Queen Mary, consort of George V (1867-1953)


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Yes, Mary grew very close to her aunt Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz after her mother’s early death. She corresponded with her until her aunt’s death during WW1. I think her father, the Duke of Teck, was a bit erratic and more or less went to pieces after his wife’s death. He was looked after in the latter part of his life in seclusion with two male nurse attendants.
 
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I tend to think that May’s personality came into being as a reaction to her mother’s talkative exuberance, not in copying it.

I do too. Her mother sounds like a lovely person, but she was a bit of a joke figure - people called her "Fat Mary", and thought that she was a bit too loud and exuberant. She was probably great company, but I think May probably found the exuberance a little embarrassing and wanted to be more dignified by comparison.
 
Queen Mary was very close to her mother and helped with secretarial duties, as well as assisting in the organization of social events and parties.
 
I've read much the same.

There's also the story that she knew exactly what historic pieces had once belonged to the RF and she would make a comment about it if she saw it. I believe zher reasoning was that items that were once owned by the BRF must always be owned by the BRF.
Precisely what I wanted to say. Staff, friends and some family members who were living in grace and favor cottages were taking things for granted and took some items, she simply requested they be given back. Those stories about her being a kleptomaniac were repeated by people who were annoyed by Queen Mary for collecting items that actually belonged to the royal family.

I wish she would've pinched the Fife tiara. :lol: :queen4::queen4: :lol:
It would have been tacky for her to do that since it was her sister-in-laws wedding gift from her husband.
 
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Did Queen Mary write down a list of the items that were taken or did she recall them without a list?
 
Queen Mary was horrified when she realised after the death of her uncle, the Duke of Cambridge, that no items in his estate had been catalogued or labelled and therefore even if they were beautiful and valuable there was no way to know their provenance. She knew that they were heirlooms, but not from whom. This made her decide to continue in her collecting and documenting Hanoverian heirlooms and artifacts. She became a n avid reader of auction catalogs and bought all the items she could and since people knew about her interest she received many gifts throughout the years.
 
Princess Elizabeth wrote about her grandmother Queen Mary at King George VI's coronation:
"What struck me as rather odd was that Grannie did not remember much of her own coronation. I should have thought that it would have stayed in her mind forever."
http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1435492
 
Queen Mary was horrified when she realised after the death of her uncle, the Duke of Cambridge, that no items in his estate had been catalogued or labelled and therefore even if they were beautiful and valuable there was no way to know their provenance. She knew that they were heirlooms, but not from whom. This made her decide to continue in her collecting and documenting Hanoverian heirlooms and artifacts. She became a n avid reader of auction catalogs and bought all the items she could and since people knew about her interest she received many gifts throughout the years.

God bless Queen Mary for her acute foresight!
 
Did anyone know about her scandalous brother almost giving away the Cambridge emeralds to his married mistress Nellie Kilmorey? Queen Mary was smart enough to make a deal and got those back.
 
And thanks to Queen Mary the jewels remained part of the British royal jewel collection.
 
I’ve read about queen Mary relationship with grand daughters Elizabeth and Margaret but what was her relationship like with the other grand children
 
It really was another world, wasn’t it? A pre TV world (as few British people had a TV set in 1947) in which Londoners of all ages spontaneously gathered in front of BP to wish members of the RF a Happy Birthday. Anther thing I did note from the newsreel was Queen Mary being referred to briefly by the commentator as the Queen Mother.
 
Queen Mary's 80th birthday (1947):


I assume she was at the balcony with all her grandchildren except for the Harewood-grandchildren who had lost their father only 2 days earlier(!), if so, that would be:

- Princess Elizabeth of York (21)
- Princess Margaret of York (16)
- Prince Edward of Kent (11)
- Princess Alexandra of Kent (10)
- Prince William of Gloucester (5) - one of the two taller young boys at the front
- Prince Michael of Kent (4) - the other taller young boy at the front
- Prince Richard of Gloucester (2) - the youngest and only blond boy at the front who is picked up at the end

Most likely not in attendance:
- The 7th Earl of Harewood (24)
- The Hon Gerald Lascelles (22)
 
I assume she was at the balcony with all her grandchildren except for the Harewood-grandchildren who had lost their father only 2 days earlier(!), if so, that would be:

- Princess Elizabeth of York (21)
- Princess Margaret of York (16)
- Prince Edward of Kent (11)
- Princess Alexandra of Kent (10)
- Prince William of Gloucester (5) - one of the two taller young boys at the front
- Prince Michael of Kent (4) - the other taller young boy at the front
- Prince Richard of Gloucester (2) - the youngest and only blond boy at the front who is picked up at the end

Most likely not in attendance:
- The 7th Earl of Harewood (24)
- The Hon Gerald Lascelles (22)
But I don't think that Elizabeth and Margaret were "of York" since their father was the king.
 
It really was another world, wasn’t it? A pre TV world (as few British people had a TV set in 1947) in which Londoners of all ages spontaneously gathered in front of BP to wish members of the RF a Happy Birthday. Anther thing I did note from the newsreel was Queen Mary being referred to briefly by the commentator as the Queen Mother.

Its very nostalgic to look back on these old reels of a bygone age before the dawn of dreadful celebs :flowers:
 
I assume she was at the balcony with all her grandchildren except for the Harewood-grandchildren who had lost their father only 2 days earlier(!), if so, that would be:

- Princess Elizabeth of York (21)
- Princess Margaret of York (16)
- Prince Edward of Kent (11)
- Princess Alexandra of Kent (10)
- Prince William of Gloucester (5) - one of the two taller young boys at the front
- Prince Michael of Kent (4) - the other taller young boy at the front
- Prince Richard of Gloucester (2) - the youngest and only blond boy at the front who is picked up at the end

Most likely not in attendance:
- The 7th Earl of Harewood (24)
- The Hon Gerald Lascelles (22)

This is slightly unrelated but realizing how close they were in age, does anyone know how close Prince Michael and Prince William were, if at all?
 
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