The queen consort who rebuilt the monarchy from the ruins of abdication scandal
The last queen consort to be crowned was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother – the King’s beloved grandmother – nearly 90 years ago.
She went on to rebuild the monarchy from the ruins of the scandal and became the cornerstone of the House of Windsor, supporting her shy husband, who never desired nor expected to be king.
As a dowager royal matriarch, she was embraced as a much-loved great-grandmother to the nation.
In 1937, she was crowned alongside George VI in Westminster Abbey.
They were watched by their daughters 11-year-old Princess Elizabeth, who would eventually become a queen regnant as Elizabeth II, and six-year-old Princess Margaret.
The front cross holds the controversial Koh-i-noor diamond, which was seized by the East India Company and given to Queen Victoria in the 1840s.
During the Second World War’s Blitz, the King and Queen remained in the capital and were seen as sharing in the country’s wartime hardships when Buckingham Palace was bombed.
Charismatic and determined, the diminutive royal, widowed at the age of just 51, became known for her warmth, optimism and sense of royal duty.
But she never forgave the Duke of Windsor, the former king, and his wife the Duchess, claiming the strain of the abdication contributed to her husband’s early death.
They shared a passion for everything equestrian and enjoyed talking about the turf.
The Queen Mother – the longest lived queen consort in history – died at the age of 101 on March 30 2002 in her daughter’s Golden Jubilee year.
“She has always been one of those extraordinary people whose touch can turn everything to gold – whether it be putting people at their ease, turning something dull into something amusing, bringing happiness and comfort to people, or making any house she lives in a unique haven of cosiness and character,” he added.
She offered support and encouragement to the young, sensitive prince, whose mother was often busy with state duties or away on lengthy royal tours, and the pair forged a strong, enduring bond.