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

[gaoshan1021]

HM Queen Mary

 

[gaoshan1021]

HM Queen Mary

 

[A.C.C.]

HM Queen Mary
Mary, 1867–1953, Queen consort of George V of England. Daughter of the Duke of Teck and great-granddaughter of George III, she was engaged first to George's elder brother, the duke of Clarence, who died in 1892. She married George, then Duke of York, in 1893. Among her sons were Edward VIII and George VI.


Corbis
Queen Mary

 

[Peggy]

1.Princess Mary of Teck
formerly Princess Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes of Teck, who was born in Kensington Palace and married Prince George in 1893, to become Queen Mary in 1910,

2.George V (1865 - 1936) who became Prince of Wales in 1901 and succeeded to the throne on the death of his father, Edward VII, in 1910

 

[Lord Williams]

I can see a huge resemblence in Queen Mary and EIIR!! Tremendous! Especially in middle age portraits of Mary.

Off topic, but does anyone know when Queen Mary 2 Sets sail on its maiden voyage?

 

[A.C.C.]

Corbis
An amazing picture of the bejewelled Queen Mary with Her husband King George V

Corbis
The famous picture of the 3 Queens: Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Mary, and the Queen Mother at the lying-in-state of George VI

 

[lashinka2002]

King George V & Queen Mary

Please post any pics or information you may have on this royal couple

http://worldroots.com/brigitte/gifs/george5a.jpg
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1. Royal family
2. King George & Queen Mary
3. Silver jubilee 1935
4. Crowning in India (Emperor & Empress)

 

[Warren]

Queen Mary pics

Here are a few pics of Queen Mary at her modest best ...
... wearing just a few pieces from her small collection.

Others would say 'jewelled magnificance.'
.

 

[Alexandra]

Oh yes, Queen Mary was very elegant, very stylish.

Thank you for those pictures.

 

[lashinka2002]

Wow, Warren what stunning photos. Thank you.

Here are some more pics





1. Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, with Princess Victoria Mary of Teck. Prince Albert was the eldest child of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of England. He became engaged to Princess Victoria Mary, known as Princess May, in 1890, but died of pneumonia in 1892, before the marriage. Princess May later married his brother Prince George, who became King George V of England.
2. George and Mary, Duke and Duchess of York, the future King George V and Queen Mary of England.
3. Mary, Princess of Teck, the future Queen Mary of England. She is known as Princess May.
4. Queen Mary (1867-1953) , the queen-consort of Great Britain and wife of George V, holding her crown and wearing her royal robe on her coronation day.
5. An early portrait of Princess May of Teck, taken when she was twenty years old
6. Queen Mary
7. Queen Mary in her older years
8. Princess Mary of Teck with her children Princess Mary, Prince Henry, Prince George and Prince John.

 

[lashinka2002]

Here's a fabulous link with tons of pics & information on King George V & Queen Mary's wedding. Hope you enjoy!!

http://lafayette.150m.com/geo00417.html

 

[lashinka2002]

Queen Mary (1867-1953) Part 1

Queen Mary (1867-1953)

Queen Mary had a rocky beginning when Albert Victor, in line to inherit the crown, died right before their mairrage. It was decided that she should marry his younger brother George. Queen Mary was a diffident, shy woman. Except in photographs she was almost totally unknown to the British people. She set a social example even more formidable than that of her husband, who behaved in sharp contrast to his father. She was a strong if not always intimate influence on her children, including her grandchildren. Queen Mary, like King George, were both caring and loving when their children were young but appeared unable to express their feelings once the children grew up. After Queen Mary's death, Sir Winston Churchill paid Queen Mary the compliment: "She looked like a Queen and she acted like a Queen". The ocean liner, The Queen Mary was named after her.

Parents
Princess Mary was related to the British royal family through her mother. Her father was a rather inconsequential German aristocrat.

Father

Mary's father was Franz Paul Karl Louis von Teck, 1st Duke/Prince of Teck who was born in 1837. Mary's father was the son of Duke Alexander of Wurttemberg and his morganatic wife, Countess Claudine Rhedey. He inherited a dark complexion and good looks from his mother. When his cousin became King of W?rttemberg he conferred on Franz the Dukedom of Teck, which was a subordinate title of the House of Wurttemberg. Franz had lost his inheritance through his father's morganatic marriage. He became an officer in the Austrian 7th Imperial Hussars. He had to live on his military pay and the bounty of the Austrian Emperor, with whom he was a favourite. The Prince of Wales (Edward VII) met Franz at Hannover in 1864 and invited him to England. It was there that Franz met Princess Mary of Cambridge whom he subsequently married. Franz had to resign from the Austrian Army after he mairred Princess Mary. They lived in England on the allowance granted by Parliament to the Princess. This dependence and the lack of a career adversely influenced his outlook on life and probably aggravated the outbursts of temper to which he was prone and which became more frequent as he grew older.

