BBC NEWS | UK | Queen Mother dies Sunday, 31 March, 2002, 03:12 GMT 04:12 UK Queen Mother dies Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother 1900 - 2002 The Queen Mother has died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 101, with her daughter at her bedside. She passed away at Royal Lodge, Windsor, at 1515 GMT on Saturday, and the news was announced by Buckingham Palace about two and a half hours later. Sian Backham, aged seven, was among the mourners It came six weeks after her last public appearance, at the funeral of her daughter Princess Margaret. Prince Charles is said to be "devastated", while UK Prime Minister Tony Blair led tributes by saying the Queen Mother had been a symbol of Britain's "decency and courage". The Queen Mother's niece Lady Margaret Rhodes, who was with her when she died, said: "It was a very moving and very sad moment but luckily it was peaceful." Members of the public have left bouquets of flowers at the gates of Buckingham Palace and other royal residences.

Mourning period The Queen Mother's coffin is expected to be moved to the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park on Sunday afternoon. A period of family mourning will follow before the coffin is moved to Westminster Hall in central London, so the public can pay their respects in a move not seen since the death of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965. She was the backbone of our nation. Her quiet dignity and resilience will always be remembered Joanna Nelson, UK Click here for in depth coverage He will leave Switzerland with Princes William and Harry on Sunday morning and will head straight to Windsor. The Duke of York, who was also abroad, was told the news in Barbados where he was on holiday with his ex-wife, the Duchess of York, and their children. Other members of the Royal Family are already at Windsor, having arrived there for the traditional Easter gathering. Alongside the Queen is the Princess Royal, her husband Timothy Laurence and her two children Zara and Peter, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Blair statement Tributes have been pouring in from world leaders, politicians of all parties, friends, former employees, charities, the sporting world - particularly horse racing - and the Commonwealth.

Her sense of duty and remarkable zest for life made her loved and admired by people of all ages and backgrounds Tony Blair Tony Blair led the respects with a statement from his official country residence at Chequers in which he said the whole nation joined with the Queen and Royal Family in mourning. "During her long and extraordinary life, her grace, her sense of duty and her remarkable zest for life made her loved and admired by people of all ages and backgrounds, revered within our borders and beyond." Queen Mother's Death, 10 Years On (PICTURES) | The Huffington Post Queen Mother's Death, 10 Years On (PICTURES) 30/03/2012 08:30 | Updated 21 April 2012 Charlie Lindlar Blogs Editor, The Huffington Post UK The royal family are marking 10 years since the death of the Queen Mother, wife to King George VI and mother to Queen Elizabeth II. The royals, minus the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge , are to attend a memorial service at Windsor's St George's Chapel to remember the Queen Mother.

A fixed presence in British royal society since her marriage in 1923, the Queen Mother was known for her longevity and commitment to her family and her country, particularly during the Second World War. Born the Honourable Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, she grew up a childhood friend of the royal family, eventually marrying the future king in January 1923. During the Second World War, the Queen Mother boldly refused to consider evacuating her family. When asked whether the family should leave, she responded: "The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave." The family remained in Buckingham Palace throughout the blitz and although the palace was damaged, the family were unscathed. Following the war, and her husband's death in 1952, the Queen Mother took on a more ceremonial role, as her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, took on the role of head of state, but did not shy from the public eye. She took over 40 foreign royal visits, from Canada to Kenya. Towards the end of her life, she was admired for her spirit despite her age.

She made her last public appearance only six weeks before her death - the funeral of her daughter Princess Margaret. The Queen Mother died aged 101, at the Royal Lodge in Windsor on 30 March, 2002.

While she will be remembered as a refined, reserved woman, a telling quotation from 'Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: The Official Biography', reveals more of her character than may have been publicly known: "Wouldn't it be terrible if you'd spent all your life doing everything you were supposed to do, didn't drink, didn't smoke, didn't eat things, took lots of exercise, all the things you didn't want to do, and suddenly one day you were run over by a big red bus, and as the wheels were crunching into you you'd say 'Oh my god, I could have got so drunk last night!' That's the way you should live your life, as if tomorrow you'll be run over by a big red bus." See our slideshow below for pictures of the Queen Mother's life - Britain's Beloved 'Queen Mum,' A Symbol of Courage, Dies at 101 - The New York Times The New York Times World |Britain's Beloved 'Queen Mum,' A Symbol of Courage, Dies at 101 Search Continue reading the main story Correction Appended Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the enduringly popular grande dame of the British royal family and the country's most beloved symbol of courage and self-sacrifice during

 World War II, died in her sleep this afternoon at the Royal Lodge at Windsor Palace, a spokesman for her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, announced.

She was 101. In a life longer than the 20th century, the queen mother presided over a period of turbulence and change in Britain, helping to sustain the monarchy through the most serious crises to befall it in modern times. In 1936, when her painfully diffident husband was crowned King George VI after the abdication of his older brother, she became the strength behind the throne, helping transform him from a stammering, insecure second son into a loved and respected monarch. As queen during World War II, her decision to remain in London through the worst days of the blitz proved a rallying point for Britons desperate for the sort of leadership that only a monarch could provide. And when Buckingham Palace was bombed, she forever endeared herself to the nation by declaring herself in solidarity with the working-class people of London's bomb-ravaged East End. ''I am almost glad we have been bombed,'' she said, in what became one of the war's most memorable remarks.

''Now I feel I can look the East End in the face.'' Advertisement Continue reading the main story Many years later, through the traumas of the divorce and then the death of Diana, the Princess of Wales, her granddaughter-in-law, the queen mother proved to be the royal family's most resiliently popular member, providing the country with a rock-steady reason for remaining a monarchy. News of her death today dealt a blow to Britons accustomed to her enduring presence. [Page 16.] When King George died in 1952, she was thrust at the age of 51 into what would be the longest role of her life: that of the queen mother, necessarily taking a back seat to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth. But in the eyes of a country that never lost its abiding affection for its good-natured ''Queen Mum,'' it was a role she fulfilled with grace, carrying out a grueling schedule of public engagements well into her 90's and never losing her common touch, which included a healthy appetite for a glass or two of gin and a love of horse racing and trout fishing.

