The course of British royal history may have been almost derailed before Queen Elizabeth II was even born.
On January 12 Daily Mail retold the story of the Queen Mother’s near-fatal accident while pregnant with her first child — a moment that could have dramatically changed the future of the monarchy, according to new information revealed by the outlet.
Almost a century ago, New York Times reported that the then Duchess of York, formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was injured in a motor accident on 28 January 1926. Her car collided with another motorist who cut between her car, “throwing the Duchess to the floor. She was slightly shaken but otherwise uninjured.”
What was not made public at the time was that the Duchess was 25 and expecting a child, the future Queen Elizabeth II. According to the Daily Mail, British politician Chips Channon later learned from Buckingham Palace that “She almost had a miscarriage!”
The outlet claimed the palace “did its best to play down the blow”, although the incident reportedly left the duchess badly shaken. Just months later, on 21 April 1926, she gave birth by caesarean section at her parents’ home in London to Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary.
