The future King George, Queen Mother and Princess Elizabeth at her christening ceremony in May 1926
The fate of the monarchy could have been changed if the Queen Mother had experienced a miscarriage following a frightening car accident when she was pregnant with Queen Elizabeth.
On Jan. 12, the Daily Mail retold the story of how Queen Elizabeth’s mother was involved in a “serious car crash” in 1926 when she was pregnant with the future Queen Elizabeth.
Almost 100 years ago, The New York Times reported that the then-Duchess of York was involved in a motor vehicle accident on Jan. 28, 1926.
“The Duchess, who was formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was motoring near St. John’s Wood, a northern suburb, when another motorist cut between her car and the oncoming traffic,” the Times said. “The Duchess’s chauffeur applied the brakes of the car, which skidded and collided with a motor bus, throwing the Duchess to the floor. She was slightly shaken but otherwise uninjured.”
It was kept under wraps that the 25-year-old Duchess of York was then expecting a baby: the future Queen Elizabeth.
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The Duchess of York and Princess Elizabeth in 1926.
According to the Daily Mail, British politician Chips Channon said after learning the news from Buckingham Palace, “She very nearly had a miscarriage!”
The outlet alleged that the palace “did its best to play down the smash,” but the experience shook the Duchess of York.
On April 21, 1926, the Duchess of York gave birth via C-section to her baby at her parents’ home in London. She and her husband, the future King George VI, named their daughter Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, and the child would grow up to reign as Queen Elizabeth II.
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The Duke and Duchess of York (center) pose with Princess Elizabeth at her christening at Buckingham Palace surrounded by family members King George V, Queen Mary, the Duke of Connaught, Princess Mary and the Earl and Countess of Strathmore in May 1926.
The family’s fate changed in December 1936 when the Duke of York’s older brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite.
The Duke of York, born Prince Albert, acceded to the throne, and his wife became Queen Elizabeth, later called the Queen Mother to differentiate from their daughter.
Their young daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, advanced in the direct line of succession, and Princess Elizabeth, then 10, became the heir.
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The Duke and Duchess of York with Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth in 1933.
Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne at age 25 in 1952 upon her father’s sudden death and would go on to reign for a record 70 years before she died in September 2022 at age 96.