Elizabeth was born in her parents’ London home, or in a horse-drawn ambulance on the way to the hospital. Maybe it was those Scottish genes and her challenging entry into this world that led to her long and hardy life.
She was educated by a governess until the age of eight. When she was fourteen, Britain declared war on Germany. Four of her brothers served, and her elder brother, Fergus, died as an officer in the Black Watch Regiment. Another brother was captured and held as a POW until the end of the war. Glamis Castle was turned into a convalescent home for wounded soldiers, which the future Queen helped run. One of the soldiers she treated wrote in her autograph book that she was to be “Hung, drawn, & quartered … Hung in diamonds, drawn in a coach and four, and quartered in the best house in the land.”
She was never meant to be Queen. She married the Duke of York – second in line to the throne. And her beloved husband, Bertie, was shy and had a speech impediment now made famous by the movie “The King’s Speech”. But, as her biographer James Wentworth Day writes, “Her gaiety conquered his shyness. She gave him confidence. When he rose to speak, she flashed him a quick smile. It gave him the spur he needed.”
In the Second World War, Adolf Hitler described her as “the most dangerous woman in Europe.” During the Blitz, when the Cabinet asked her to take the children and leave London, she said: “The children won’t go without me. I won’t leave the King. And the King will never leave.” So they stayed throughout the war. She regularly visited the factories and neighborhoods of the East End of London, which was under constant bombing attack. Buckingham Palace was bombed several times, prompting her to remark: “I’m glad we got hit. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face.”
A typical Scot, she was famous for her strong principles, physical courage and sense of duty. Peter Ustinov wrote of her facing a student riot at the University of Dundee in 1968. When students were throwing toilet rolls like streamers, she got out of her car, picked one up, and approached the student who’d thrown it. “Was this yours? Oh, could you take it?” The student was dumbfounded, and the mob quieted and backed away.
She was well-known for her dry wit. When she heard that the Duchess of Mountbatten had been buried at sea, she said: “Dear Edwina, she always did like to make a splash.” Once she accompanied the gay writer Noel Coward to a gala, and noticed him eye the soldiers on guard – she whispered: “I wouldn’t if I were you, Noel. They count them before they put them out.”
If you want to know how to live to be a hundred, you might look to her love of the occasional alcoholic beverage. She drank gin – and Dubonnet – and port – and martini – and champagne. She is estimated to have enjoyed 70 alcoholic drinks a week! Once, when a case of drink was given for the Royal party at Christmas, but it wasn’t known if they would be coming, she said: “Well, I could polish the whole lot off myself.” But nothing ever interfered with her performing her duties. She opened events, attended funerals, was never concerned about the popularity of her duties. She was active in showing herself and helping end racial inequality in South Africa.
She survived many illnesses. She was twice a cancer survivor, and overcame many accidents. When a fish bone stuck in her throat, and she was rushed to an emergency operation, she joked afterwards “the salmon have got their own back.” What else would a Scot say? Her beloved husband, King George VI, died in 1952, and she became “Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother” to avoid confusion with her daughter Queen Elizabeth II. To the public, she was affectionately known as the Queen Mother, or simply the Queen Mum.
She loved dogs and horses, and was an excellent judge of race horses, particularly steeplechasers. She owned horses that won more than 500 races, although she never placed bets.
In 1995 her right hip was replaced. In 1998 her left hip was replaced, following a fall at Sandringham stables. Her 100th birthday was celebrated with a commemorative £20 banknote issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland (Scottish banks are allowed to issue their own banknotes – if you’d like to see, I have some. Last time I was back, they had become unacceptable in Scotland, but were still legal tender in England!).
At one celebration event, the Archbishop of Canterbury mistakenly went to pick up her wine glass, only to be admonished by the alert centenarian’s “That’s mine!” which caused widespread amusement. She broke her collar bone later in the year, and in December 2001, the 101 year old fell and broke her pelvis – but still insisted on standing for the National Anthem at the memorial service for her late husband. Just three days later, her second daughter, Princess Margaret died. The queen Mum fell at Sandringham House and was in a wheelchair with a badly cut arm – but she was determined to travel from Norwich to Windsor, to attend Margaret’s funeral, two days later. Seven weeks later, she passed away in her sleep, at the age of 101, with Queen Elizabeth II at her bedside.