''She is the nation's favorite great-grandmother, seemingly known intimately to all of us for years,'' The Times of London declared in 1985, on the occasion of the queen mother's 85th birthday (she celebrated it by flying on the Concorde). ''She has helped make the royal family more secure in the nation's affections than it has been at any other time in history.'' Ben Pimlott, the historian and royal biographer, wrote in 1997 that the queen mother was ''the last survivor of the tiny club of center-stage actors of the Second World War.'' He continued: ''She has also shown a chameleon-like ability to adapt to shifting conditions, something her deeply conservative nature makes the more remarkable. Unlike most public figures, she does not date. She has never made an intellectual remark in her life. Her knack has been to look for the best in people and offer a kind of looking glass to the virtues they would like to have.'' Father Was an Eccentric Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born in London on Aug.

4, 1900, in the waning days of the reign of Queen Victoria, a golden time for the British monarchy and its empire. She was the fourth daughter and ninth child of Lord Glamis, a Scottish nobleman whose family occupied Glamis Castle in Scotland, said to be the place where Macbeth murdered Duncan in Shakespeare's play. When his father died four years later, Lord Glamis inherited a considerable fortune and an even more impressive title, becoming the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Viscount Lyon and Baron Glamis. Lord Strathmore was a bona fide aristocratic eccentric. He had a deep mistrust of eggs (''Poison, my dear, poison,'' he would intone ominously at the breakfast table) and a habit of dragging dead branches from his woods in the middle of the night. Dressed in an old raincoat tied with string, he would then split them into logs for the fire. Raised partly at Glamis and partly in the fashionable Knightsbridge section of London, the young Lady Elizabeth was by all accounts sunny almost to a fault.

Her favorite hobby, she once wrote in an autograph album, was ''making friends.'' Indifferently educated by governesses, Elizabeth spent much of her youth doing what young aristocratic women generally did at the time: learning arts like household management and enjoying herself. The real world intruded during World War I, though, when her brothers went off to fight and Glamis was turned for four years into a convalescent home for soldiers. Wanting to protect her mother from bad news, Elizabeth made sure to waylay the mailman every morning so that she could read the mail first. In fact, there was bad news: one of Elizabeth's brothers was killed, sending Lady Strathmore into a depression from which she never really recovered. Advertisement Continue reading the main story When the war was over, Elizabeth's social life, essentially an extended search for a husband in the guise of a series of amusing diversions, began in earnest. Her biographers tend to agree that she was a great success as a debutante, flirting wildly and constantly fending off a large coterie of broken-hearted suitors, one of whom reportedly -- and unromantically -- serenaded her by cracking his hunting whip under her bedroom window at night.

Elizabeth and Bertie Although history is hazy on facts, several biographers say there was one suitor whom Elizabeth was genuinely in love with: Maj. James Stuart, the equerry to Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George, the Duke of York and King George V's second son. But if there was a romance there, it never went anywhere. Albert began courting Elizabeth himself, and Major Stuart ended up being summarily shipped off to work on an oil rig in Oklahoma. The day before Elizabeth's wedding, he announced his own engagement to one of her friends. The romance between Elizabeth and Bertie, as the prince was known, apparently did not begin promisingly. Bullied by his parents and overshadowed by his handsome and charming older brother, David, the Prince of Wales, Bertie suffered from delicate health, crippling shyness, an array of nervous tics, a terrible stutter, an unpredictable temper, a tendency to melancholy and what today would be described as a serious case of low self-esteem.

When he asked his parents' permission to pursue Elizabeth, his father murmured, ''You'll be a lucky fellow if she accepts you.'' Elizabeth did resist Bertie's attentions for several years, finally accepting his proposal in 1923 and thus agreeing to become the first commoner (anyone below the rank of peer or peeress) to marry so close to the throne since the 17th century. It was when her engagement was announced that Lady Elizabeth had her first and only on-the-record conversation with a reporter. The interview was harmless enough -- ''I play golf, badly, and I am fond of lawn tennis,'' she confided -- but she was roundly rebuked by the king, and never gave another interview. The wedding was a national extravaganza, but afterward Elizabeth, now the Duchess of York, settled in relatively modest circumstances, at least by royal standards. Though the house she shared with Bertie at 145 Piccadilly, London, had 25 bedrooms and 21 servants, it was hardly a palace, and it opened onto a communal garden at the back.

They had two children, Elizabeth, known as Lilibet, and Margaret Rose, and the Duchess settled into a pleasant life of regal domesticity, saying her main duty was ''bringing up her children.'' Another duty was bucking up the flagging spirits of her husband, who hated the spotlight but who was required to make many public appearances, particularly as his father's health waned and his older brother proved more interested in a racy social life than in boring regal duties. But while in many ways the personalities of the Yorks could not have been more different -- she was ebullient where he was glum, relaxed where he was awkward, garrulous where he was laconic -- they were surprisingly well suited. Among other things, Elizabeth forced Bertie to seek treatment for what was delicately referred to as his ''affliction,'' and the two visited a Harley Street doctor nearly every day for some two and a half months, as Bertie learned to keep his stutter in check. The marriage proved to be just what the future king needed, Bertie's official biographer, Sir John Wheeler-Bennett, would later write.

''It brought him much for which he had long craved in deprivation -- love, understanding, sympathy, support,'' he said. ''All these things were now his in generous abundance, and his whole conspectus of life changed accordingly.'' Edward and Mrs. Simpson The coziness of their early years was abruptly shattered in 1936, when King Edward VIII, as Bertie's older brother styled himself on ascending the throne, announced that he had fallen inconveniently in love with the very married Wallis Simpson, an American whose earlier divorce from her first husband had already ruled her out as a possible royal bride. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Not even the exhortations of his most trusted advisers, or the frightened tears of his younger brother, would make Edward give up Mrs. Simpson, and on Dec. 10, 1936, he abdicated and left for France. Mrs. Simpson got a divorce in 1937, and the two eventually married, adopted a flotilla of small dogs, and spent the rest of their lives in glamorous if bitter exile as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

The terrified Bertie was left behind to comfort a shocked nation and to try to rise to the occasion. ''Dickie, this is absolutely terrible,'' he told his friend and cousin Lord Mountbatten. ''I'm quite unprepared for it. David has been trained for this all his life. I've never even seen a state paper.'' It was clear, even then, how much he depended on Elizabeth. ''With my wife and helpmeet by my side, I take up the heavy burden which lies before me,'' he said on his first day as king. Elizabeth may have seemed complaisant and sweet, but she had a ''steel hand within a velvet glove,'' in the words of Lord Halifax, the foreign secretary, and she never forgave David or Wallis Simpson for throwing her husband to the wolves. ''She can forgive any act but treachery, and then she is implacable as any Scot,'' wrote Dorothy Laird, one of Elizabeth's biographers. ''The wound goes very deep.'' Most of her anger, it seems, was directed against the duchess. Bertie himself was so unnerved that he never mentioned Wallis's name, referring to her in his diary as ''Mrs.

