The Queen Mother has died. :(

The ClubHouse: Archives: The Queen Mother has died. :(

Flint

Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 05:48 pm Click here to edit this post
One of the few shining lights of the British Monarchy has died at age 101. According to press reports she died peacefully in her sleep. May she rest in peace.


Queen Mother dies at 101

By The Associated Press

Saturday, March 30, 2002

LONDON - Britain's Queen Mother, Elizabeth, who won the country's loyalty and admiration during the Second World War at the side of King George VI, died Saturday, Buckingham Palace said. She was 101 years old.

She died "peacefully in her sleep'' this afternoon at Royal Lodge, Windsor, a Palace spokesperson said.

"Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother had become increasingly frail in recent weeks following her bad cough and chest infection over Christmas,'' said a Palace spokesman.

"Her condition deteriorated this morning and her doctors were called,'' the spokesman said, adding that she "died peacefully in her sleep at 3:15 this afternoon at Royal Lodge.''

"The Queen was at her mother's bedside,'' said the spokesman.

The Queen Mother's coffin is expected to be moved to the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park Sunday morning.

She was as popular at the end of her life as she had been a half-century before.

She was best known to younger generations as the mother of Queen Elizabeth and grandmother of Prince Charles.

But those who were young when German bombs rained down on London and the country awaited Hitler's invasion remembered her as the Queen who stayed when she could have fled to Canada, who endured the blitz with them and visited their shattered homes and bomb shelters.

As Queen consort to the monarch, George VI, she might have been expected to retire from public life at his death in 1952. But after their daughter's succession to the throne, she took a new title, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and a full load of royal duties, which she carried into her 90s.

Over two generations of dramatic social change and upheaval, through the abdication crisis that put her reluctant husband on the throne in 1936, the devastation of the Second World War and the Royal Family breakups of the 1990s, the Queen Mother emerged as a symbol of the monarchy at its best.

On her 80th birthday, she even won praise from William Hamilton, a lawmaker who vehemently opposed the monarchy.

"If there had ever been a revolution in Britain in the last 80 years, she surely would have been spared,'' Hamilton said. "Unlike some of her brood, she never seems to put a foot wrong.''

The Queen Mother made fewer appearances in her mid-90s when she suffered from arthritis. She overcame much of the problem when, at age 95, she underwent a hip replacement in November 1995. She walked out of the hospital 18 days later, waving aside offers of assistance.

She broke the other hip while out viewing horses on a bitter January day in 1997, and had an emergency replacement.

Neko

Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 06:14 pm Click here to edit this post
That's too sad.

Tess

Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 06:20 pm Click here to edit this post
She was such a lovely, strong and admirable lady. It was always a pleasure to read about her. The world has really lost a gem today.

Cablejockey

Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 07:54 pm Click here to edit this post
Although not a complete surprise, it was a little bit of a jolt to hear of her passing. I think the death of her daughter early in February was too much for her to bear. I feel sorry for the Queen who lost the last two members of her immediate family so fast. This is supposed to be a special year for Queen Elizabeth being her golden jubilee. The Queen Mum embodied everything good about the monarchy. During WW2 unlike other members of European royalty, the king and queen of England refused to leave their country or even send their children away. They stayed with their fellow countrymen to face victory or defeat.

Llkoolaid

Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 07:58 pm Click here to edit this post
She was a wonderful person. Don't be sad for her, just think of all the things she got to witness, and the long and meaningful life she led, be sad because of the wonderful woman the world has lost.

Lancecrossfire

Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 08:03 pm Click here to edit this post
Rest in peace Queen Mum. She stood her ground fora life time, and showed class in all of her dealings.

As indiacted in the aboive article, even those opposing that form of government thought highly of her.

Webkitty

Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 05:44 am Click here to edit this post
{{{{{GOD SPEED, QUEEN MUM}}}}}}

Twiggyish

Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 05:51 am Click here to edit this post
I add my sympathy. She will be missed.

Kep421

Monday, April 01, 2002 - 04:35 am Click here to edit this post
This story just about broke my heart...I'm a big fan of all the Royals, but she has always been my favorite.

Her fun loving spirit and total grace has made her one special lady...

I will miss her.

Flint

Monday, April 01, 2002 - 12:37 pm Click here to edit this post
Queen Mum tributes
The Sunday Telegraph

Here are quotes and comments from some of Canada's leaders on the death of the Queen Mother:


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PRIME MINISTER JEAN CHRETIEN
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Today, all Canadians join me in expressing sorrow that a symbol to the world of abiding grace, dignity and personal courage has been taken from us.

The life of the Queen Mother spanned more than a century of breathtaking change and global transformation. Throughout, she was a touchstone of timeless values and continuity.

Above all, she will be remembered for her matchless and galvanizing devotion to duty during the darkest hours of World War Two, when Britain, Canada and the Commonwealth stood alone against a seemingly invincible tyranny.

