HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900-2002)

[MARG]

She left everything to her daughter (the Crown) so, just like all the pretty sparklers, the magical art remains with the crown. It is possible that many pieces of art came from the royal collection in the first place.

 

[Countessmeout]

Her daughter and 'the crown' are not the same. There are things the queen owns privately, like jewels given as a gift. These are hers to dispose of as sees fit. Unlike things like the main tiaras or royal collection. Then their are crown owned, which she owns, but pass with the crown. It depends how her mum left them, she likely left them simply as personal goods. That isn't to say they aren't likely in the royal collection to stay. Any pieces George and his wife bought were private possesions, and unless gifted to the crown, would remain so.

Think of Sandringham and Balmoral. George VI had to buy them, as the ownership didn't simply pass with the crown.

 

[Blog Real]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s5bU3nU3Lg

 

[MARG]

Her daughter and 'the crown' are not the same. There are things the queen owns privately, like jewels given as a gift. These are hers to dispose of as sees fit. Unlike things like the main tiaras or royal collection. Then their are crown owned, which she owns, but pass with the crown. It depends how her mum left them, she likely left them simply as personal goods. That isn't to say they aren't likely in the royal collection to stay. Any pieces George and his wife bought were private possesions, and unless gifted to the crown, would remain so.

Think of Sandringham and Balmoral. George VI had to buy them, as the ownership didn't simply pass with the crown.

I knew it involved a "sovereign to sovereign" inheritance but the actual mechanics of this are vague. The BBC article offers a little insight into how it actually did work in this case.

BBC News | UK | Queen inherits Queen Mother's estate

 

[Curryong]

An interesting article, Marg, thanks for posting it. Castle Mey, in Scotland, which was a 100% private purchase in the Queen Mother's widowhood, was of course another kettle of fish! Imo the sale of Sandringham and Balmoral in the 1930's was simply a case in point of the absolute and utter selfishness of the Duke of Windsor, who hid the extent of his wealth from the Royal family lawyers.

There's certainly a grey area with gifts though, for instance was a purchase of a tiara by King George VI in 1936 a gift to a deeply loved wife or because as a future Queen Consort it was needed for 'official' functions? Queen Mary was still alive then and using much of the BRF jewellery I'm sure.

 

[Spheno]

Gifts are not a grey area. Official gifts belongs to Royal Collections, privat gifts belongs to royals.

 

[Skippyboo]

The sovereign to sovereign transfer isn't vague. A sovereign can pass items to the next sovereign tax free. The consort of a sovereign can also pass items to a sovereign tax free. The Queen was able to inherit Sandringham and Balmoral as examples tax free. She also inherited stuff from her mother and grandmother who as consorts the inheritance was tax free.


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[Osipi]

An interesting article, Marg, thanks for posting it. Castle Mey, in Scotland, which was a 100% private purchase in the Queen Mother's widowhood, was of course another kettle of fish! Imo the sale of Sandringham and Balmoral in the 1930's was simply a case in point of the absolute and utter selfishness of the Duke of Windsor, who hid the extent of his wealth from the Royal family lawyers.

In 1996, the Queen Mother generously gifted the Castle of Mey with an endowment to the Castle of Mey Trust which is now listed as the official owners of that estate.

I remember reading in quite a few places that George VI had to buy Sandringham and Balmoral from his brother as those estates passed to the Duke of Windsor upon the death of his father George V. As it is a known fact that these properties were to transfer monarch to monarch, I agree with you that David was quite greedy and selfish. He should have just turned the properties over to the monarch.

 

[sndral]

Lady Colin Campbell's claims that Elizabeth was the driver of the wedge between David and King George VI because Elizabeth allegedly wanted to marry David notwithstanding, I've always believed that the issues between David/Wallis and Bertie/Elizabeth were most inflamed by David's flat out lying about his financial situation during the abdication.
First, David refused to put his destiny and duty to the commonwealth before his personal desires thrusting Bertie/Elizabeth into unwanted roles and jeopardizing the institution of the royal family.
Second, David flat out lied about how much money he had accumulated as Duke of Cornwall in order to wrangle a financial settlement from Bertie. I think when Bertie discovered this his opinion of his cherished older brother was forever tarnished.
Third, even after the abdication David continued to be a problem, he wanted to continue to be the focus of attention thereby interfering w/ Bertie's ability to establish his own reign. Indeed I believe that in Monkton's renegotiation of the financial settlement after David's lies came to light one of the provisos was that the Windsors could not visit Britain w/out permission.