S.,'' but the queen certainly had a hand in ensuring that she and her brother-in-law had as rough a time as possible. On the eve of their wedding and in a move that foreshadowed the battle over a post-divorce title for Diana, the Princess of Wales, more than 50 years later, the couple were informed that while the duke would continue to be styled ''royal highness,'' the duchess would not. The wedding was a tiny, fraught affair, with only 12 guests, none from David's family. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy Acutely sensitive to what they saw as the duke's efforts to set up an unofficial rival court, the king and queen continually thwarted David's efforts to return home with Wallis.

It was not until 30 years later, with Bertie long dead, that Elizabeth was to come face to face again with her hated sister-in-law, whom she always called in private ''the woman who killed my husband.'' (Wallis was not particularly fond of her, either, referring to her as ''Cookie'' in a disparaging reference to her plumpness.) The crisis having been weathered, the new king and queen set out to remove some of the stuffiness from royal life, dispensing, for instance, with the custom of requiring the king's daughters to curtsy to him. But they would soon find other matters preoccupying them, as the country became consumed with the specter of impending war. The king tried valiantly, if ineffectually, to do his part for diplomacy, preparing a personal letter to Hitler in 1938 that appealed to him ''as one ex-serviceman to another'' and begged him to spare the world from another war.

(In the end, the prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, sternly if gently forbade the King to send the letter.) The King and the President Early in 1939, Elizabeth and Bertie traveled to Hyde Park, N.Y., to visit Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the president and first lady of the United States. The trip, in which they had their first taste of hot dogs, cemented a friendship that was to prove helpful in obtaining American support for the war effort later. In her memoirs, Mrs. Roosevelt described the easy banter between the king and the president. ''My mother does not approve of cocktails and thinks you should have a cup of tea,'' Roosevelt said. ''Neither does my mother,'' the king replied. Then they both had cocktails. War broke out in August, when Hitler invaded Poland, and Elizabeth was formally advised by the British cabinet to take her daughters to Canada until the danger was past. She refused to go, stoutly declaring that ''the princesses would never leave without me, and I wouldn't leave without the king, and the king will never leave.'' Instead, she remained in London, enthusiastically taking target practice at the palace with a revolver that was a gift from the new prime minister, Winston Churchill.

Advertisement Continue reading the main story The royal family's role in wartime was a largely ceremonial one -- visiting Red Cross centers, civil defense installations, air-raid shelters, hospitals and munition factories; comforting the wounded, and boosting the morale of soldier and civilian alike --but the importance of such ceremony at such a time cannot be overstated. ''Your majesty, don't you know what you mean to all of us in this country?'' the minister of food at the time, Lord Woolton, once said to Elizabeth. ''It isn't only your high position that matters; it is the fact that the vast majority of people think of you as a person who would speak the kindly word, and, if it fell within your power, would take the cup of hot soup to the needy person.'' Though the king made secret visits to the troops and Elizabeth made a point of visiting places that had been bombed, invariably wearing a smart dress and pearls, they were relatively unaffected personally until Sept. 13, 1940. That day, as the royal couple sat in one of their living rooms at Buckingham Palace, the palace was struck by half a dozen German bombs, which damaged its courtyard and destroyed its chapel.

Although they were able to take refuge in an unusually upscale bomb shelter, prepared by the queen with handsome furniture and a supply of fashion magazines, it was then that the queen made her enduring remark about being able ''to look the East End in the eye.'' In a biography of Elizabeth, the royal writer Anthony Holden called it ''a phrase which will reverberate through the history of the British monarchy's relations with its people.'' He continued, ''Never before, or indeed since, had such a strength of fellow-feeling been so genuine and so widely shared.'' A Spartan Windsor Castle The queen also made it clear that she was determined to adhere to strict rules of wartime economy. Although the royal family's life was naturally easier than that of most of her countrymen, it was still rigorously ascetic. Windsor Castle, where Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were to spend the next five years, had no heat except for the occasional space heater, and just one bare bulb for each room. When Mrs.

Roosevelt visited Buckingham Palace in 1942, she found a bathtub painted with a black line above which water was not supposed to rise; food that was close to inedible (and severely rationed) and rooms that were so cold that the women wore fur coats and blankets indoors. Not even Churchill escaped. Accustomed to eating meager sandwiches served by the queen during his weekly luncheon meetings with the king, he found on one occasion that the food was even more horrific than usual. ''I don't know what is in these sandwiches,'' the king told the prime minister. ''Sawdust, I suppose.'' The king's always fragile health was not improved by the stresses of the war or by his lifelong smoking habit, and after victory was declared in 1945, he began the long, slow decline that would result in his death, from lung cancer, in 1952. With the death of her husband, Elizabeth had to face the fact that she was no longer on center stage, would have to leave Buckingham Palace, and would, if protocol was strictly followed, have to curtsy to her own daughter, Queen Elizabeth.

Riven with grief, she wrote to President Eisenhower that ''one cannot imagine life without him, but one must carry on as he would have wished.'' Advertisement Continue reading the main story In the past, widowed mothers of monarchs were known as queen dowagers, but Elizabeth rejected that title in favor of the more impressive one she held to her death: Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. As queen mother, she lost neither her formidability nor her ability to influence. The new queen was just 25 when she ascended the throne, and relied heavily on the advice of her mother. The operators at Clarence House, which became the queen mother's official residence, soon became used to putting through her daughter's daily telephone call: ''Your majesty?'' they would say, ''I have her majesty on the line, your majesty.'' Another Divorce Crisis Soon afterward, another crisis befell the monarchy when Princess Margaret, the queen mother's younger daughter, fell in love with a divorced man, Peter Townsend, a hero of the Battle of Britain. It is unclear what role her mother played in the queen's decision to inform Margaret that she would have to give up her royal status and leave the country if she married Mr.

