List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who was the wife of King George VI, received many special awards, titles, and medals throughout her life. These were given to her both when she was Queen and after her husband passed away. This article lists these special honours. When you see two dates, the first is when she received the honour, and the second is when she no longer held it.

Her Titles and How She Was Addressed

Quick facts for kids Styles of Queen Elizabeth

Reference style	Her Majesty
Spoken style	Your Majesty

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother had different titles as she grew up and took on royal roles:

August 4, 1900 – February 16, 1904: She was known as The Honourable Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
February 16, 1904 – April 26, 1923: She became Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
April 26, 1923 – December 11, 1936: After marrying Prince Albert (who became King George VI), she was called Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York.
December 11, 1936 – February 6, 1952: When her husband became King, she became Her Majesty The Queen.
February 6, 1952 – March 30, 2002: After her husband's death, she was known as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

At her funeral in the United Kingdom, a special announcement listed her many British honours. These included being a Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and a Grand Master of the Royal Victorian Order. In Canada, her Canadian honours, like the Canadian Forces' Decoration, were also mentioned.

Special Honours from the UK and Commonwealth Countries

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother received many important honours from the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. These awards recognized her dedication and service.

Appointments and Orders

These are special groups or "orders" that people are invited to join because of their achievements.

Important Appointments and Honours
Country	Date	Appointment
United Kingdom	1923 – 2002	Member of the Royal Family Order of King George V
British Commonwealth	1926 – 2002	Dame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
United Kingdom	1927 – 2002	Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
British India	1931 – 2002	Member of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India
United Kingdom	1936 – 2002	Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter
British Commonwealth	1937 – 2002	Grand Master and Principal Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
United Kingdom	1937 – 2002	Member of the Royal Family Order of King George VI
United Kingdom	1937 – 2002	Extra Lady of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle
United Kingdom	1952 – 2002	Member of the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
Canada	1966 – 2002	Member of the Order of the Dogwood
New Zealand	1990 – 2002	Additional Member of the Order of New Zealand
Canada	2000 – 2002	Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada

Decorations and Medals

These are awards given for bravery, service, or to mark special events.

Special Medals and Decorations
Country	Date	Decoration
British Commonwealth	1936	Member of the Royal Red Cross
British Commonwealth	1937	Recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
British Commonwealth	1935	Recipient of the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
British Commonwealth	1937	Recipient of the King George VI Coronation Medal
British Commonwealth	1953	Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
British Commonwealth	1977	Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
British Commonwealth	2002	Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
Canada	1951	Recipient of the Canadian Forces' Decoration

Other Awards

She also received special awards for her contributions to various fields.

Other Awards
Country	Date	Award
United Kingdom	1961	Recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society Victoria Medal of Honour

Honours from Other Countries

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother also received honours from many countries around the world. These showed her importance on the global stage.

Appointments from Other Countries

Appointments from Foreign Countries
Country	Date	Appointment
Yugoslavia	1923 – 2002	Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saint Sava
Japan	1937 – 2002	Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown
France	1938 – 2002	Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
Netherlands	1950 – 2002	Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands
Greece	1950 – 2002	Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of St Olga and St Sophia

Decorations from Other Countries

Decorations from Foreign Countries
Country	Date	Decoration	Ribbon
France	1945	Recipient of the Red Cross Medal
Norway	1945	Recipient of the Norwegian War Cross

Honorary Military Roles

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother held many honorary positions in military regiments. This meant she was a special patron or "Colonel-in-Chief" for these groups. It was a way to show her support and connection to the armed forces.

Australia

1953 – 2002: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps

Canada

1938 – 2002: Colonel-in-Chief of the Toronto Scottish Regiment
1947 – 2002: Colonel-in-Chief of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada

New Zealand

1939 – 2002: Colonel-in-Chief of the New Zealand Scottish Regiment

United Kingdom

1935 – 2002: Royal Honorary Colonel The London Scottish
1937 – 2002: Colonel-in-Chief of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
1942 – 2002: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Army Medical Corps
1949 – 2002: Commandant-in-Chief of the Women's Royal Army Corps
1949 – 1994: Commandant-in-Chief of the Women's Royal Air Force
1960 – 2002: Commandant-in-Chief of the RAF Central Flying School

Other Special Titles and Honours

Beyond national awards, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother also received many local and academic honours.

Freedom of the City

This is a special honour given by a city to a respected person. It means they are welcomed and celebrated by the community.

In Commonwealth Countries

1927: Glasgow
1936: Edinburgh
1953: London
1954: Ottawa

In Other Countries

2000: Volgograd (Honorary Citizen)

Memberships and Fellowships

She was a member or patron of many important organizations, showing her support for their work.

Country	Date	Organisation	Position
United Kingdom	1938 – 2002	Women's Royal Voluntary Service	President
United Kingdom	1956 – 2002	Royal Society	Honorary Fellow
England	1944 – 2002	Honourable Society of the Middle Temple	Honorary Bencher
United Kingdom		Royal Academy of Dramatic Art	Patron
United Kingdom		Royal Academy of Music	Patron
United Kingdom		Royal Horticultural Society	Patron
British Commonwealth	1983 – 2002	Victoria Cross and George Cross Association	President

University Roles and Degrees

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother also had important roles in universities and received many honorary degrees. An "honorary degree" is a special university degree given to someone to honour their achievements, even if they didn't study there.

University Positions

Country	Date	Institution	Position
England	1953 – 1993	Royal College of Music	President
England	1955 – 1980	University of London	Chancellor
Scotland	1967 – 1977	University of Dundee	Chancellor

Honorary Degrees

Nation or Land	Date	Institution	Degree
Northern Ireland	1924	Queen's University Belfast	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Scotland	1929	University of St. Andrews	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
England	1948	University of Cambridge	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
New York	1954	Columbia University	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
England	1931	University of Oxford	Doctor of Civil Law (DCL)
England	1966	University of Sheffield	Doctor of Music (D.Mus)
England	1937	University of London	Doctor of Letters (D.Litt)

Things Named After Her

Many places and things were named in honour of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. This is a way to remember her and her contributions.

Buildings

England: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
England: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn
Scotland: Queen Mother Building, University of Dundee, Dundee
Scotland: Queen Mother Library, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen

Schools

Canada: Queen Elizabeth High School, Halifax
England: Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford, Oxford
Zimbabwe: Queen Elizabeth School, Harare

Ships

United Kingdom: RMS Queen Elizabeth