Cousin and close confidant to Queen Elizabeth II, the Honourable Margaret Rhodes, passed away on Friday after battling a short illness, according to the Sunday Express. She was 91.
The British newspaper reports that the Queen visited Rhodes earlier in November at her home in Windsor, Berkshire, when she fell ill.
A source close to the royal family told the Sunday Express, "The Queen will be devastated to have lost her best friend. She grew up with Mrs Rhodes and they had so much shared history."
The insider continued, "They remained close throughout the Queen's reign and Her Majesty continued to be a regular visitor at Mrs Rhodes's Windsor home until very recently."
Rhodes was the youngest daughter of Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon – sister to Elizabeth's mother – and Lord Sidney Elphinstone. She and the Queen were very close growing up, as they were born only 10 months apart.
She went on to be one of the eight bridesmaids at Elizabeth's 1947 wedding to Prince Philip and was present at her Coronation in 1953.
The duo remained close throughout their lives. They would often get together when the Queen was in Windsor after church on Sundays, the Sunday Express reports. Rhodes has also appeared in numerous documentaries about Queen Elizabeth's life.
Mrs Rhodes, whose aunt was the Queen Mother, died on Friday after a short illness, according to reports.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said it was not issuing a statement as it was a "private matter" for the Queen.
Mrs Rhodes, who was less than a year older than the Queen, spent her summer holidays at Balmoral with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.
The Queen Mother affectionately called her her "third daughter".
Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, ahead of the Queen's 90th birthday, Mrs Rhodes repeated her belief that the monarch will never abdicate while she has her health.
Mrs Rhodes said: "Her total dedication is something we should all be grateful for."
She attended every key royal event for more than 50 years and recorded her experiences in The Final Curtsey, a memoir which was published in 2011.
During the war, she worked as a secretary for MI6 and lodged at Buckingham Palace.
In her memoir, she recalled going out with the Queen - then Princess Elizabeth - to celebrate VE Day anonymously among the crowds in London. She described the night as "a Cinderella moment in reverse".
Mrs Rhodes later served the Queen as one of her bridesmaids at her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.
Unlike the Queen, Mrs Rhodes did give interviews. Before the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, she told the BBC the duchess, then known as Kate Middleton, had "been totally accepted by the nation as a future queen" but added "it's just a family wedding".
In 2013, when asked about the imminent birth of a royal baby - Prince George - she said she was not "wildly excited" as "everybody has babies".
In June 2012, she recalled the Queen's coronation on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.
She said: "We had only just recovered from six or seven years of deprivation and blackouts and rationing - it was like the sun suddenly coming out behind a lot of very dark clouds and I think everybody felt that with a new young Queen, a whole new era was opening up. It was somehow exciting."
In later life, Mrs Rhodes served as lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother for 10 years and was at her bedside when she died in 2002.
Mrs Rhodes' husband Denys died in 1981. She is survived by two daughters, Victoria and Annabel, and two sons, Simon and Michael.
*********
The following suggestions sent for this memorial:
Margaret Rhodes (173241170)
Suggested edit: Sidney Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone
Born Sidney Herbert Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone
27 July 1869
Carberry Tower, East Lothian, Scotland
Died 28 November 1955 (aged 86)
Mary Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone
Born Hon. Mary Frances Bowes-Lyon
30 August 1883
Angus, Scotland
Died 8 February 1961 (aged 77)
Inveresk, Scotland
Contributor: Syed Sakib (50210132)
The British newspaper reports that the Queen visited Rhodes earlier in November at her home in Windsor, Berkshire, when she fell ill.
A source close to the royal family told the Sunday Express, "The Queen will be devastated to have lost her best friend. She grew up with Mrs Rhodes and they had so much shared history."
The insider continued, "They remained close throughout the Queen's reign and Her Majesty continued to be a regular visitor at Mrs Rhodes's Windsor home until very recently."
Rhodes was the youngest daughter of Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon – sister to Elizabeth's mother – and Lord Sidney Elphinstone. She and the Queen were very close growing up, as they were born only 10 months apart.
She went on to be one of the eight bridesmaids at Elizabeth's 1947 wedding to Prince Philip and was present at her Coronation in 1953.
The duo remained close throughout their lives. They would often get together when the Queen was in Windsor after church on Sundays, the Sunday Express reports. Rhodes has also appeared in numerous documentaries about Queen Elizabeth's life.
Mrs Rhodes, whose aunt was the Queen Mother, died on Friday after a short illness, according to reports.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said it was not issuing a statement as it was a "private matter" for the Queen.