Townsend, but the lessons of Edward's abdication were surely not lost to her now. The princess gave up her beau, married the photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones five years later, and ended up divorcing him 15 years after that. Margaret died on Feb. 9, predeceasing her mother by less than two months. Bolstered by a large staff, a number of houses at her disposal, and an allowance of more than $1 million a year from Parliament, the queen mother kept up a busy schedule that began to ease up only when she was in her 80's. She served as either president or patron of 312 British organizations, ranging, as one biographer put it, ''from the Royal Agricultural Society to the Dachshund Club.'' As a link to the past, a symbol of continuity, and, to many, a potent reminder of Britain's finest hour, the she remained a familiar figure even in her late 90's, in her cheerful, brightly colored dresses, large flowery hats and ready smile. Her health problems over the years always became a cause for concern in a country that simply did not want her to die.

She had two hip-replacement operations in her late 90's, which invariably ended with her hobbling slowly out of the hospital while crowds of well-wishers cheered. What the public did not learn, until it was finally reported by the news media much later, was that she underwent a colostomy in 1966 and had to wear a bag to collect her wastes for the rest of her life. In recent years, there were niggling criticisms of the queen mother: that she was a bon vivant who spent far beyond her means; that she kept too many houses and employed too many servants and generally thought too much of her own comfort. But such sniping was relatively muted. She remained popular because, in a very different and much more real way than Diana had been, she was a monarch who never lost the common touch. Nor did she lose her rather sly, flirtatious smile, her beguiling manner (''I work awfully hard, but Mummy has all the charm,'' her daughter Elizabeth once said) or her easy way with the public.

Reveling in meeting and chatting to new people (''If we do not pass on, I shall soon pass out,'' her husband once said as Elizabeth persisted in chatting at a public appearance), she was also eternally tactful and diplomatic. At a luncheon on a trip to South Africa, she once listened patiently as an irate Afrikaaner mayor complained about the indignities his countrymen had suffered at the hands of the English. ''Oh, I do understand so well,'' Elizabeth responded. ''That's just how we feel about them in Scotland.'' And once, after touring a garden in London, she stayed on for tea. ''I hear you like gin?'' her hostess blurted out, instantly afraid of appearing tactless. But the queen mother thought it delightful. ''I hadn't realized I enjoyed that reputation,'' she replied. ''But as I do, perhaps you could make it a large one.'' Advertisement Continue reading the main story Correction: April 1, 2002, Monday An obituary of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother yesterday misstated the name of the royal estate where she died. It is Windsor Castle, not Windsor Palace.

Correction: April 3, 2002, Wednesday An obituary of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on Sunday misstated the date of Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939, which prompted the cabinet to suggest that she take her daughters to Canada. It was Sept. 1, not in August. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother - IMDb IMDb Soundtrack Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was born on August 4, 1900 in St. Paul's Waldenbury, Hertfordshire, England as Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon. She was married to King George VI . She died on March 30, 2002 in Windsor, Berkshire, England. See full bio » Born: a list of 11 people created 11 Jan 2012 a list of 441 people created 29 Jul 2012 a list of 170 people created 06 Jan 2014 a list of 33 people created 4 months ago a list of 23 people created 3 months ago Do you have a demo reel?

Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's work have you seen?

User Polls A Queen Is Crowned Herself - The Queen Mother (1953) 1943 The Autobiography of a 'Jeep' (Documentary short) (performer: "God Save the King!") Hide 1999 Reputations (TV Series documentary) Herself 1998 Crown and Country (TV Series documentary) Herself (Warden of the Cinque Ports) (as The Queen Mother) 1996 Biography (TV Series documentary) Herself 1962 Biography (TV Series documentary) Herself 1960 Pathfinder (TV Movie documentary) Herself 1959 The Queen's Plate (Short documentary) Herself (as The Queen Mother) 1942 Listen to Britain (Documentary short) Herself - in Audience (uncredited) 1940 The Royal Parks (Documentary short) Herself 2016 Our Queen at Ninety (TV Movie documentary) Herself 2015 Secret History (TV Series documentary) Herself 2014 The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (TV Series documentary) Herself 2012 The 70s (

TV Series documentary) Herself 2012 The Diamond Queen (TV Series documentary) Herself 2012 The Unforgettable Rod Hull (TV Movie documentary) Herself (uncredited) 2011 The Queen's Palaces (TV Mini-Series documentary) Herself 2011 The Corrie Years (TV Series documentary) Herself 2010 Nazi Collaborators (TV Mini-Series documentary) Herself 2008 British Style Genius (TV Series documentary) Herself 2007 Monarchy with David Starkey (TV Series documentary) Herself 2006 Best Ever Spitting Image (TV Movie documentary) Herself (uncredited) 2005 80s (TV Series documentary) Herself 2005 FDR: A Presidency Revealed (TV Movie documentary) Herself 2005 Timewatch (TV Series documentary) Herself 2005 Churchill's Bodyguard (TV Series documentary) Herself 2004 Di's Guys (TV Mini-Series documentary) Herself 2003 Living Famously (TV Series documentary) Herself 2003 Royal Deaths and Diseases (TV Mini-Series

 documentary) Herself 2002 Bertie and Elizabeth (TV Movie) Herself (uncredited) 2002 Heroes of Black Comedy (TV Mini-Series documentary) Herself 2002 Gladiators of World War II (TV Series documentary) Herself 2002 Hitler's Victory (TV Movie documentary) Herself (as The Royal Family) 1999 Best of British (TV Series) Herself 1997 Henry VIII (TV Mini-Series documentary) Herself (uncredited) 1996 Secret Lives (TV Series documentary) Herself 1996 The Churchills (TV Mini-Series documentary) Herself (uncredited) 1995 Royal Family at War (TV Movie documentary) Herself (uncredited) 1995 The Beatles Anthology (TV Mini-Series documentary) Herself 1995 Arena (TV Series documentary) Herself 1994 American Experience (TV Series documentary) Herself 1994 Songs That Won the War (TV Movie documentary) Herself (on V-E Day) (uncredited) 1994 The Day Today (TV Series) Herself 199

2 In Desperate Battle: Normandy 1944 (TV Movie documentary) Herself (inspects Black Watch, wears maple leaf) (uncredited) 1992 Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command (TV Special documentary) Herself (uncredited) 1992 Anglia at War (TV Series documentary) Herself 1991 A Year to Remember (TV Series documentary) Herself 1991 Memories of 1970-1991 (TV Series documentary) Herself What happens when Queen Elizabeth II dies - Business Insider print Stefano Pozzebon/Business Insider, Getty Images UPDATE: A new, revised, and expanded version of this story was published on December 27, 2016.