Mother

Mary's mother was Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Princess of Great Britain (1833-97), a daughter of the Duke of Cambride, and thus the grandaughter of George III. Princess Mary was compassionate and an enormously fat extrovert who knew how to raise children. She was, however, extremely extravegent and the family ran into financial problems. To economise, the Duke and Duchess of Teck moved with their children to Florence where Mary acquired a lasting interest in art. As a young woman she displayed great tact.

Teck

Teck is an ancient German principality named after a castle built on "The Teck", a limestone peak buit in the Wabian Alps, 12 km southeast of Stuttgart. The principality was held by various families beginning about the 11th century. After 1498 the principality passed to the Dukes of Württenberg. We have little information on Teck and do not yet have a page in our section on the royal families of the German states.

Birth

Princess Victoria Mary was born in Kensington Palace in 1867. She was christened Victoria Mary Augusta Louis Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes, but known as Princess "May" in the family.

Siblings

Prince Mary was the oldest child (1867- ). She had three younger brothers. Her different titles included: Princess May of Teck (1867-1893), Duchess of York (1893-1901), Princess of Wales (1901-1910); Queen Mary (1910-1936); Queen Mother (1936-1953). Her brothers were: Cambridge, Adolphus II of Teck, Duke of Teck (1868- ); Francis Joseph Leopold Frederick of Teck, Prince, Major Dragoons (1870- ), and Cambridge, Alexander George of Teck, 1st Earl of Athlone 1st (1874- ). The only sibling we have any information on is Alexander. He was born in Kensington Palace and became a soldier. He waseduvated at Eton and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He became a captain in the 7th Hussars and in the Royal House Guards and later was brevetted lieutenany colonel in the 2nd Life Guards. He served in South Africa/Matabeland (1896), Boer War (1899-1900), and in World War I (1914-15), receiving hionoravle mention in dispatches. He was highly decorated in the Boer War. He mairred Princess Alice, daughter of the Prince Leopold (Duke of Albany) and granddaughter of Queen Victoria. He served as Governor General in South Africa after World War I (1923-31). He then served in several prestigious positions, including Governopr of Windsor Castle (1931), Chancelloe of London University (1932), and Frand Master of the Order of St. Micahel and St. George (1936). Hewas appointed Governor General of Canada (1940) during World War II.

Childhood

Mary had a happy and industrious childhood. She was known in the family as May. As a young princess she was regarded as unimportant, in part because of her father's morganatic marriage. Her mother, often referred to as "Fat Mary", was the younger daughter of the Duke of Cambridge, an uncle of Queen Victoria. Because of her mother's extravagance and her father's vagueness about financial matters, the family gradually got into debt and had to retire to a villa in Florence for a couple of years to try to recoup their fortunes. When they returned to England they lived at White Lodge in Richmond Park.

Governess

The rather intelectual lady Mademoiselle Bricka was engaged as Mary's governess and reportedly had a great influence on here during her adolescene. Mary was apparently both clever and a hard working student. Mademoiselle Bricka was later hired to teach French to Mary's own children, but with less success

 

[lashinka2002]

Queen Mary (1867-1953) Part 2

Despite their more limited financial resources, the Tecks socialized with the Prince and Princess of Wales, in part because of their family ties. Mary's mother was friendly with Princess Alexandra. The two hoped that their children would also become friendly. While the children were still in the nursery, Princess May would be invited to Prince George's birthday parties. (I'm not sure why she was not invited to Prince Eddy's birthday parties. Probably because before it was known how backward Prince Eddy was, Princess Mary was not considered a suitable potential bride.) She was invited to Marborough House to play whle the Wales were in London. Princess May and Prince George , however, apparently did not get on. The other children also did not become close. The Wales were also invited to the Tecks. Apparently the Tecks on such occasions would put the best toys in nursery away as the Prince of Wales' children were less disciplined and often broke toys when playing with them. Queen Victotria also complaimed about how rowdy her grand children were. as older boys Prince Eddy and George had little in common with the more sophisticated Teck boys. Princess May who became a rather serious, clever little girl found the three Wales princesses boring.


