Who was Gertrude Bell, why is she known as Queen of the Desert and when did she die?
Bell was one of Britain's most famed icons and explorers of the Arabian Peninsula
GERTRUDE Bell was an explorer, diplomat and writer born in the North East of England famed for her expeditions to Arabia.
Here is everything you need to know about one of Britain's cultural icons.
Who was Gertrude Bell?
Born on 14 July 1868 in Washington New Hall in County Durham, to a wealthy family whose riches ensured her education and enabled her travels.
She studied history at Oxford University before embarking on a career as a writer, traveller and archaeologist.
Bell worked for the British government in Cairo, Egypt, during World War I and was fluent in Persian and Arabic.
In 1921, Bell contributed to the construction of the Iraqi state, as well as the National Museum of Iraq.
Why is she known as Queen of the Desert?
In 1899 Gertrude Bell visted Palestine and Syria, with her writings and experiences informing British audiences about the distant parts of their empire.
During World War I, Bell worked for the Red Cross in France before joining the British intelligence unit in Cairo.
It was here that she collaborated with famed British traveller T.E. Lawrence to try and forge alliances with Arab tribes.
Despite her own political achievements, Bell actively opposed women's suffrage in Britain.
She argued that the vast majority of her fellow women lacked the education and knowledge of the world necessary to participate meaningfully in political debate.
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When did she die?
Gertrude Bell return to Britain in 1925, where she faced family problems and ill health. Her family's fortune had started to decline due to the onset of post-World War I strikes.
She returned to Baghdad but soon developed pleurisy, an inflammation of the membrane that surrounds the lungs.
When she recovered, she learned that her younger half brother Hugh had died of typhoid.
On July 12 1926, she was discovered dead in an apparent overdose of sleeping pills. It is unknown whether it was intentional suicide or not, as she had asked her maid to wake her.