped daughter?

[@sarrhodes8277]

What this video calls to mind is that in those final years of the 90s when Fergie and Princess Diana were visiting psychics; one of whom was - supposedly - quizzed as to when the Queen Mum would depart the mortal coil. I think Diana had hoped to end up in Clarence House - at least that was what I recall back at the time. It was therefore, something of a spine-chilling moment back in September 1997, to see the Queen Mother - not far off her centenary - hobbling into Westminster Abbey on her stick for the dazzling, young Diana's funeral. That sight reminded me that nothing in this life is certain; and that youth holds no guarantees.

[@manuelarita6801]

Very well said!

[@alangiles2763]

Very true

[@johnstone6135]

She was rather pretty in her young days. It was a terrible shame to families if you were born with mental or physical disabilities in the early/mid 20th century. Most were locked away till the late 1980s when the special hospitals were closed

[@serahloeffelroberts9901]

I used to live in a town where there was a private home for people who were born with special needs. These people were mostly from well off families who were told that it was kinder to put their child in a place where their needs could be met. Some of the people had been there since they were babies. I think it was all about appearance with these families and having a special needs child was an embarrassment implying the whole family was "defective.". Most of the people there were middle aged. I imagine when the last one passes the place will be closed.

[@TheJohnscot]

She was not Queen Consort of England but of Great Britain. Please get your facts right for goodness sake. You Americans need to be properly educated.