 

[Skippyboo]

Lady Colin Campbell is pretty low on the believability scale of royal biographers.


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[Osipi]

But... but... but she has such reliable sources and names them. "a courtier high up in the palace" and "a source close to the royal family" and quite a few others. I read one book by her and gave up.

 

[padams2359]

Yes, she was pretty bad. If she was the one on the program that looked like an old drag queen. Lol

 

[Curryong]

If Lady Colin said the sky was blue I'd have to go outside to check, that's how I feel about her I believe she was the one who came up with some ridiculous theory about the Queen Mother's birth and why she was nicknamed 'Cookie' by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Lady Colin's own life has been a very unusual one with some unconventional elements. She's appeared on 'I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of Here' so that says it all really!

 

[CyrilVladisla]

In 1936 King Edward VIII did not invite the Archbishop of Canterbury to Balmoral. Previously the Archbishop had been a regular visitor. Elizabeth, the Duchess of York stepped into the breach and invited the Archbishop to stay at Birkhall, the Yorks' house on the Balmoral estate.

Did Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon view James Stewart as a very serious suitor for her hand in marriage?

 

[Curryong]

That was because Edward didn't like the Archbishop, Cosmo Lang, who was in his mind, too far aligned with the Establishment and the old brigade of courtiers that had clustered round his parents. Edward, who wasn't very religious, regarded him as unctuous and oily. (There is a great deal of evidence that the Archbishop wasn't too keen on Edward either and didn't want him on the throne with or without a Queen Wallis.)

He had been a regular guest at Balmoral and Sandringham in the old King's reign and it was certainly rude of Edward to behave in that way. I don't think he cared, though! His brother and sister in law were much more conventional and kind hearted!

 

[Curryong]

Yes, I think they were in love with each other, and perhaps both thought that, in the fullness of time it might end in marriage. However, James Stuart didn't really have any money on which to marry, and he accepted a job in the US in the oil industry. He left for the US in 1922, leaving the way clear for Prince Bertie to try and capture Elizabeth's heart.

I don't believe Stuart's later claim though that Queen Mary had actively interfered in his romance with Lady Elizabeth, by getting him out of the country, via an oil job offered by one of her and the King's friends. Mary, like the present Queen, did little intervening in her grown children's lives. If she had been like Queen Victoria there would have been no Wallis Simpson, as Edward would have been married off to someone suitable in his early twenties! Yes, she was interested in the progress of the romance and probably hoped that Elizabeth would marry her son, but that was as far as it went, imo.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Queen Elizabeth visited the Vatican in 1959.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv6ZUZ0yOYg

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother opened the Franco-Scottish Exhibition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lverTuDhCzo

 

[jackieo1600]

Hi,

I'm looking for someone who knows a lot about the Queen Mother, especially her day to day routines. I know somethings about her and Clarence house but I need more information for a series of paintings I am working on. Most of my questions now regard dining. My first painting I am working on is of Lady Diana and the Queen Mother at breakfast on February 25, 1981. The day after the engagement was announced. I have looked through some books I own on royal dining but I haven't found all the answers I need.

To start with

Where would the Queen Mother eat breakfast at Clarence House? I know she liked the french habit of eating in different rooms but I can't find where breakfast would be set up.

For someone who knows her patterns well what do you imagine she wore to an everyday breakfast in the early 80s?

What would she eat for breakfast? I know she liked orange juice.

Does anyone know about her everyday china or even flatware?

Would flowers be on the table? I know they wouldn't be at BP.

Any answers or additional information would be very helpful. I believe I have all of the books on Clarence house that exist after 1950, but I don't have any besides the Clarence House one on the QM.

You can let me know in this thread or PM me.

Thanks so much to whomever can help!

 

[Osipi]

One residence that was beloved by the Queen Mum was her own private retreat. The Castle of Mey in Scotland. She found it not too long after George VI passed away and bought it, renovated it and refurbished it and every inch of it was to the Queen Mum's liking including the wonderful gardens there and the animals. This is a good website that will tell you lots more.

