Mary, Princess Royal

Mary, Princess Royal: King George V's Only Daughter

Princess Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary of York was born on April 25, 1897, at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate. At the time, her great-grandmother Queen Victoria was celebrating her Diamond Jubilee.

Mary was the third child and only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary. At the time of her birth, she was fifth in the line of succession.

When she was three years old, her grandfather became King Edward VII, and her parents became the Prince and Princess of Wales.

As was typical for princesses of the era, Mary was raised by nannies and governesses. Sometimes, she would share lessons with her brothers- Prince Edward, Prince Albert, Prince Henry and Prince George.

Mary also had another younger brother, Prince John. “Johnnie” had learning difficulties, and also dealt with epilepsy. In the later years of his life, he was kept away from public view, but Mary would always visit him at Wood Farm in Sandringham. She was deeply saddened at his death in 1919 at the age of 13.

Mary’s first public engagement was her parents’ coronation in 1911, at the age of 14. Now that she was the daughter of the King, her importance stepped up even more and she was given more to do.

A few years later in 1914, following the outbreak of World War I, Mary became involved in nursing, as part of her contribution to the war effort. As well as this, the Princess Mary Christmas Gift Fund was created, which sent a small golden gift box “from Mary” to soldiers on the front, containing cigarettes, sweets, chocolate, a photograph of Mary, and a Christmas card.

In 1922, Mary married Henry, Viscount Lascelles, the son of the Earl of Harewood. Henry was considerably older than Mary; she was 24 and he was 39. They were married at Westminster Abbey in a grand and celebrated ceremony. One of the bridesmaids was Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who would marry Mary's brother Prince Albert a year later.

Mary and Henry had two sons, George (1923-2011) and Gerald (1924-1998). The family divided their time between their home in London, and Harewood House in Yorkshire.

In 1929, Henry’s father died and the couple became Earl and Countess of Harewood. On New Year’s Day 1932, the King decided to bestow the ”Princess Royal” title on his daughter, as his sister Princess Louise, the previous holder, had died a year earlier.

Of all her brothers, Mary was closest to the eldest, Prince Edward. When Edward succeeded their father in 1936, and then abdicated the throne within a space of months, Mary was supportive of him. Shortly after the abdication, she and her husband went to stay with Edward and Wallis in France.

Once again, in 1939, war broke out, and Mary wanted to be active again. She was Chief Controller of the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service, and travelled up and down the country supporting the military.

When her younger brother, the Duke of Kent, sadly died in an aeroplane accident in 1942, she took on some of his patronages, in particular the presidency of Papworth Hospital.

In 1947, Henry died, and her son took over Harewood House and the estate. She remained living there with her son and his family. Due to the mourning period for her husband, and a bout of ill health, she did not attend her niece Princess Elizabeth's wedding to Philip Mountbatten in November of 1947.

In 1953, she attended the coronation of her niece, who then had become Queen Elizabeth II. She also represented the Queen at independence celebrations in countries including Trinidad and Tobago & Zambia.

On March 28, 1965, whilst out walking with her son, Mary suffered a fatal heart attack and died at the age of 67. She is buried in the Lascelles vault at All Saints’ Church in Harewood.

In a life that had seen the reigns of six British monarchs, Princess Mary is remembered for her duty and support for her causes. 22 years after her death, her grand-niece Princess Anne was made the next Princess Royal, carrying on another longstanding royal tradition.