Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell (the Khatun)

Gertrude Bell is born in Washington Hall, County Durham, England, on July 14, 1868, to extremely wealthy parents, Hugh and Mary Bell. The Bell family business of iron and coal manufacturing provides vast opportunities to Gertrude throughout her life. Tragedy will mark Gertrude's otherwise privileged life with the death of her mother when Gertrude is only three-years-old. Gertrude forms an extraordinarily close bond with her father which will continue until her death.

When Mr. Bell remarries, Gertrude forms a cautious and polite relationship with her stepmother but it drastically pales in comparison to the feelings Gertrude has for her father. Gertrude has one brother, Maurice, a stepbrother, Hugo, and two stepsisters, Molly and Elsa. Gertrude is an extremely accomplished young woman, who failing to secure a suitable husband, sets her life course for world travel, especially the Arab countries.

"For people who had never seen...