We were blessed by her full life, made richer by her presence and example, and feel a profound sense of loss that her extraordinary spirit is gone.

Aline joins me in extending our deepest sympathies to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, to the Royal Family, and to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.


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GOVERNOR GENERAL ADRIENNE CLARKSON
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Since her first trip to Canada in 1939, Canadians have all sensed that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was one of us. Her royal title could not eclipse her enormous warmth, joie de vivre, and good humour. We responded with heartfelt affection and respect. I felt this deeply in the autumn of 2000 when I was honoured to recognize the Queen Mother as a Companion of the Order of Canada.

In Canada, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was a vital presence in many of our institutions and organizations. She was colonel in chief of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, the Toronto Scottish Regiment, and the Canadian Forces Medical Services.

The Queen Mother was the grand president of the Victorian Order of Nurses in Canada, an honorary member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, and the patron of many national organizations including the Canadian Red Cross Society.

Today, we mourn the passing of the Queen Mother and we celebrate her long and remarkable life. The century of her lifespan was shaken with radical and sometimes violent change, but through every upheaval, she exemplified courageous devotion to duty. Refusing to abandon her compatriots by evacuating to North America during the blitz of World War Two, she inspired not only Great Britain but also its allies.

The death of the Queen Mother marks the end of an era. We offer, at this time, our deepest sympathy to Her Majesty the Queen and to the Royal Family. We join in sorrow our friends throughout the Commonwealth who, like us, will miss the Queen Mother and all that her extraordinary character added to this century and the last.


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JOE CLARK, LEADER OF THE PC PARTY
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She was a person and a symbol of extraordinary strength and compassion, and a powerful role model.

The loss will be felt the Commonwealth over, She was more than a Royal. She was a mother, a grandmother and a friend to us all.


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RALPH KLEIN, ALBERTA PREMIER
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For many Albertans, the Queen Mother represented the very best qualities of the British monarchy, qualities such as selflessness, bravery, and the indomitable spirit of a free people.

It was during the darkest times - times of war and hardship - that the Queen Mother best displayed these qualities and inspired others to do the same.


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MIKE HARRIS, ONTARIO PREMIER
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Like millions of people across Ontario, I was saddened to hear about the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Her passing comes only weeks after the fiftieth anniversary of the accession to the throne of her daughter, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen Mother holds a special place in the hearts and minds of the people of Ontario. The Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), named after Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother is the only Ontario provincial highway that is not assigned a route number.

A new park has recently been created on Manitoulin Island and named in her honour. The Queen Mother M'Nidoo-M'Nissing Provincial Park will be a lasting reminder of her extraordinary life as well as a tribute to the heritage of the First Nations people of the area.

Throughout her long life, The Queen Mother has been a role model for others. Refusing to leave Britain for safer ground during the Second World War, she worked side-by-side with the people to support the war effort and to lift their spirits. She is credited with bringing the monarchy closer to everyday people, and she remained active in charitable work and public life.

We have welcomed The Queen Mother to our great province many times over the years. And on each visit, she was met by enthusiastic crowds and with great affection.

With a life stretching from one century to the next, The Queen Mother witnessed unparalleled change in her day. Through good times and bad, she dedicated herself to serving others and inspired us all by her example.

On behalf of the people of Ontario, I extend our deepest sympathies to Queen Elizabeth II, the entire Royal Family, and all citizens of the Commonwealth who today mourn the passing of a remarkable woman whom we shall always remember.

Flint

Monday, April 01, 2002 - 12:42 pm Click here to edit this post
If you want to send your condolences you can use this link:

http://www.commemoration.gc.ca/reinemere/index.cfm?Lang=EN

Bernie

Friday, April 05, 2002 - 01:10 pm Click here to edit this post
Thanks for the link, Flint. I've been wanting to send a condolence and kept missing the addresses of sites where I could do so. She was a wonderful woman, by any standards, and since I was in her company twice as a child, when she visited my nursery school and my city, I feel lucky to be able to say that I saw her up close and in person. She is a great loss to not only her family but to her people.

Willsfan

Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 04:38 pm Click here to edit this post
I guess I was expecting more when I tuned in early this morning to view the coverage of the Queen Mum's funeral. For one thing not nearly enough about her background and her marriage. There was an abundance of history they could have spoken about instead of talking about Prince William. How very sad and how very disappointing.

Granted, she had a long life but I would have thought the public who professed to have great affection for her would have made a better showing. I saw only a few people throwing flowers at her hearse, so few compared to Lady Di's.

The networks could have done a wonderful tribute or shown a timeline listing all the wonderful inventions and changes in the world in the 101 years of her life.

BTW, I watched very little of the coverage of Lady Di's accident and funeral.