Gertrude Bell – Desert Queen

Speaker: Angela Chantry

Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell, Adventurer, Adviser to Kings & Ally of Lawrence of Arabia

Turning away from privileged Victorian Britain, Gertrude Bell explored and mapped the world of the Arabs, winning the trust of Arab sheikhs and chieftains along the way. When the First World War erupted and the British needed the loyalty of Arab leaders, Gertrude Bell provided the intelligence for T.E. Lawrence’s military activities. After the war, she played a major role in creating the modern Middle East and was generally considered the most powerful woman in the British Empire.