Click here to read it » Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of this Realm and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, is not going to live forever. Since ascending to the throne in 1952, the monarch has seen 12 Prime Ministers serve Britain, and lived through another 12 US Presidents. She's now 88. At some point — not for many years yet, we hope — Queen Elizabeth II's reign will come to an end. But what happens then? For at least 12 days — between her passing, the funeral and beyond — Britain will grind to a halt. It'll cost the British economy billions in lost earnings. And both the funeral and the subsequent coronation will become formal national holidays, each with an estimated economic hit to GDP of between £1.2 and £6 billion as banks and the stock markets close, to say nothing of organisational costs. But to focus on the financial disruption doesn't begin to describe the sheer magnitude of it. It will be an event unlike anything Britain has ever seen before. There will be trivial disruptions — the BBC will cancel all comedy shows, for example — and jarring cultural changes.

Prince Charles may change his name, for instance, and the words of the national anthem will be changed, too. The deaths of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother both brought on waves of public mourning and hysteria. But the Queen, due to her longevity and fundamental place atop British society, will be on a whole new level above that. The vast majority of British people have simply never known life without the Queen. It will be a strange, uncertain time. Stefano Pozzebon/Business Insider Buckingham Palace. FLICKR/Alessandro Casagrande Much depends on the manner of the Queen's passing. If it's expected (from a long illness, say), then detailed plans will have been put in place for handling it and making the announcement. These plans are already being made: Inside Buckingham Palace, arrangements for after the Queen's passing and the subsequent succession are known as the "Bridge." But if it's sudden, unexpected, or even in public — as was the case with Princess Diana's death in 1997 — then the news will get out immediately, in an unplanned, uncontrolled fashion. Either way, the majority of staff at the Palace and associated institutions will be immediately sent home.

The Royal Court has a staff hotline for distributing news and instructions to employees in the event of occasions like this. (Many of the details in this story were provided to Business Insider by a former staff member of the Palace.) Assuming the Queen's passing was expected, the news will spread at first via the main TV channels. All BBC channels will stop their programming and show the BBC1 feed for the announcement. The other independent channels won't be obligated to interrupt their regular programming. But they almost certainly will. This is how the BBC initially announced the death of the Queen Mother in 2002: At the BBC, anchors actively practice for the eventuality of the Monarch's passing so they won't be caught unaware on their shifts. The BBC's Peter Sissons was heavily criticised for wearing a red tie to announce the Queen Mother's passing (as seen above), and the BBC now keeps black ties and suits at the ready at all times. Presenters also run drills in which they're required to make sudden "spoof" announcements that are never broadcast. All comedy will be cancelled There will be no Charlie Chaplin for weeks.

surfstyle/Flickr (CC) The last death of a Monarch was in 1952, and the BBC stopped all comedy for a set period of mourning after the announcement was made. The Daily Mail reports that the BBC plans to do the same again today, cancelling all comedy until after the funeral. CNN has pre-recorded "packages" on the Queen's life ready to be aired at a moment's notice, we're told — and so will every other major news channel. Some businesses may choose to close if the announcement happens during working hours. The protocols government bodies will follow will emanate from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (though they may also originate from the Palace). But the immediate government response beyond official statements of condolences will be hard to predict, the former palace employee we spoke to said. The last monarch died in 1952; procedures that seemed apt then may be woefully antiquated today. Whatever happens formally, the shock on the day of the Queen's passing will see Britain effectively cease to function. The day of the funeral, around two weeks later, will be declared a bank holiday, but "shell-shocked" mourning will continue throughout this time.

A brief resurrection of the British Empire The Union Jack flies at half-mast over the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London. Carl Court/Getty Images Given the Queen's international significance, it will almost certainly be the top news story across the entire world. It will trend globally on social media. After all, Britain has a massive overseas presence — not just via its embassies, but also former colonies and the Commonwealth, which swears loyalty to the crown, and more informally in any country where English is spoken. The British Empire once covered a quarter of the earth's landmass and for a brief, surreal period it will feel as if the Empire still exists, as all its former subjects will turn toward Britain for the news. A former ambassador we spoke to said what will happen overseas depends on the manner of the Queen's passing. If it has been long-expected, there will be detailed plans and procedures in place. If it's sudden, overseas posts will look to the Foreign Office for urgent guidance. A few things will definitely happen overseas: Social functions will be cancelled. The Union Jack flag will be flown at half-mast until after the funeral (this will also happen at home in the UK). Officials will enter a period of mourning, and dress appropriately.

Condolence books will be prepared for visitors to leave messages in. But the ambassador also stressed there is a massive amount of uncertainty as to what will actually happen. It has been more than 60 years since the last monarch died. Society has changed a huge amount in that time. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. What will happen inside the Palace? Behind closed doors at the Palace St. James's Palace. Elisa.rolle/Wikimedia Commons Once the majority of the staff are out the way and the public tourist attractions are closed, an Accession Council will be held at St. James's Palace to declare the successor formally — Prince Charles, barring any unforeseen circumstances. The Accession Council will be attended by Privy Councillors, Lords, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, and High Commissioners of certain Commonwealth countries, amongst others. This council is not required to make Queen Elizabeth II's successor "official" however — Charles will become the monarch from the moment of her passing. There is never not a Sovereign on the throne. This is also why the the Royal Standard is never flown at half-mast (unlike the Union Jack).

Charles could change his name It's also worth discussing the possibility of the crown "leapfrogging" Charles in favour of his son, Prince William — a possibility that has been discussed in the media repeatedly . The Royal Standard, as flown in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and overseas (a variant is employed in Scotland). Barryop/Wikimedia Commons This would cause a constitutional crisis, and definitely will not happen. Prince William himself has said there is "no question" of it happening. Instead, Prince William will become the new Prince of Wales — Charles' current role. At the council, the new Monarch (presumably Charles) will swear loyalty to Parliament, and to the Church of England. He will also become the new Supreme Governor of the church.