As Army Cadet of the Year, I had the honor and pleasure of being presented to the Queen Mother at a garden party in Buckingham Palace – and she was every bit as others have described her – a true Scot – interested – chatty – hospitable – unassuming – a genuinely charming lady. Among all the uniforms there that day – the Royal Marines Band – the Regiment of Guards – she noticed my hodden grey uniform and came over to chat. Hodden grey, the tartan of the London Scottish Regiment, came from the tartan worn by the common folk in Scotland – made from blending one strand of black wool to twelve of white before weaving – and made famous in Burns’ “A Man’s A Man For A’ That”
“What though on hamely fare we dine; Wear hodden grey, an’ a that; Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine; A Man’s a Man for a’ that.”
The London Scottish, wearing the hodden grey since 1859, became part of the Gordon Highlanders in 1937.
Elizabeth alizaliwa katika nyumba ya wazazi wake ya London, au katika gari la wagonjwa la farasi lililosafirishwa hadi hospitalini. Labda ni kwa sababu ya chembe zake za urithi za Scotland na changamoto zake za kuingia katika ulimwengu huu ambazo zilimwongoza kwenye maisha yake marefu na magumu. Alifundishwa na mwalimu wa shule hadi alipokuwa na umri wa miaka minane. Alipokuwa na umri wa miaka kumi na minne, Uingereza ilitangaza vita dhidi ya Ujerumani. Ndugu zake wanne walitumikia, na ndugu yake mkubwa, Fergus, alikufa akiwa afisa katika Kikosi cha Black Watch. Ndugu mwingine alikamatwa na kufungwa kama mfungwa wa vita hadi mwisho wa vita. Ngome ya Glamis iligeuzwa kuwa nyumba ya kupumzika kwa askari waliojeruhiwa, ambayo Malkia wa wakati ujao alisaidia kuendesha. "Mmoja wa askari aliowapa matibabu aliandika katika kitabu chake cha autograph kwamba alikuwa ""Atapigwa, kuchorwa, na kugawanywa katika sehemu nne... Alitundikwa katika almasi, kuchorwa katika gari na nne, na kugawanywa katika nyumba bora katika nchi.""" Aliolewa na Duke wa York <unk> wa pili katika mstari wa kiti cha enzi. Na mume wake mpendwa, Bertie, alikuwa mwenye haya na alikuwa na tatizo la usemi ambalo sasa limejulikana kwa sababu ya filamu ya "The King's Speech". Lakini, kama mwandishi wa maisha yake James Wentworth Day aandikavyo, "Mchanganyiko wake ulishinda aibu yake. Alimpa uhakika. Alipoinuka ili azungumze, mwanamke huyo alimtabasamu kwa haraka. "Hata hivyo, wakati wa Vita Kuu ya Pili ya Dunia, Adolf Hitler alimwita ""mwanamke hatari zaidi Ulaya"" na wakati wa Blitz, wakati Baraza la Mawaziri lilimwomba kuchukua watoto na kuondoka London, alisema: ""Watoto hawatakwenda bila mimi.""" Mimi sitamwacha Mfalme. Na Mfalme hataacha kamwe. <unk> Hivyo walibaki wakati wote wa vita. Alitembelea kwa ukawaida viwanda na vitongoji vya East End ya London, ambayo ilikuwa chini ya mashambulizi ya mabomu ya mara kwa mara. Jumba la Buckingham lilipigwa bomu mara kadhaa, na kumfanya aseme: "Ninafurahi kwamba tuligongwa". Inafanya nijihisi naweza kutazama East End usoni. <unk> Mskoti wa kawaida, alikuwa maarufu kwa kanuni zake kali, ujasiri wa kimwili na hisia ya wajibu. "Peter Ustinov aliandika juu ya ""mashambulizi ya wanafunzi"" katika Chuo Kikuu cha Dundee mwaka 1968." Wanafunzi walipokuwa wakitupa vijiti vya choo kama vipande vya maji, alishuka kutoka kwenye gari lake, akachukua kimoja, na kumkaribia mwanafunzi aliyekuwa amemtupa. <unk>Je, hii ilikuwa yako? Oh, unaweza kuchukua? <unk> Mwanafunzi alikuwa stunned, na umati wa watu kutulia na nyuma mbali. Alijulikana sana kwa sababu ya akili yake ya ucheshi. "Wakati aliposikia kwamba Duchess wa Mountbatten alikuwa kuzikwa baharini, alisema: ""Mpendwa Edwina, yeye daima alifanya kama kufanya splash.""Pindi moja yeye aliongozwa na mwandishi gay Noel Coward kwa gala, na