5 things to know About… GERTRUDE BELL

1 she was unlucky in love

Bell never married. Her father did not approve of her first love, British diplomat Henry Cadogan, and her second, the married British officer Dick Doughtywylie, was shot in Gallipoli in 1915.

2 she was a very keen writer

As well as writing books about her travels, Bell also wrote over 1,600 letters to her family and friends, which have been published online by the University of Newcastle, UK.

3 she got stuck up a mountain

While mountain climbing in Switzerland in 1902, Bell was caught in a blizzard and had to spend more than 50 hours clinging to a rope on the north slope of the Finsteraarhorn.

4 she loved learning languages

Bell could speak eight different languages, including French, Persian and Arabic. In 1897, she published her translations of the works of Persian poet Hafiz, which still prove popular today.

5 nicole kidman portrayed her

The 2015 Werner Herzog film Queen of the Desert tells the story of Gertrude Bell’s life, featuring Kidman as Bell, Damien Lewis as Dick and robert Pattinson as Lawrence of Arabia.