Remarkable Lives: Gertrude Bell

She was described by the diplomat, Mark Sykes, as ‘a silly, chattering windbag; a conceited, gushing, flat-chested man-woman, globe trotting, rump-wagging, blathering ass’. Some diplomat! He was talking about the remarkable scholar and traveller, Gertrude Bell (1868-1926). You may have seen her portrayed by Nicole Kidman in the rather disappointing 2015 movie ‘Queen of the Desert’ directed by Werner Herzog.

An alternative view to Sykes’ was held by T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia’) who said ‘she was born too gifted’. It appeared that, without noticeable effort, Bell excelled at every challenge she accepted. A gifted linguist, she spoke English, Arabic, French, German, Italian and some Ottoman languages. She was a match for the greatest male mountaineers. A peak in the Swiss Alps, Gertrudspitze, is named after her. She took on the toughest of challenges and only survived an attempt on the Finsteraarhorn by clinging desperately for two days to the end of a rope on an icy rock face in extreme weather conditions.

On her travels in Arabia she would ride for up to 12 hours a day in the stifling heat of the desert with only stagnant water to drink, carrying guns under her clothing and cartridges in her boots. (Although she did apparently also carry with her a Wedgwood tea service, a writing desk and the latest in fashionable attire).

The expertise and knowledge acquired on her travels led to Gertrude’s employment in the ‘Arab Bureau’, committed to encouraging Arab opposition to Ottoman rule and, by implication, obtaining their support for Britain in WWI. Like T.E. Lawrence, Bell was enthusiastic about Arab independence and the creation of an Arab state. Shortly after the end of the war, in 1919, she completed her report, ‘Self Determination in Mesopotamia’. The initial post war settlement, however, left the British with influence and power over the local officials and Bell spent time mediating between the two sides. The subsequent Cairo Conference in 1921 adopted her ideas and accepted her recommendation that King Faisal be appointed to take control of the newly created Iraq. Bell became a principal advisor of the new king. As well as influencing the design of the new flag she also founded a National Museum and as an archaeologist she supervised various digs. Working with the new political settlement though was more hard-going. At one point she wrote of the various local tribes involved: “No-one knows exactly what they do want, least of all themselves, except that they don’t want us!”

Bell’s health faded in the 1920s, and in 1926 she died after a drug overdose. It is not known if suicide was intended.

A peer of Gertrude’s, D.G. Hogarth, wrote:

“ No woman in recent time has combined her qualities-her taste for arduous and dangerous adventure with her scientific interest and knowledge, her competence in archaeology and art, her distinguished literary gift, her sympathy for all sorts and condition of men, her political insight and appreciation of human values, her masculine vigour, hard common sense and practical efficiency-all tempered by feminine charm and a most romantic spirit.”

Gertrude Bell was from the north of England and her London base was in Sloane Street, Kensington from where she surprisingly campaigned against extending the vote to women.

Most of my walks are, however, in Westminster, not Kensington, but I mention Gertrude Bell in one of my Marylebone walks.

So, what was her link to Marylebone? To give you a clue, several other notable women share the same link. Your turn to do the research! Post your answers in the comments box!