(Catholics cannot ascend to the throne.) The council will also make a "Proclamation of Accession." This was the most recent Proclamation, from when Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne: Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His Mercy our late Sovereign Lord King George the Sixth of Blessed and Glorious memory, by whose Decease the Crown is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary: WE, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm, being here assisted with these His late Majesty's Privy Council, with representatives of other Members of the Commonwealth, with other Principal Gentlemen of Quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of London, do now hereby with one voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proclaim that the High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of this Realm and of all Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to whom Her lieges do acknowledge all Faith and constant Obedience with hearty and humble Affection, beseeching God by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to

 bless the Royal Princess Elizabeth the Second with long and happy Years to reign over us.

Charles won't necessarily become "King Charles," however. Upon ascending to the Throne, royals may pick their "regnal" name from any of their Christian or middle names. Arthur Bousfield and Gary Toffoli write that when Queen Elizabeth II was asked, she opted for "my own of course — what else?" But if Prince Charles felt inclined to change, as Charles Philip Arthur George, he could also be "King Philip," "King Arthur," or "King George." The Queen will lie in state King George V lies in state in Westminster Hall in 1936. Leonard Bentley/Flickr (CC) As these discussions are ongoing, the Queen's coffin will be prepared to lie in state — that is, to be presented for public viewing so people can pay their respects. Before this, however, both Houses of Parliament will sit, or be recalled if necessary. Members will have the opportunity to take a new oath of allegiance to the new Monarch. All MPs must swear allegiance to the present Monarch — though some republican MPs will cross their fingers when making the 500-year-old oath .

Members of both houses will also present addresses of condolences and loyalty to the new Sovereign, a House of Lords spokesperson told me, in a format that is yet to be determined. After this, both Houses will be suspended until after the official State Funeral. The Queen's body will lie in state in Westminster Hall. There will be a short ceremony to mark the coffin's arrival, after which the public will be able to file past and pay their respects. The Hall will be open all but a single hour a day for the duration, the spokesperson says. When the Queen Mother lay in state for three days, her grieving grandsons relieve the official guard to stand guard over the coffin for a short period; it was called the Vigil of the Princes. Something similar happened for George V. While not a formal ceremony, it's likely a similar act of remembrance would be accorded to Queen Elizabeth II. More than 200,000 members of the public paid their respects as the Queen Mother lay in state; the scale of mourning for the Queen should easily eclipse this. Here's footage of the Queen Mother's coffin lying in state: Throughout this period, there will be a massive, hysterical outpouring of public grief.

It won't just be sombre dress and a minute of silence at sports games — it'll be a punch to the gut of the national psyche. When Princess Diana died, the public turned out in their tens of thousands to lay flowers outside Buckingham Palace — by some estimates as many as 1 million bouquets were left. A memorial appeal raised £20 million. People queued for ten hours or more to sign memorial books. "Everything closed, saturation TV coverage, no one at work" on the day of the funeral, recounted one witness to the BBC (despite it not being a national holiday). There were "scenes of unbelievable grief," said another: "It was as though all of these people had lost someone incredible dear to them and their emotion was genuine. It worried me hugely — especially after days of mounting hysteria on the streets of Kensington, people walking into the road blinded by tears, etc.

— people appeared to be losing their grip on reality." The Guardian's Jonathan Freedland writes that many Britons felt "forced to close their shops or cancel sporting events on the day of the funeral, lest they feel the rage of the tear-stained hordes outside." Given the Queen's stature, and how intrinsically she is woven into the fabric of modern Britain, it's likely there will be even greater public mourning for her passing. Here's a photo of flowers laid 5 feet deep outside Buckingham Palace for Princess Diana in 1997: A star-studded funeral Baroness Thatcher's coffin is transported by gun carriage ahead of her funeral. Ronnie Macdonald/Flickr (CC) Queen Elizabeth II's body will continue to lie in state until the day of the funeral, which will be a public holiday. The Daily Mail believes this will be 12 days after the death . The coffin will then be transported to Westminster Abbey by gun carriage for a State Funeral. It will probably be the best-attended funeral of all time. World leaders from across the globe will flock to attend.

She's one of the most senior heads of state in the world, second only to King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who has ruled for five more years than her. On the day of Princess Diana's funeral, "more than a million people lined the route of the funeral cortege," according to the BBC , with 30 million Brits tuning in to watch it. Worldwide, there were as many as 2.5 billion viewers. The service will be led by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the second-most senior figure in the Church of England (after the Monarch). Stefano Pozzebon/Business Insider, Data: BBC, Catholic Church, Herald Sun The Queen's final resting place Balmoral Castle in Scotland, a possible burial site. Stuart Yeates/Flickr (CC) Once the funeral is concluded, it'll be time for the burial. Queen Elizabeth II may well have already decided this — in which case it could either be Sandringham or Balmoral in Scotland. These two properties are unique in that they belong to the Queen in a personal capacity, rather than to the crown. Alternately, she could be buried at St.

George's Chapel at Windsor, the site of the grave of King George VI — her father. After a certain appropriate period of mourning — up to a year or so — there will be a coronation. It's a highly ceremonial affair, although the new monarch technically has the ability to do whatever he wants — after all, he is already the King. Charles' authority as sovereign does not derive from the ceremony, so he could choose to eschew it altogether, should he desire. But assuming Charles does not wish to totally break with tradition, it will — again — be held at Westminster Abbey. And, again, it will be officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Here's archive footage illustrating the pomp and ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation: The entire event will be broadcast on television (and also streamed online), and there will be parties up and down the country. After the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011, there were thousands of street parties celebrating. The same will be true of the coronation.

As a national holiday, the Royal Wedding in 2011 lost the economy between £1.2 and 6 billion , and the Coronation will be similar — in addition to the direct cost to the taxpayer of holding the largest British ceremonial event since the 1950s. Decorations along Victoria Street in London, ahead of the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II: Ben Brooksbank/Wikimedia Commons The little things The Queen buried, a new King on the throne... is that it? Of course not. There will be hundreds of changes taking place up and down the country in the weeks and months ahead. First off, new currency will begin being printed and minted immediately. The portraits of Charles will already have been made in preparation. They won't seek to replace the entire stock of currency overnight, however — it will take several years to do so, much like how older notes and coins are gradually removed from circulation today. Of course, the national anthem, "God Save The Queen," would change too. Here's Dame Julie Andrews singing "God Save The King" for George VI in 1948. Even Trafalgar Square will change This bobby's going to need a new helmet.

