Queen Mother & Her Century

by Garry Toffoli

To honour the Queen Mother and mark the occasion of her 100th birthday, Dundurn Press is publishing a biography of this remarkable woman in words and pictures.

Since her marriage to George VI, the Queen Mother has been a public figure who has always evoked passionate reactions: whether it was the anonymous soldier who vowed “to fight for that little lady,” Adolf Hitler who described her as “the most dangerous woman in Europe,” or the Canadian journalist who coined the expression “the Queen Mum.”

A Canadian perspective on a sovereign who created and cultivated a special relationship with Canada informs The Queen Mother and Her Century. The first of many tours of Canada, the Royal Tour of 1939, which gave Canadians our initial opportunity to experience the Queen Mother’s personal magnetism first-hand, is described in detail, along with the many Canadian relationships the Queen Mother has formed since.

Genres: Royalty, History

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Canadian perspective on the Queen Mother, written at the time of her 100th birthday. The book is richly illustrated with photographs and memoribilia from royal tours in addition to formal royal portraits. There are detailed itineraries of the Queen Mother's Canadian tours, especially her 1939 tour with King George VI, which including the press coverage of the time. The impact of Canada on the royal family's public image and approach to Commonwealth tours also receives extensive attention. For example, the nickname "Queen Mum" first appeared in print during a 1954 Canadian tour. The book was published in 2000 and is slightly dated today as the Queen Mother's official biography and selections from her correspondence have been published since then, providing more details concerning her life and travels. Nevertheless, a good overview of the Queen Mother's relationship with Canada with some rarely seen illustrations.

[Trudy Dowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have binging all things royal lately. This has been one of the better ones to read. Lots of information, great pictures.