Description
Queen Mary was tall with a long slender neck, golden brown hair, blue eyes. She had a regal and upright carriage, looking every inch a queen, to the point of being imperious. She was studious, sensible, and serious-minded. She was devoted to the monarchy and a traditionlist. Queen Mary shared her artistic interests with her son, the Duke of Kent (future George VI), the only one of her sons who had inherited her love for art and history. She also appeared stiff and unsmiling, but people weren't aware of how shy she was in public and a very different person at home.

Marriage
Mary was bethrothed to Prince Albert, the Duke of Clarence who died shortly before their upcoming wedding. Prince George was now in line to inherit the crown, his marriage plans now assumed considerable importance. Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales had personally selected Princess Mary of Teck for Albert Victor to marry. The Princess and Princess of Wales at first hesitated over the chioce of Princess Mary for Prince George which they at first saw as an affront to the memory of their beloved Prince Eddy. After condsiderable thought and impecable behavior on the part of the Princess, they finally decided that Mary would marry the younger brother instead. Prince George apparently had little say in the matter. While this was going on, he was at Heildelburg attempting to learn German, or as hios mother put it, "that old sauerkraut the German language". [Battiscombe, pp. 194-195.] Eventually the two had a chance to get to know each other. Prince George liked her well enough. Certainly the Princess, a bright girl, must have seen that Prince George was a far more suitable partner than Prince Victor Albert ever would have been. The Prince proposed to her in the same place (the estate of his aunt the Duchess of Fife) that Prince Eddy had proposed. Princess Marry accepted. [Battiscombe, p. 195-196.] Prince George dutifully married Princess Mary of Teck in 1893. It was no love match, but the two grew to care for each other deeply. The future Queen Mary lived until 1953, outliving her husband by nearly 3 decades and some of her sons as well.


Prince Albert Victor
It was because of this tact and ability to handle difficult people that she was chosen as bride for the heir-apparent. Prince "Eddy", Duke of Clarence and Avondale, was the eldest son of the Prince of Wales (King Edward VII) and therefor in line to inherit the throne. Like his mother he was congenitally deaf, a condition caused by otosclerosis, the effects of which were aggravated by his poor education. Many regarded him as backward, and only his mother, Alexandra, showed some understanding by recognising his artistic rather than academic bent. It was hoped a marriage to Princess Mary of Teck might steer him in the right direction. He officially died of typhoid shortly after their engagement but even his death is now questioned.


Prince George
While the two did not get on as children, after the death of Prince Eddy it was decided that Princess mary and Prince George should marry. It was not a love match although the two were on friendly terms. Mary, never regarded a beauty but with a regal bearing and dignity, made a much more suitable marriage when she married Eddy's younger brother, the future King George V. Over the years the two were to become devoted to each other.


Young Couple
The new Duchess was unsure of herself. The Teck family was a lesser European nobel family. Many of the Windsor's, especially her sister-in-law, considered the Tecks vastly inferior to their family. Had her family been on a par with the Imperial Windsors, the Duchess might of questioned her husband. Marrying George had instantly removed from the scandal-palagued, indebted Tecks to the premier royal family in the world. She and her husband would reign over the greates Empire in world history. As one historian describes it, Mary decided to be "queenlier" than any of the Windsors. Part of being Queen in her mind was to obey her husband and soverign.

 

[Elspeth]

I'm not sure where you're getting that information (and if it's cut and pasted, you should provide a link to the original), but the very first sentence is either wrong or very misleading. Queen Mary's mother wasn't a Russian princess, she was the daughter of the Duke of Cambridge, a son of George III; The Duchess of Cambridge was originally German, so there's no way that Princess Mary Adelaide was Russian. I wonder what on earth they mean.

 

[lashinka2002]

Queen Mary (1867-1953) Part 3

Mother-in-Law
Princess Mary's mother-in-law was Princess of Wales Alexandra. The two were a sharp contrast. Part of Princess Alexandra's charm was her child-like simplicity and perpetual good nature. She would not be the perpetual nag that Queen Victoria had been to her. Princess Mary on the other hand was a serious-minded, self contained young woman who wanted a life of her own. While their relationship was warmer than that between Alexandra and Victoria, the choice of York Cottage as a home meant that Alexandra could and did barge in on the family at any hour. Only a small garden separate Sandringham House from York Cottage. Princess Alexandra would not have wanted it any differently, Princess Mary would have. Princess Alexandra welcomed her daughter-in-law with open arms. The problem was just that they were always together. She later wrote in a tactfull understatement, "I sometimes think that when we were married that we were not left alone enough and this led to many little rubs which might have been avoided."

