BIO: When the Queen Mother died peacefully in her sleep at age 101 on the afternoon of March 30th, with her daughter Queen Elizabeth by her bedside, the Royal Family lost its matriarch. British people waited in their thousands to pay their respects to the woman who had been their Queen for 16 years and whose coffin was lying in state in Westminster Hall. For the older generations, this was a way of communing with their past. For the younger generations it was an opportunity to find a new, fresh interest in history. Her great-grandsons, William and Harry, recalled her mischevious sense of humour. "She loved a good laugh, even if the joke was about her," said Prince William. "Anything that was meant to be formal and went wrong she enjoyed..." When lovely little Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was born on August 4, 1900 at Glamis Castle in Scotland, the Wright brothers were only dreaming of manned flight; space travel existed only in the pages of Jules Verne's science fiction; even television and radio did not yet exist. The motorcar was a novelty for the rich and the legal speed limit on Britain's roads was a leisurely two miles an hour. Diseases, which modern medicine had virtually eradicated in the developed world, could still threaten epidemic at the start of the 20th century and social security, unemployment benefit had yet to be constructed. Women, and the majority of men, did not yet have the right to vote, "democracy" was a very different concept and reality, as was the world inhabited by those who could still be termed "the ruling classes." The upheavals of the 20th century wiped out the monarchs of Eastern, Central and Southern Europe. To the north and west of the old world they fared better and it was there, ! that the beautiful Scots lass could work her magic, an inspirational role she created when royalty becomes a synonym for caring and concern for others, generosity of spirit. Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the product of a solid and loving family environment, not always the case among aristocratic families, in which her personal qualities could grow. Her parents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore, were a remarkable couple who believed in active parenthood when many of their social class seeemed intent only on getting their children out of the way, leaving them to the brought up by nannies and governesses, and packed off to boarding school at the earliest age allowed. Elizabeth was the ninth of ten children. The Strathmores were described as a close-knit, pious Scots clan, deeply loving and loyal to each other, deeply religious, and they benefited enormously from having parents who were also friends and advisors. The Strathmores belonged to a tradition of public service ! in return for privilege. The family home, Glamis Castle, was converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers in the First World War. The Strathmores were not protected from the horrors of war, and the family saw three of Elizabeth's brothers in uniform. By 1915 Fergus was dead and Michael had been severely wounded. Elizabeth joined her mother and sisters' work in the hospital's nursing and organisation. She became the hospital's social worker and was soon a favourite with the 1,500 wounded men who had been sent to Glamis to recover. The soldiers remembered her as the high-spirited, fun-loving, very beautiful youngster who did acrobatic tricks on the bicycle to amuse them, playing billards with them, often beat them at card games, played popular songs on the piano and wrote letters home on their behalf. For many, the Queen Mother was a "pastel dream," smiling and waving graciously as her birthdays mounted - for the Prince of Wales, she was "the most magical grandmother you could have. "I know what my darling grandmother meant to so many other people. She literally enriched their lives and she was the original life enhancer, whether publicly or privately, whoever she was with. And, in many ways, she became an institution in her own right; a presence in the nation and in other realms and territories beyond these shores. At once indomitable, somehow timeless, able to span the generations; wise, loving, and an utterly irresistible mischieviousness of spirit. An immensely strong character, combined with a unique natural grace, and an infectious optimism about life itself. Above all, she understood the British character and her heart belonged to this ancient land and it's equally indomitable and humorous inhabitants, whom she served with panache, style and unswerving dignity for nearly 80 years. I know, too, what she meant to my whole family, particularly the Queen, to whom she was such a stalwart and sensitive support when my grandfather died, when he wa! s only two and a half years older than I am now. For me, she meant everything and I had dreaded, dreaded this moment along with, I know, countless others. Somehow, I never thought it would come. She seemed gloriously unstoppable and, since I was a child, I adored her. Her houses were always filled with an atmosphere of fun, laughter and affection, and I learnt so much from her of immense value to my life. Apart from anything else, whe wrote such sparklingly wonderful letters and her turn of phrase could be utterly memorable. Above all, she saw the funny side of life and we laughed until we cried -- oh, how I shall miss her laugh and wonderful wisdom born of so much experience and an innate sensitivity to life. She was quite simply the most magical grandmother you could possibly have, and I was utterly devoted to her. Her departure has left an irreplaceable chasm in countless lives but, thank God, we are all the richer for the sheer joy of her presence and everything ! she stood for."