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01
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was the first British royal to reach age 100.
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02
Adolf Hitler labeled her Europe’s most dangerous woman for boosting British morale during the Blitz.
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03
On her wedding day, Elizabeth placed her bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier entering Westminster Abbey; every royal bride since has copied the gesture, albeit on the return from the altar.
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04
Preparations for her funeral commenced in 1969, 33 years prior to her death.
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05
She passed away less than two months after her daughter Princess Margaret, who died of a stroke on February 7, 2002.
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06
When Prince Albert future King George VI proposed in 1921, Elizabeth turned him down, afraid of losing her freedom. Queen Mary later intervened by having a rival sent abroad.
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07
Her favorite actor was John Wayne.
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08
She was of Scottish heritage.
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09
She had two children: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary later Queen Elizabeth II, born April 21, 1926 and Princess Margaret Rose born August 21, 1930.
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10
She became Queen Consort when her husband acceded to the throne in December 1936.
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11
A fan of The Golden Girls, she requested the four stars to perform at the 1988 Royal Variety Performance.
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12
She was fluent in French.
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Her brother Fergus died at the Battle of Loos. Another brother, Michael, was reported missing in May 1917 but had been captured and spent the rest of the war as a POW.
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14
Helena Bonham Carter portrayed her in The King’s Speech. Writer David Seidler, a stutterer, got her permission to write about King George VI’s speech therapy on condition it not be produced until after her death; after her death, the script became a film.
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15
Her grandchildren included Prince Charles b. 1948, Princess Anne b. 1950, Andrew b. 1960, David Armstrong-Jones b. 1961, Prince Edward b. 1964, and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones b. 1964.
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She was born at her father’s summer home.
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17
She was a fan of Keeping Up Appearances and its star Patricia Routledge.
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18
After her daughter became Queen Elizabeth II, she was titled Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
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19
Her great-grandchildren included Peter Phillips b. 1977, Zara Tindall b. 1981, Prince William b. 1982, Prince Harry b. 1984, Princess Beatrice b. 1988, Princess Eugenie b. 1990, and others.
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20
She was the fourth daughter and ninth of ten children of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
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21
She was a sister of David Bowes-Lyon.
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22
After King George VI’s death in 1952, she moved to the Royal Lodge at Windsor.
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23
She received the Companion of the Order of Canada on August 1, 2000.
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24
She was a fourth cousin of Oswald Mosley.
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25
She served as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1978 to 2002, succeeding Menzies and Churchill.
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26
At the 1986 Royal Variety Performance, she watched a Only Fools and Horses sketch and waved to David Jason, who almost forgot his lines. When she thanked him, he was moved, though she said the same to everyone.
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27
Her favorite comedians included Frankie Howerd and The Crazy Gang, and she loved Dad’s Army.
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28
Gabrielle Blunt portrayed her in Diana: Her True Story.
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29
Victoria Hamilton and Marion Bailey portrayed her in The Crown.
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30
She was a fan of Steptoe and Son.
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31
She performed royal duties and attended engagements until November 2001 at age 101.
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32
She was born at 12:30 AM GMT.
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33
In 1995, she scheduled her hip replacement surgery for the same week as Princess Diana’s Martin Bashir interview, reportedly to divert media attention if she died.