Mrs Rhodes, who was less than a year older than the Queen, spent her summer holidays at Balmoral with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.
The Queen Mother affectionately called her her "third daughter".
Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, ahead of the Queen's 90th birthday, Mrs Rhodes repeated her belief that the monarch will never abdicate while she has her health.
Mrs Rhodes said: "Her total dedication is something we should all be grateful for."
She attended every key royal event for more than 50 years and recorded her experiences in The Final Curtsey, a memoir which was published in 2011.
During the war, she worked as a secretary for MI6 and lodged at Buckingham Palace.
In her memoir, she recalled going out with the Queen - then Princess Elizabeth - to celebrate VE Day anonymously among the crowds in London. She described the night as "a Cinderella moment in reverse".
Mrs Rhodes later served the Queen as one of her bridesmaids at her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.
Unlike the Queen, Mrs Rhodes did give interviews. Before the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, she told the BBC the duchess, then known as Kate Middleton, had "been totally accepted by the nation as a future queen" but added "it's just a family wedding".
In 2013, when asked about the imminent birth of a royal baby - Prince George - she said she was not "wildly excited" as "everybody has babies".
In June 2012, she recalled the Queen's coronation on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.
She said: "We had only just recovered from six or seven years of deprivation and blackouts and rationing - it was like the sun suddenly coming out behind a lot of very dark clouds and I think everybody felt that with a new young Queen, a whole new era was opening up. It was somehow exciting."
In later life, Mrs Rhodes served as lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother for 10 years and was at her bedside when she died in 2002.
Mrs Rhodes' husband Denys died in 1981. She is survived by two daughters, Victoria and Annabel, and two sons, Simon and Michael.
*********
The following suggestions sent for this memorial:
Margaret Rhodes (173241170)
Suggested edit: Sidney Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone
Born Sidney Herbert Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone
27 July 1869
Carberry Tower, East Lothian, Scotland
Died 28 November 1955 (aged 86)
Mary Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone
Born Hon. Mary Frances Bowes-Lyon
30 August 1883
Angus, Scotland
Died 8 February 1961 (aged 77)
Inveresk, Scotland
Contributor: Syed Sakib (50210132)
Cousin and close confidant to Queen Elizabeth II, the Honourable Margaret Rhodes, passed away on Friday after battling a short illness, according to the Sunday Express. She was 91.
The British newspaper reports that the Queen visited Rhodes earlier in November at her home in Windsor, Berkshire, when she fell ill.
A source close to the royal family told the Sunday Express, "The Queen will be devastated to have lost her best friend. She grew up with Mrs Rhodes and they had so much shared history."
The insider continued, "They remained close throughout the Queen's reign and Her Majesty continued to be a regular visitor at Mrs Rhodes's Windsor home until very recently."
Rhodes was the youngest daughter of Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon – sister to Elizabeth's mother – and Lord Sidney Elphinstone. She and the Queen were very close growing up, as they were born only 10 months apart.
She went on to be one of the eight bridesmaids at Elizabeth's 1947 wedding to Prince Philip and was present at her Coronation in 1953.
The duo remained close throughout their lives. They would often get together when the Queen was in Windsor after church on Sundays, the Sunday Express reports. Rhodes has also appeared in numerous documentaries about Queen Elizabeth's life.
Mrs Rhodes, whose aunt was the Queen Mother, died on Friday after a short illness, according to reports.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said it was not issuing a statement as it was a "private matter" for the Queen.
Mrs Rhodes, who was less than a year older than the Queen, spent her summer holidays at Balmoral with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.
The Queen Mother affectionately called her her "third daughter".
Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, ahead of the Queen's 90th birthday, Mrs Rhodes repeated her belief that the monarch will never abdicate while she has her health.
Mrs Rhodes said: "Her total dedication is something we should all be grateful for."
She attended every key royal event for more than 50 years and recorded her experiences in The Final Curtsey, a memoir which was published in 2011.
During the war, she worked as a secretary for MI6 and lodged at Buckingham Palace.
In her memoir, she recalled going out with the Queen - then Princess Elizabeth - to celebrate VE Day anonymously among the crowds in London. She described the night as "a Cinderella moment in reverse".
Mrs Rhodes later served the Queen as one of her bridesmaids at her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.
Unlike the Queen, Mrs Rhodes did give interviews. Before the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, she told the BBC the duchess, then known as Kate Middleton, had "been totally accepted by the nation as a future queen" but added "it's just a family wedding".