The Castle of Mey | The Queen Mother's Home in Caithness

I've just finished reading a biography of the Queen and in several passages, it mentions a certain breakfast dish that QEQM loved and served especially at the Castle of Mey. The dish is called Oerfs Drumkilbo and I actually found a recipe for it.

Eggs Drumkilbo recipe | Epicurious.com

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[jackieo1600]

Thank you so much for responding, but I'm looking for information about breakfast/dining at Clarence House specifically. Can anyone help?

 

[Countessmeout]

Here is an article about her every day routine including mention of breakfast
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/mar/31/queenmother.monarchy1

 

[ladongas]

It would be quite unusual to find a photo of a Queen actually eating. There is a book by her longtime aide William Tallon, "Backstairs Billy", which has lengthy and entertaining anecdotes about the Queen Mum. It's possible that breakfast might be discussed- cocktail hour certainly was.

 

[jackieo1600]

Thank you. I don't need a picture of her eating so much as information. Thanks for what you have provided.

 

[jackieo1600]

Here is an article about her every day routine including mention of breakfast
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/mar/31/queenmother.monarchy1

Just reading the article you posted. It was very helpful! Thank you!

 

[RoyalProtocol]

Hi,

I'm looking for someone who knows a lot about the Queen Mother, especially her day to day routines. I know somethings about her and Clarence house but I need more information for a series of paintings I am working on. Most of my questions now regard dining. My first painting I am working on is of Lady Diana and the Queen Mother at breakfast on February 25, 1981. The day after the engagement was announced. I have looked through some books I own on royal dining but I haven't found all the answers I need.

To start with

Where would the Queen Mother eat breakfast at Clarence House? I know she liked the french habit of eating in different rooms but I can't find where breakfast would be set up.

For someone who knows her patterns well what do you imagine she wore to an everyday breakfast in the early 80s?

What would she eat for breakfast? I know she liked orange juice.

Does anyone know about her everyday china or even flatware?

Would flowers be on the table? I know they wouldn't be at BP.

Any answers or additional information would be very helpful. I believe I have all of the books on Clarence house that exist after 1950, but I don't have any besides the Clarence House one on the QM.

You can let me know in this thread or PM me.

Thanks so much to whomever can help!

Here is a section from the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother's obituary in the Guardian which might help.

Whatever time she got to bed, a curtseying maid would tap on her bedroom door at 7.30 the following morning. The maid would enter carrying a tray with a bone-china teacup, pink roses and a copy of the Racing Post, and place it next to her bed. After an early-morning bath the Queen Mother would walk to the breakfast room, where she would sit down to a plate of fruit, toast and a free-range boiled Buff Orpington egg.

Link to the original article. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/mar/31/queenmother.monarchy1


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[RoyalProtocol]

Here is a section from the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother's obituary in the Guardian which might help.

Whatever time she got to bed, a curtseying maid would tap on her bedroom door at 7.30 the following morning. The maid would enter carrying a tray with a bone-china teacup, pink roses and a copy of the Racing Post, and place it next to her bed. After an early-morning bath the Queen Mother would walk to the breakfast room, where she would sit down to a plate of fruit, toast and a free-range boiled Buff Orpington egg.

Link to the original article. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/mar/31/queenmother.monarchy1


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Sorry just realised this has already been posted.


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[Osipi]

If its personal insight into the life of the Queen Mother, a very good read was written by her niece, Margaret Rhodes. "The Final Curtsy: A Royal Memoir" is the name of the book.

 

[jackieo1600]

Thank you for all the information and suggestions!

 

[Curryong]

A friend of mine collects fine bone china and through the years learned various snippets of information. Paragon china held Royal warrants for both Queen Mary and later Queen Elizabeth the future Queen Mother. Both royals were very fond of their range. Royal Albert china, very floral, was also a favourite as was Aynsley china, though they didn't get an actual Royal Warrant for their wares until the present Queen. Queen Elizabeth would have had old silver on her tables, in flatware and condiments etc.

The Queen Mother apparently sometimes had breakfast in bed, especially as she got older. When she was a young married woman this was a special indulgence when at house parties for wedded women only.