FaceMePLS/Flickr (CC) Another change: Police will need new insignia on their helmets. They currently display the Queen's initials and regnal number. Likewise, a great deal of military insignia will require updating. Passports too will need a refresh. The British passport currently "requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance." Stamps will also need updating so that they show the new King's head rather than the Queen's. These changes matter more than you would expect. After the current Queen was crowned, her regnal number — II — caused controversy in Scotland, which she also rules, as there was never a Scottish Elizabeth I. When postboxes bearing her cypher were erected in Scotland, some were attacked and vandalised. As signs of the Queen's reign are slowly erased, she will also be memorialised. The fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square is currently dedicated to temporary statues and works of art, but former London Mayor Ken Livingstone says his understanding is that "the fourth plinth is being reserved for Queen Elizabeth II." It may end the Commonwealth Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is a Monarchist.

Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images The Queen's passing may have far more profound and long-lasting consequences than just new postage stamps, however. It may well spell the end of the Commonwealth as we know it. The 53-country organisation includes 16 countries where the British Monarch is officially the Head of State, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Barbados. It's a remnant of the British Empire which today exists mainly as a trade and political organisation. It has few formal powers but carries the weight of symbolism: Many of these countries were part of the Empire against their will, and almost all of them declared independence long ago. With Queen Elizabeth II out of the way, some may choose to end this union with Britain once and for all. Australia, for example, has already held a referendum on becoming a Republic once before, in 1999. It was a relatively close-run thing, with the republicans ultimately losing 45% to 55%. But much support for the Monarchy arguably derives from personal affection for the Queen herself. With her gone, many Commonwealth nations may decide the time has come to separate. This also depends on the time of the Queen's death.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper are both staunch Monarchists, and certain to try and block any attempt at Republicanism on their watch. But if the Queen's passing comes later, after they have left office, resurgent republicanism may find a more receptive audience. A republican Britain? Prince Charles, the heir to the throne. REUTERS/Fayez Nureldine Depending on Charles' reign, republicanism may grow in prominence in Britain too. But there's no chance of Britain becoming a Republic in the near future. Support for the Monarch is deeply entrenched in the nation's psyche, with 66% of respondents in one survey saying Britain is better off as a Monarchy , and with just 17% opting for a Republic. But right now this is all academic — and hopefully a long way off yet. On September 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth II will break the record set by Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother: She'll be the longest-reigning British monarch ever!

Queen Mother dies aged 101 - Telegraph Queen Mother dies aged 101 6:08PM GMT 30 Mar 2002 THE Queen Mother died peacefully in her sleep this afternoon at the age of 101, Buckingham Palace announced today. The Queen was at her mother's bedside when she passed away at Royal Lodge, her Windsor residence. Weakened by a recent bad cough and chest infection, the Queen Mother's condition deteriorated this morning and her doctors were called. Buckingham Palace said: "The Queen, with the greatest sadness, has asked for the following announcement to be made immediately: her beloved mother, Queen Elizabeth, died peacefully in her sleep this afternoon at Royal Lodge, Windsor." The Palace spokesman continued: "Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother had become increasingly frail in recent weeks following her bad cough and chest infection over Christmas. Her condition deteriorated this morning and her doctors were called. "Queen Elizabeth died peacefully in her sleep at 3.15 this afternoon at Royal Lodge.

The Queen was at her mother's bedside." Related Articles A way with children 30 Mar 2002 The Queen Mother's coffin is expected to be taken to the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park tomorrow morning. No decision has yet been taken on whether the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family will attend Easter service as planned at St George's Chapel at Windsor tomorrow. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, born Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon in London on August 4 1900, was to etch her name on the hearts of the nation as the longest-lived and well-loved Royal. The fourth daughter and ninth child of Lord and Lady Glamis, she met her future husband Prince Albert at a dance in May 1920. They married at Westminster Abbey in April 1923, and had two children - Elizabeth, now the Queen, and Princess Margaret. When her husband was crowned King George VI on December 12 1936, after the abdication crisis of King Edward VIII, she became the first British-born Queen Consort since Tudor times.

Widowed on February 6 1952, she chose to be called Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother when her elder daughter became Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen Mother spent three months in mourning, after which she embarked on a life of public duty, characterised by a grace and energy that made her a favourite with the British public. The first real fears for her health surfaced in May 1993 when a fishbone lodged in her throat. She had surgery under general anaesthetic to remove it at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where she spent several days. During the summer of 1994, while on holiday at Balmoral, she injured her right leg and returned to Clarence House at the end of October still suffering. Doctors advised her to rest the leg which was said to be taking longer than expected to heal. The injury appeared to be a wound which ulcerated. In July 1995, she underwent a successful operation at London's King Edward VII Hospital to remove a cataract from her left eye. The Queen Mother's sight had been deteriorating for some time and, combined with her difficulty walking, had raised concern among royal aides.

It emerged that she used a wheelchair in private and walked her dogs, in the grounds of Clarence House, from a golf buggy. The buggy, nicknamed the "Queen Mum Mobile", was seen in public for the first time at the 1995 Sandringham flower show when she was driven around the exhibits by a chauffeur. The Queen Mother's right hip increasingly caused her great pain and discomfort, and she sought doctors' advice on a possible hip replacement operation. Then, on November 15 1995, the 95-year-old Queen Mother was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in Marylebone and underwent a total hip replacement operation the following day. The one-and-a-half hour operation was "completed successfully" and she was said to be "making a good recovery". Her decision to undergo major surgery and a lengthy recovery period, at the age of 95, underlined the Queen Mother's love of life. Although she carried two sticks when she left hospital after 18 days, the Queen Mother walked unaided down steps to a waiting car. Buckingham Palace said she had recovered "extremely well".

Despite her health problems during 1995, the Queen Mother carried out 42 official engagements throughout Britain, and remained fourth in the Royal patronage league - behind the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen and Prince of Wales - heading 349 charities. When, in February 1996, she carried out her first official engagement after the hip replacement, she walked with the aid of only one stick and was said to be free of constant pain. According to her grandson, the Prince of Wales, the Queen Mother was in such high spirits during her summer holiday in Scotland, she even took to the dance floor during a ceilidh. The Queen Mother confounded doubters about her fitness and health in October by walking a mile down a rugged hillside track on the Balmoral estate. But on January 25 1998, she fell and fractured her left hip at Sandringham Stud. One onlooker said the Queen Mother had appeared to be shaky and that the Queen, who had earlier accompanied her to church, seemed particularly concerned. The Queen Mother underwent major surgery to replace the broken hip at King Edward VII Hospital where two years earlier she had an operation to replace her other hip.

