The Queen Mother would have turned 125 years old on Monday, August 4, and throughout her life, the late royal was known for her wit, steely nerves and love of a good gin and Dubonnet. She represented an era of stoicism and discretion, but as the 1990s unfolded, the marriages of three of her grandchildren unraveled in full (and messy) public view. Whether it was Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's tabloid troubles or Princess Diana's shocking BBC interview, the Queen Mother is said to have been dismayed by the way her grandkids and their spouses ignored her "never complain, never explain" philosophy.
In his official biography of the Queen Mother (via the Daily Mail), William Shawcross explored her feelings on the divorces of Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Charles—and how the Queen Mother helped her daughter, Queen Elizabeth, cope during a time that rocked the monarchy.
