Was the Queen Mother a Princess?

[Ibelieveinfairytales]

I seem to recall hearing that after her marriage, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was created a Princess by George V but it was a title she never used. She was the Duchess of York until her husband became king.

However I remember on the official site a list of her styles and titles and Princess is included amongst them. I can't find the page but the titles are listed on Wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_titles_and_honours_of_Elizabeth_Bowes-Lyon

Does anyone know anything about this?

[observer]

The Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon became HRH Princess Albert, Duchess of York, on her marriage to HRH Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George but, like other commoners who marry into the British Royal Family, she was not created a Princess in her own right.

[Ibelieveinfairytales]

Oct 19, 2009 23:40:47 GMT observer said:

The Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon became HRH Princess Albert, Duchess of York, on her marriage to HRH Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George but, like other commoners who marry into the British Royal Family, she was not created a Princess in her own right.

Interesting.

For some reason I recall her being created a princess in her own right. George V was very fond of her and he supposedly did so because of this. I don't remember where I read that though. If this were the case I find it odd that she wouldn't use the title Princess.

At least I would if I was granted a title like that!

[HRISMH Duke Rico]

George V didn't create any title for her, he confirmed that on marriage that she would be a HRH and princess by marriage only.

Whoever gave her list of titles on the various websites could possibly have made a typing error by refering to her as '.....the late Most High, Most Mighty and Most Excellent Princess Elizabeth, Queen Dowager and Queen Mother.....', rather than, 'Most Excellent Princess, Elizabeth....'

Either that or upon widowhood she automatically became a princess in her own right while continuing to use the higher title of HM Queen

[observer]

The official statement about the rank and status of Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon after her marriage was made in the London Times of April 28, 1923:

It is officially announced that, in accordance with the settled general rule that a wife takes the status of her husband, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon on her marriage has become Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York, with the status of a Princess.

No Letters Patent from George V were issued.

[paulchen]

This shows the difference in British tradition between style and title. As Duchess of York The Late Queen Mother enjoyed the style of an HRH and Princess, but only because she married a Prince. She was not granted the title of Princess in her own right, such as happens in Belgium. As mentioned before, she couldn't call herself Princess Elizabeth. At best, she was Princess Albert, just as Princess Michael of Kent isn't Princess Marie-Christine. People start to speculate as to her status as princess because she was known as the Duchess of York.

Then, of course, just to muddy the waters, The Queen sanctioned her late Aunt, technically The Dowager Duchess of Gloucester, being called HRH Princess Alice, when officially she wasn't. Her proper title was HRH Princess Henry, Duchess of Gloucester.

[LOrd Wilingram]

I think calling the HRH Princess Anything is accepted informally in most circles for Senior members of Royal familes. (i.e. Princess Diana who was never really titled such) But the most recent Duchess of York never received such an informal dignity. Princess Sarah Anyone? Though Princess Andrew was a name that was pretty cool, given it was Andrew's grandmother's name.

[HRISMH Duke Rico]

I think that the only reason we called Diana 'Princess Di(ana)' (some of called her 'Di' from the start) was because we all called the Prince of Wales 'Prince Charles' and it sounds better to use names for both rather than the title for one but not the other.

Sarah enjoys an informal dignity while she remains the only person to have ever married Andrew as we all know that the ex wife of HRH The Duke of York was HRH The Duchess of York during their marriage

[Aidan Work]

The Queen Mother was not strictly speaking a commoner,as she was from a noble family,considering that her father was a hereditary peer.

Aidan.

[observer]

Jan 24, 2010 19:12:20 GMT Aidan Work said:

The Queen Mother was not strictly speaking a commoner,as she was from a noble family,considering that her father was a hereditary peer.

Aidan.

Actually, strictly speaking, she WAS a commoner even though her father held a peerage. In the British system, there are the sovereign and peers (those who hold a noble title in their own right) and commoners (everyone else, whether they hold a courtesy title as she did or whether they hold the title of prince or princess or that of knight or baronet).

[HRISMH Duke Rico]

Technically she was an aristocrat, given that the children of earls hold titles for life (in Elizabeths case it was Lady)

[observer]

Feb 9, 2010 18:07:55 GMT HRISMH Duke Rico said:

Technically she was an aristocrat, given that the children of earls hold titles for life (in Elizabeths case it was Lady)

Nevertheless, she was still only a commoner as, in the British system, she held no peerage title in her own right. All the titles she held were courtesy titles derived from her status as the daughter of one peer, and the wife of another who eventually became king-emperor.