The Queen Mother Elizabeth in a classic pose as she sips on a glass of wine.

For decades Queen Mother Elizabeth (1900-2002) was without a doubt the most loved part of the British Royal Family. The mother of the United Kingdom’s current queen Elizabeth II became a national icon. She gained sympathy as she ‘made’ her insecure husband George VI a good king, gave people hope in World War II and lost her husband half way her life. After the early death of George VI in 1952 she started her role as Queen Mother, the matriarch of the Royal Family, and lead the British monarchy through many serious crises. Always with a daily intake of at least 8 units of alcohol, according to modern standards she would be labeled as a heavy drinker. Still the Queen Mum lived to see 101.