The Queen Mum--The Spoken Word by Lloyd D. Newell

The Queen Mum

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

No matter where life takes us, a mother’s love and guidance can help us become secure, compassionate, and contributing individuals. Few if any mothers feel they measure up to that accolade. Yet their love and influence are undeniable. And that’s why we honor them. A mother’s love can be so powerful that it can influence a child, a family, a community, and even a nation. Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon is a good example. By title, she was the Queen Consort, wife of King George VI and mother of today’s Queen Elizabeth. Her royal position could have made her aloof and out-of-touch with the people. But history says otherwise. For good reason, the Brits endearingly called her the Queen Mum. During the Second World War, England faced relentless aerial bombing; even Buckingham Palace was hit in the raids. Officials urged the queen to flee to Canada, but she refused to leave the land and people she loved. She became the symbol of the British fighting spirit, inspiring her subjects to courage and optimism. The queen willingly sacrificed along with her people. She participated in food rationing, used space heaters to conserve fuel, and allowed only one bare bulb to light each room at Windsor Castle. She frequently visited bombed-out areas, offering hope to those whose lives were buried in rubble. Sounds like a mother, doesn’t it? On the front lines and battlefields of life, they can rally the best in us. They build with courage, sacrifice, dedication, determination, and service—and above all, love. May we each so live that our lives reflect the powerful influence of our mothers’ love. Program #4105