But less than seven months later she managed a marathon 40-minute walkabout and buggy ride on the occasion of her 98th birthday. Early in 1999, the 98-year-old Royal suffered a series of nose bleeds and in late-January was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, for cauterisation treatment to stem the bleeding. In 2000, concern mounted when the Queen Mother tripped and stumbled after attending a Garden Society dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel, central London, on October 31. Eyewitnesses said she tripped on her long evening gown while getting into her Daimler car and hit her head. But an official spokeswoman said the elderly Royal was unhurt. However, at Clarence House later that week, on November 3, the Queen Mother tripped and fell, fracturing her collar bone. She was unattended at the time and was found by a member of her staff. Doctors decided not to put the break, which was on the left-hand-side of her collar bone, in plaster and the Queen Mother was not admitted to hospital. Her condition was said to be "reasonably comfortable", sitting up in bed with her left arm and shoulder in a sling.

The injury did not stop the Queen Mother from joining her family at Sandringham for Christmas and the New Year, and attending church. Less than three months before her 101st birthday, she attended the Chelsea Flower Show and appeared to have recovered from her collar bone injury. However, just days before her birthday, the Queen Mother succumbed to a blistering summer heatwave and was said to be suffering "mild heat exhaustion". She was advised to rest and pulled out of a public engagement to lay the foundation stone of Memorial Gates to colonial war dead at Constitution Hill, near Buckingham Palace. Then, in a surprise development, the Queen Mother was admitted to hospital on August 1 and was given an emergency blood transfusion after being diagnosed as suffering from anaemia. She was taken by car to the King Edward VII Hospital, in central London, and was able to walk unaided up the three steps into the private clinic. Considering her great age, the Queen Mother had been undertaking a hectic round of public and private engagements. On July 13 she had flown 80 miles by helicopter to Walmer Castle, near Deal, Kent, where she spent three nights and carried out official engagements as Warden of the Cinque Ports.

She also attended a photocall on behalf of English Heritage and paid a private visit to Dover. On July 16 she flew back to London and began preparations for her next trip by helicopter on July 19 to Sandringham for the Norfolk village's annual flower show the following Wednesday. She spent 90 minutes in the blistering heat, viewing the exhibits, shaking hands and chatting to people. While at Sandringham she hosted a house party, attended church and held a picnic lunch at Holkham beach. The Queen Mother flew to Windsor on July 27 and, despite feeling tired, insisted on going to Ascot races the following day, Saturday, to see the George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. She had lunch with friends on Sunday and returned to London on Monday, July 30. On July 31, Clarence House announced that the Queen Mother was resting, suffering from mild heat exhaustion. Then, on August 1, she was said to be suffering from anaemia and was admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital where she underwent a blood transfusion.

Nothing was to prevent the Queen Mother from publicly celebrating her 101st birthday on August 4 and she was joined by her family at the gates of Clarence House in a now traditional scene. Seemingly rejuvenated, the grand old Royal took the salute from troops and boarded the Queen Mum Mobile to meet the thousands of well-wishers. The following week, the Queen Mother flew to Scotland to spend time at her remote Highland retreat, the Castle of Mey. She later moved on to Birkhall at Balmoral and at the beginning of September, while other senior Royals were at the Braemar Highland Games, visited the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for further medical tests. The following day, looking frail, she attended Sunday service at Balmoral's Crathie Church. Shrugging off rumours of her failing health, she enjoyed her Highland holiday, entertaining guests and savouring the Scottish countryside. Following the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in Washington DC, she joined in prayers at Crathie Kirk for world leaders as they planned a response.

She braved freezing temperatures, rain and cold winds to open the Field of Remembrance outside Westminster Abbey before attending the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony at The Cenotaph two days later. Also in November, at 101 years old, the Queen Mother took on a new job when she resumed the role of Honorary Air Commodore with the reformed crack wartime Number 600 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, in the City of London. "She was as bright as a button and had a remarkable memory," said the squadron's commanding officer, Wing Commander Terry Lynn, after meeting the Queen Mother at a Guildhall reception. Veteran flight commander Mike Oliver, 80, said: "I was amazed at how she remembered visiting the squadron at Biggin Hill, 50 years ago with Sir Winston Churchill.

"She remembered posing for a photograph in the squash court and the lights fusing - we were all sitting there in the dark." Fellow squadron veteran Bob Linford, 77, said: "The Queen Mother even remembered that I gave her a rose on St George's Day in 1955 when she came to inspect the squadron." A persistent cold forced her to miss the Royal Family's 100th birthday party for Princess Alice at Kensington Palace in December and also the Royals' Christmas Day church service at Sandringham. She did not attend other church services during the Royals' New Year stay at Sandringham and was unable to be at the local Women's Institute annual meeting. The Queen Mother, who had not been seen in public for more than two months, was said to be confined to her room with a bug. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "Queen Elizabeth did not attend today's Women's Institute meeting at Sandringham House. She is still resting from the bug she caught at Christmas and continuing her recovery." The Queen Mother's last public engagement had been on November 22 when she re-commissioned the aircraft carrier Ark Royal at a ceremony in Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Yvonne Browne, vice-president of the Sandringham Women's Institute, said the Queen Mother, president of the WI branch for 65 years, had been due to meet members with the Queen in the ballroom at Sandringham House. But Mrs Browne said an estate official had told members that the Queen Mother was not well enough to attend and the Queen had passed on her mother's apologies. "We were told that the Queen Mother has had a bad cold and she is confined to her room," said Mrs Browne. "She was not feeling strong enough to come this afternoon. She was quite naturally disappointed that she couldn't come because she does look forward to the January meeting very much. "The Queen came to the meeting and she was asked by (the Queen Mother) toconvey her greetings to us. She hoped that we had a lovely afternoon at Sandringham House." Saturday February 9 2002 was a sad day for the Royal Family and for the Queen Mother in particular when her younger daughter, Princess Margaret, died. Margaret, 71, who had been ill for some time, suffered a third stroke and developed heart problems.

Her death was not unexpected but was still a devastating blow for the elderly Queen Mother whose own health was continuing to give cause for concern. The Prince of Wales rushed to his grandmother's side as she began to cope with the bereavement.

Question: In which year did Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother die?
Answer: 2002