The Engagement of Prince Albert, Duke of York, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, youngest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore, on this day in 1923 (100 years ago), after Lady Elizabeth accepted the Prince’s second proposal four months before their Wedding at Westminster Abbey. The couple succeeded to the Throne after the Abdication of his brother in 1936, and remained happy married until his death in 1952 with the Queen Mother passing away in 2002. She wrote:
I am just writing you a very little letter, which I hope you will get on Friday or Saturday. There won’t be anything in it at all, except to say that I shall be thinking about you when you get this, & hoping that everything will go wonderfully well. I am quite sure it will. Also, I might add that I do love you Bertie, & feel certain that I shall more& more. I shall miss you terribly. You are such an Angel to me.
Goodbye till Sunday – may it come quickly
from your always and forever loving E
On 3 January 1923 the Duke of York proposed to Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon for a third time, after she declined the first two in 1921 and 1922. Elizabeth took over a week to decide and accepted the Prince’s proposal on the evening of Sunday 14 January after he ‘proposed continuously’ since the Friday.