aliona yake jicho askari juu ya ulinzi, yeye whispered: ""Singependa kama mimi ni wewe, Noel.""" Wao kuhesabu yao kabla ya kuweka yao nje. <unk> Kama unataka kujua jinsi ya kuishi kuwa mia, unaweza kuangalia kwa upendo wake wa kinywaji pombe mara kwa mara. Alikunywa gin <unk> na Dubonnet <unk> na bandari <unk> na martini <unk> na champagne. Inakadiriwa kwamba alikuwa akinywa kileo 70 kwa juma! "Wakati mmoja, wakati kesi ya kinywaji ilitolewa kwa ajili ya chama cha Royal wakati wa Krismasi, lakini haijulikani kama wangekuja, alisema: ""Naam, ningeweza polish mengi yote mbali mwenyewe.""Lakini hakuna kitu kamwe kuingiliwa na kazi yake." Alifungua matukio, alihudhuria mazishi, hakuwa na wasiwasi kuhusu umaarufu wa majukumu yake. Alikuwa akifanya kazi ya kujionyesha na kusaidia kukomesha ukosefu wa usawa wa rangi nchini Afrika Kusini. Aliokoka magonjwa mengi. Alishinda kansa mara mbili, na alishinda aksidenti nyingi. "Mfano, wakati mfupa wa samaki ulipokamatwa kwenye koo lake na kupelekwa kwenye upasuaji wa dharura, alijiambia kwa ucheshi: ""Samaki wana mgongo wao wenyewe.""" Mfalme George VI alikufa mwaka 1952 na yeye akawa Malkia Elizabeth II ili kuepuka kuchanganyikiwa na binti yake. Kwa umma, alijulikana kwa upendo kuwa Malkia Mama, au kwa ufupi Malkia Mama. Alipenda mbwa na farasi, na alikuwa hakimu bora wa farasi wa mbio, hasa steeplechasers. Alishinda mbio zaidi ya 500 za farasi, ingawa hakuweka bets. Mwaka 1995 alipewa upasuaji wa kuondoa kiuno chake cha kulia. Mwaka 1998 alibadilishwa kiuno chake cha kushoto baada ya kuanguka kwenye kibanda cha Sandringham. Siku ya kuzaliwa kwake ya miaka 100 ilisherehekewa na noti ya kumbukumbu ya £ 20 iliyotolewa na Benki ya Royal ya Scotland (banki za Scotland zinaruhusiwa kutoa noti zao wenyewe - ikiwa ungependa kuona, nina zingine). Mara ya mwisho niliporudi, walikuwa wamekuwa haikubaliki katika Scotland, lakini walikuwa bado kisheria malipo katika Uingereza!). Katika sherehe moja, Askofu Mkuu wa Canterbury alienda kwa makosa kuchukua glasi yake ya divai, tu kuwa admonished na tahadhari centenarian 'Hiyo ni yangu!'ambayo ilisababisha burudani kuenea. Alipigwa na kuvunjika kwa mfupa wa kiganja mwaka huo, na mnamo Desemba 2001, mzee huyo mwenye umri wa miaka 101 alianguka na kuvunja pelvis yake, lakini bado alisisitiza kusimama kwa wimbo wa kitaifa katika huduma ya ukumbusho kwa mumewe marehemu. Siku tatu tu baadaye, binti yake wa pili, Malkia Margaret, alikufa. Malkia Mama alianguka katika Sandringham House na alikuwa katika kiti cha magurudumu na mkono vibaya kukata <unk> lakini alikuwa na nia ya kusafiri kutoka Norwich kwa Windsor, kuhudhuria mazishi ya Margaret, siku mbili baadaye. Baada ya muda wa wiki saba, alifariki akiwa amelala akiwa na umri wa miaka 101, akiwa na Malkia Elizabeth wa Pili kando ya kitanda chake. Kama Cadet wa Jeshi la Mwaka, nilikuwa na heshima na furaha ya kuwa iliyotolewa kwa Malkia Mama katika chama bustani katika Buckingham Palace <unk> na yeye alikuwa kila kidogo kama wengine wameelezea yake <unk> Scot kweli <unk> nia <unk> chatty <unk> ukarimu <unk> lady kweli charming. Miongoni mwa sare zote huko siku hiyo - Royal Marines Band - Regiment ya Walinzi - aliona sare yangu ya kijivu hodden na alikuja kuzungumza. "Hodden Grey, Tartan ya London Scottish Regiment, ilitokana na tartan iliyovaliwa na watu wa kawaida huko Scotland, iliyotengenezwa kwa kuchanganya kamba moja ya sufu nyeusi na kumi na mbili nyeupe kabla ya kufuma, na ilijulikana katika Burns, ""A Man's a Man for a Man"" - ""What though on hamely fare we dine; Wear Hodden Grey, an a that; fools their silks, and knaves their wine; A man's a man for a man"" - ""The London Scots, wearing the Hodden Grey since 1859, became part of the Gordon Highlanders in 1937."