Was The Queen Really Involved In Her Children's Lives?
Lifestyle - News
By RHIANNON IRELAND
For 70 years, her main role was as queen of England and the Commonwealth, but Queen Elizabeth II's 73-year role as a mother is not often talked about. Between the years 1948 and 1965, the queen gave birth to four children — Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward, but what were her relationships with her children really like?
Royal expert Robert Hardman gave his opinion on the queen's parenting style, calling her a "devoted" mother, but acknowledged that she did have an "old-fashioned" approach to raising her children. Though she was often away for weeks at a time, Hardman stresses that this would have been the case for many children and their parents in post-wartime Britain.
Her Majesty expressed her own feelings on motherhood during an interaction with Kate Winslet. When asked about her career by the queen, Winslet replied that her favorite job was being a mom, to which the queen replied, "Yes, it is the best job." In a ‘02 interview, her daughter, Anne, spoke about their relationship by stating, "I simply don't believe that there is any evidence whatsoever to suggest that she wasn't caring."
Conversely, the newly-titled King Charles III may feel differently. Jonathan Dimbleby, the author of a 1994 authorized biography about Charles, called Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip "emotionally distant," referring to Philip specifically as having no time for his son's softer personality.