Britian's Queen Mother Dies At Age 101

[maxwellp]

From New York State, our deepest sympathy to our friends in Britain.

[southernnorthcarolina]

A correction to my recollection that the Queen Mum had broken her leg in her 90s. Actually, she had hip replacement surgery in 1995 and 1998 (her year of birth was 1900), and she broke her collarbone in a fall in 2000. Recovery from those events at those stages in life is amazing, indeed.

[maxwellp]

Dear Ivan: The Queen Mother was always admired here in America and she will be missed by all. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND.

[Timesink]

My guess is they were waiting for the official release from Buckingham Palace before announcing the event.

Yes. Being the official national broadcaster (despite the level of freedom in programming given to them in their charter - which is what allows them to air wildly left-wing-biased reporting) they are required to follow protocol and wait for the official announcement from Buckingham Palace.

I distinctly remember the night Diana was killed. I was flipping all the networks and cable news channels and found one carrying a live simulcast of BBC 1. Around 2:30 am Eastern they did a live phone report from a BBC reporter in Paris who had just spoken to one of the doctors or one of Diana's aides, and it was clear he had been told she was dead but wasn't allowed to say so if he wanted to keep his job. So he said something to the effect of "[His source] tells me there will be an announcement shortly, and to expect the news to be grim." This was already long after we knew she'd been very badly hurt, so there was only one way to interpret it.

And sure enough, the AP bulletin went out a few minutes later. But it wasn't until 3:00, when the Palace issued its statement, that the BBC reported it. They just hemmed and hawed for the intervening twenty minutes.

They immediately canceled their regular programming, first going to mournful classical music, and have since gone to a more-or-less continuous retrospective of her life. Interesting stuff, some of which I knew, and some which I didn't.

Actually, I've been stunned at the BBC's overall shugging-of-shoulders at the Queen Mum's death. There's been some changes in programming: For example, BBC Radio 6 is simulcasting Radio 2, which is in "somber" pop music mode (lots of slow, mournful I-just-broke-up-with-my-lover-and-the-world-has-ended type music: "Yesterday," "Imagine," etc), but Radio 1 is playing its usual hard loud rock seemingly without a care in the world, Radios 4 and 5 are covering the event but very repetitively and acting as if they're bored out of their minds doing so, etc. I honestly don't understand how so many Brits can be so callous.

[Timesink]

Are you saying that the posters wish Hitler had won? My God...

They're not saying it outright (unless I missed a post or two, they were in general stomach-turning), but it sure seems as if a lot of them are so filled with hate for this tiny harmless great-grandmother that they'd rather Hitler of won just so that she'd have been executed.

Of course, what their vile hate really means is that we've won. They're on the losing side of history, and cannot handle it, so they feel anger, hate and misery. And I love seeing them suffer.

[snopercod]

Could they "elect" Margaret Thatcher to be the next Queen?

[texasbluebell]

The Queen Mother saw many of her male acquaintances she grew up with die in WWI. Britain took enormous losses fighting the Germans in this war, practically a whole generation of young men were lost.

Yes, I've just read somewhere that she lost one of her own brothers, Fergus, at the battle of Loos during WWI. She loved her brothers, it's obvious when you see the photos of her with her brother David. I saw a special once on Glamis Castle which was their childhood home. David and Elizabeth were great pranksters, and Elizabeth was called the Merry Minx by her family for her high spirits and the tricks she played on others. She must have been a charming child.

Here's a sweet photo of her from the old days. The caption said she was with an unidentified friend, though it could have been her brother David; they were close in age.

[AppyPappy]

She was a rock. The White Cliffs Of Dover of the monarchy.

[MeekOneGOP]

Hey, here's a pretty nice slideshow that the Dallas Morning News has up............
Queen Mum
http://www.dallasnews.com//slideshows/03-02/30queen_mother/1.html

---

Here's three of the 10........

Britain's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
pictured at age 9, when she was known as Lady Elizabeth
Bowes-Lyon. This photo was taken in 1909 at Glamis Castle,
Scotland. The Queen Mother died Saturday, March 30, 2002.

Queen Elizabeth with her daughters in 1931. On the left is
Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II, and in the
center is Princess Margaret. Princess Margaret died in
February 2002.

The Queen Mother looks up from under an umbrella as she
visits the Royal British Legion Field of Remembrance at St.
Margaret Church, near Westminster Abbey, in 2001.

[Happygal]

I'm sorry the Queen mother died. Of course I am. In the same way as I'm sorry any old dear in my neighbourhood dies. Not all of us make 101..ye know?

I'm sorry she died as an old lady/
Out of respect, I'll say no more.

[MeekOneGOP]

Oh. ok.....

[hoosierham]

At least a few of us understand how to count.Bravo!

COndolences to the family.

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

At least a few of us understand how to count.Bravo!

Yup. That's right. And not only can I count, but I refused to celebrate the "new millennium" when everyone else did. That's right. I sat in front of my TV with my arms folded across my chest and stared at a black screen. Then, I screamed wildly the following year when the REAL new millennium came in.

[Nowhere Man]

My condolences to our fellow British/Commonwealth Freepers. I had to meet a few clients today and when I got home, my mother told me of her passing. I was bummed and still am about it. Shame the old, classy ones are passing away. She was one cool lady, she will be missed a whole lot.

I know at 101, it can be expected to pass away at any time, then again any of us could be 5 minutes away and not know it. Anyhoo, first Dudley Moore, then Milton Berle, then Billy Wilder, now the Queen Mum. Well, at least in the Afterlife, they now have a set to play some bridge with or at least a good game of Monopoly. B-)

It was interesting that until today, she was a link back to Queen Victoria since when she was born, Victoria was Queen. RIP, Queen Mum.

[Walkin Man]

Rest in peace Queen Mum. Condolences to our British cousins, sorry for your loss friends.

[butter pecan fan]

butter pecan fan's prediction #11 for 2002:

11) The Queen Mum will pass quietly away and be sadly mourned and honoured by legions of Brits.

Bump for a great lady.

[butter pecan fan]

Make that: a truly great lady.

[TopQuark]

Condolences to the royal family and all our British friends.

No matter how generous the lifespan is, the passing of a loved one is always untimely for the family and friends.

[TopQuark]

Watcher, where have you left your heart and shame?

[Salgak]

A real shame: this was a GREAT woman, and an outstanding example of what Royalty SHOULD be. I had the honor of meeting her back in the 1980's, when I was in the USAF, and it was remarkable in the combination of Royal Dignity and Grandeur combined with a personal touch that made her feel like your own family: sort of the Ultimate Grandmother.

She will be missed, and my sincerest condolences to our friends and allies in Britain at their great loss. . . .