In 2013, when asked about the imminent birth of a royal baby - Prince George - she said she was not "wildly excited" as "everybody has babies".
In June 2012, she recalled the Queen's coronation on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.
She said: "We had only just recovered from six or seven years of deprivation and blackouts and rationing - it was like the sun suddenly coming out behind a lot of very dark clouds and I think everybody felt that with a new young Queen, a whole new era was opening up. It was somehow exciting."
In later life, Mrs Rhodes served as lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother for 10 years and was at her bedside when she died in 2002.
Mrs Rhodes' husband Denys died in 1981. She is survived by two daughters, Victoria and Annabel, and two sons, Simon and Michael.
*********
The following suggestions sent for this memorial:
Margaret Rhodes (173241170)
Suggested edit: Sidney Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone
Born Sidney Herbert Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone
27 July 1869
Carberry Tower, East Lothian, Scotland
Died 28 November 1955 (aged 86)
Mary Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone
Born Hon. Mary Frances Bowes-Lyon
30 August 1883
Angus, Scotland
Died 8 February 1961 (aged 77)
Inveresk, Scotland
Contributor: Syed Sakib (50210132)
The British newspaper reports that the Queen visited Rhodes earlier in November at her home in Windsor, Berkshire, when she fell ill.
A source close to the royal family told the Sunday Express, "The Queen will be devastated to have lost her best friend. She grew up with Mrs Rhodes and they had so much shared history."
The insider continued, "They remained close throughout the Queen's reign and Her Majesty continued to be a regular visitor at Mrs Rhodes's Windsor home until very recently."
Rhodes was the youngest daughter of Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon – sister to Elizabeth's mother – and Lord Sidney Elphinstone. She and the Queen were very close growing up, as they were born only 10 months apart.
She went on to be one of the eight bridesmaids at Elizabeth's 1947 wedding to Prince Philip and was present at her Coronation in 1953.
The duo remained close throughout their lives. They would often get together when the Queen was in Windsor after church on Sundays, the Sunday Express reports. Rhodes has also appeared in numerous documentaries about Queen Elizabeth's life.
Mrs Rhodes, whose aunt was the Queen Mother, died on Friday after a short illness, according to reports.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said it was not issuing a statement as it was a "private matter" for the Queen.
Mrs Rhodes, who was less than a year older than the Queen, spent her summer holidays at Balmoral with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.
The Queen Mother affectionately called her her "third daughter".
Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, ahead of the Queen's 90th birthday, Mrs Rhodes repeated her belief that the monarch will never abdicate while she has her health.
Mrs Rhodes said: "Her total dedication is something we should all be grateful for."
She attended every key royal event for more than 50 years and recorded her experiences in The Final Curtsey, a memoir which was published in 2011.
During the war, she worked as a secretary for MI6 and lodged at Buckingham Palace.
In her memoir, she recalled going out with the Queen - then Princess Elizabeth - to celebrate VE Day anonymously among the crowds in London. She described the night as "a Cinderella moment in reverse".
Mrs Rhodes later served the Queen as one of her bridesmaids at her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.
Unlike the Queen, Mrs Rhodes did give interviews. Before the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, she told the BBC the duchess, then known as Kate Middleton, had "been totally accepted by the nation as a future queen" but added "it's just a family wedding".
In 2013, when asked about the imminent birth of a royal baby - Prince George - she said she was not "wildly excited" as "everybody has babies".
In June 2012, she recalled the Queen's coronation on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.
She said: "We had only just recovered from six or seven years of deprivation and blackouts and rationing - it was like the sun suddenly coming out behind a lot of very dark clouds and I think everybody felt that with a new young Queen, a whole new era was opening up. It was somehow exciting."
In later life, Mrs Rhodes served as lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother for 10 years and was at her bedside when she died in 2002.
Mrs Rhodes' husband Denys died in 1981. She is survived by two daughters, Victoria and Annabel, and two sons, Simon and Michael.
*********
The following suggestions sent for this memorial:
Margaret Rhodes (173241170)
Suggested edit: Sidney Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone
Born Sidney Herbert Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone
27 July 1869
Carberry Tower, East Lothian, Scotland
Died 28 November 1955 (aged 86)
Mary Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone
Born Hon. Mary Frances Bowes-Lyon
30 August 1883
Angus, Scotland
Died 8 February 1961 (aged 77)
Inveresk, Scotland
Contributor: Syed Sakib (50210132)
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