The cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, the Honourable Margaret Rhodes, passed away on Friday due to a short illness. She was 91.

The Sunday Express reported that the Queen visited Mrs. Rhodes in her Windsor Great Park house last November when the latter fell ill.

Mrs. Rhodes was the youngest daughter of Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon - Elizabeth's mother sister, and Lord Sidney Elphinstone. She and the Queen have a very close relationship growing up together, as they were born only 10 months apart. They spent their childhood together.

Rhodes was also one of the bridesmaids when the Queen married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in 1947. And Rhodes attended the Queen's coronation six years later.

Mrs Rhodes lived near the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle during World War II. At that time, she worked with MI6 as a secretary. She got married with the writer Denys Gravenor Rhodes in 1950 and the couple have four kids (two sons and two daughters). Princess Margareth was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding.

Mr. Rhodes passed away from cancer in 1981. When he got cancer, the Queen offered them to live in the Garden House in Windsor Great Park so they could get a treatment near London. After her husband's passing, Mrs.Rhodes remained there until her passing.

The Queen expressed her sadness over the death of her close cousing, saying Mrs. Rhodes was an extraordinairy woman.

Mrs.Rhodes also appeared in some of the documentaries about the Majesty. However, Mrs. Rhodes got media attention when she expressed no excitement about the Royal Baby in July 2013, when Kate Middleton, the wife of Prince Williams was about to give birth, Express reported. Mrs. Rhodes said "everyone has babies." Mrs. Rhodes said that when she was interviewed by CNN's Christine Amanpour.

But the elderly hoped the baby would have "an ordinary kid's life".


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