Carreen
Mini Member
Reputation: 272
 Offline
 Germany
Posts: 349
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The Queen Mother, so popular, such a good actress with her charming smile, and who really knows what lay behind it? When I read Shawcross' biography, which is very very positive and flattering, I really came to admire her. How did she do it? Turn herself into an universally beloved figure? Yes, she did her duty in the war and that's great, but so did a lot of people who were never revered like her. She simply had a knack of charming people. I love the anecdote that once, when demonstrating students threw toilet paper rolls at her, she picked one roll up, handed it over to one of the students and said with a smile: "I think this is yours, isn't it?" No matter whether this anecdote is true or not, it's easy to imagine the scene.
In an interview, MIa Farrow spoke about a conversation she once had with the Queen Mother, and Farrow asked her what is the most important thing. And, she said, the Queen Mother said firmly: "Manners. Good manners will get you through everything". Farrow seemed quite impressed with that statement which is of course complete tripe. Good manners can't get you through crisis or tragedy, but they do smoothe your way if you want to be universally revered and admired.
The little twinkle, the crazy hats, the rumours about her drinking habits, it all made her human. Her letters to her mother are touching, there was much love there. Other letters seem so sugared, I don't know whether there was real feeling in them.
I see the Queen Mother as apotheosis of the traditional woman who has a lot of influence and power but never uses them directly. If you had the bad luck to be in her black books, that was it. She was a very good and loving grandmother, especially to Prince Charles and as far as I understood also to Princess Margret's children. So there was warmth and kindness in her.
I can't help it, I have to admire a woman who was plain but had charm in buckets and everybody thought her lovely, a woman whose charm could even camouflage vindictiveness and a certain ruthlessness, a woman who looked like the powerless little angel of the house while pulling a lot of strings behind the scenes. She was a unique character. I wish she had written a book of instructions for newcomers into the royal family :-)
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Hester
Board Helper
Warned
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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!
How are those paintings going? Or did they morph into a Youtube piece instead? |
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CyrilSebastian
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Prince Albert, the Duke of York took part in the celebrations for the centenary of Norwich Museum in October 1925.
Prince Albert, the Duke of York conducted an inspection of the training ship Mercury at Hamble just before Christmas in 1929.
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07ladybug
Baby Member
Reputation: 7
Offline
 Canada
Posts: 34
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The Queen Mother, so popular, such a good actress with her charming smile, and who really knows what lay behind it? When I read Shawcross' biography, which is very very positive and flattering, I really came to admire her. How did she do it? Turn herself into an universally beloved figure? Yes, she did her duty in the war and that's great, but so did a lot of people who were never revered like her. She simply had a knack of charming people. I love the anecdote that once, when demonstrating students threw toilet paper rolls at her, she picked one roll up, handed it over to one of the students and said with a smile: "I think this is yours, isn't it?" No matter whether this anecdote is true or not, it's easy to imagine the scene.
In an interview, MIa Farrow spoke about a conversation she once had with the Queen Mother, and Farrow asked her what is the most important thing. And, she said, the Queen Mother said firmly: "Manners. Good manners will get you through everything". Farrow seemed quite impressed with that statement which is of course complete tripe. Good manners can't get you through crisis or tragedy, but they do smoothe your way if you want to be universally revered and admired.
The little twinkle, the crazy hats, the rumours about her drinking habits, it all made her human. Her letters to her mother are touching, there was much love there. Other letters seem so sugared, I don't know whether there was real feeling in them.
I see the Queen Mother as apotheosis of the traditional woman who has a lot of influence and power but never uses them directly. If you had the bad luck to be in her black books, that was it. She was a very good and loving grandmother, especially to Prince Charles and as far as I understood also to Princess Margret's children. So there was warmth and kindness in her.
I can't help it, I have to admire a woman who was plain but had charm in buckets and everybody thought her lovely, a woman whose charm could even camouflage vindictiveness and a certain ruthlessness, a woman who looked like the powerless little angel of the house while pulling a lot of strings behind the scenes. She was a unique character. I wish she had written a book of instructions for newcomers into the royal family :-)
My impression was that she was a great actress, always smiling and polite in public but behind the scenes she ruled the roost. If she took a dislike to you you were finished. In my opinion Queen Elizabeth at least in the beginning was ruled by the Queen Mother. She didn't want to give up your power to her daughter and son in law. |
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Principessa
Most Exalted Member
Reputation: 2202
Offline
 Netherlands
Posts: 34658
I am the Queen
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Margaret
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Thanks for posting that. I hadn't seen that video before. Its a long speech and George did very well. Until now I didn't realise he had a speech impediment as well as the stuttering. He had trouble pronouncing "r" so he had to work with that as well as the stutter. He's very lucky he had Lionel Logue. |
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Kitty
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The Queen Mother, so popular, such a good actress with her charming smile, and who really knows what lay behind it? When I read Shawcross' biography, which is very very positive and flattering, I really came to admire her. How did she do it? Turn herself into an universally beloved figure? Yes, she did her duty in the war and that's great, but so did a lot of people who were never revered like her. She simply had a knack of charming people. I love the anecdote that once, when demonstrating students threw toilet paper rolls at her, she picked one roll up, handed it over to one of the students and said with a smile: "I think this is yours, isn't it?" No matter whether this anecdote is true or not, it's easy to imagine the scene.
In an interview, MIa Farrow spoke about a conversation she once had with the Queen Mother, and Farrow asked her what is the most important thing. And, she said, the Queen Mother said firmly: "Manners. Good manners will get you through everything". Farrow seemed quite impressed with that statement which is of course complete tripe. Good manners can't get you through crisis or tragedy, but they do smoothe your way if you want to be universally revered and admired.
The little twinkle, the crazy hats, the rumours about her drinking habits, it all made her human. Her letters to her mother are touching, there was much love there. Other letters seem so sugared, I don't know whether there was real feeling in them.
I see the Queen Mother as apotheosis of the traditional woman who has a lot of influence and power but never uses them directly. If you had the bad luck to be in her black books, that was it. She was a very good and loving grandmother, especially to Prince Charles and as far as I understood also to Princess Margret's children. So there was warmth and kindness in her.
I can't help it, I have to admire a woman who was plain but had charm in buckets and everybody thought her lovely, a woman whose charm could even camouflage vindictiveness and a certain ruthlessness, a woman who looked like the powerless little angel of the house while pulling a lot of strings behind the scenes. She was a unique character. I wish she had written a book of instructions for newcomers into the royal family :-)
I didn't think that would make you a universally loved person? |
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