Family Relations
Actually Princess May had more trouble with her sister-in-laws than her mother-in-law. Princess May had grown up with three lively, intelligent brothers. Prince George's sisters, on the other hand were "lethargic, uneduacted, and childlike". Thus they had very little in common. Worst still, Princess Victoria's attitude was often unkindly, making comments about how dull she was. This may have in part be do do to the fact that she was jealous that she was still single.

Motherhood
As a mother, Queen Mary has been described as indifferent and undemonstrative. Others say distant and exacting. Other writers have described Queen Mary as cold, stiff, and unmaternal. She was unquestionably undemonstrative and not openly affectionate. One close family friend, Lady Airlie, writes, "... the tragedy was that neither had any understanding of a child's mind." She was not, however, as indifferent to her children's feelings and needs as some biographers have suggested. In fact, her relationships with them improved considerably as they matured into adulthood. If we can believe the late Duke of Windsor, she did have some ideas of her own and would considerably relax with the children in the absence of their father. But these instances were relatively rare. She
like her husband allowed the circumstances of their positions to separate and conscribe their relations with the children. Queen Mary's attitude can be summed up in her own words, "I have constantly to remind myself that their father is also their King."



The most intimate moments David and Bertie shared with their mother were occasional visits to her boudoir. (The Queen and King had private bed rooms.) They would visit before dinner and during these visits, the Queen gave the boys here undivided attention. Her approach wasn't what we would today consider to be very intimate or maternal. Rather she would use the time for productive purposes. She might read book extracts designed to "improve" them from the classics or from royal history. She taught them how to knit woolen comfortors for her many charities. David looking back rembers these moments with his mother as some of the most precious memories from what he considered a very barren childhood. As an adult an exiled from his homeland the Duke of Windsor carried with him a small reg-doll chimley sweep his mother made for him during these sessions.


Certainly her approach was much more formal then deemed appropriate in our modern day. Indeed, it was different than the approach that Princess Alexandra had taken with her husband. It is difficult to really know what was going through her mind (she was Duchess of York when the boys were young) or even the extent to which she vocalized these thoughts even to herself. It seems likely, however, that she wanted to be loved by the children. But she was not willing to challenge or even irritate her husband by questioning his dictates about how the children should be raised. Opinions differ on her husband's attitudes. Some sight endearing attitudes toward children, other contend he "actively disliked small boys" and wanted little to do with them.


Queen Mary knew when she married her husband that he would someday be king. His eldest brother to whom she was engaged had just died. As a result, Mary clung to a strict code of etiquitte in her relations with her husband and the children--especially the older boys. She felt that her children's love were part of their princely duties to her. She made no concession for the ages of the children. She in fact did not really understand small children, especially boys. She kept a daily diary. "What a curious child he is," she wrote in 1896. "David was `jumpy' yesterday morning, however, he got quieter after being out." He was only 2 years old and sounds to most modren observers as rather normal. Sometimes David behaved better. His mother wrote, "Baby was delicious at tea this evening; he is in a charming frame of mind .... I really believe he begins to like me at last, he is most civil to me."

The Children and their Upbringing
George V and Queen Mary had 6 children, 5 boys and a girl. They were presented as the model British family. Certainly they did not have the problems the modern English press likes to report with the current royals. They did, of course, have their problems with Edward--eventually resulting in the greatest modern crisis in the monarch. Edward became famous for renouncing the throne to marry a divorced American. His brother Albert who had never been raised to be king, not only inherited the crown, but the great task of leading Britain through the trials of World War II.


Personality
Queen Mary was a shy woman. Except in photographs she was almost totally unknown to the British people. She set a social example even more formidable than that of her husband, who behaved in sharp contrast to his father. She was a strong if not always intimate influence on her children, including her grandchildren. Queen Mary, like King George, were both caring and loving when their children were young but appeared unable to express their feelings once the children grew up. After Queen Mary's death, Sir Winston Churchill paid Queen Mary the compliment: "She looked like a Queen and she acted like a Queen". The ocean liner, The Queen Mary was named after her. She made one broadcast consisting of twenty-eight words with which she christened the Cunard line ocean liner that was named for her.

 

[lashinka2002]

Queen Mary Quotes

[FONT=avantgarde,arial,helvetica]"No member of my family should ever smile in public."[/FONT]​

[FONT=avantgarde,arial,helvetica]"I have to remember that my husband is also my sovereign."

[FONT=avantgarde,arial,helvetica]"My parents were in short street, so they had to go abroad to economize"[/FONT]​

[FONT=avantgarde,arial,helvetica]"When I die India will be found engraved on my heart."[/FONT]​

[FONT=avantgarde,arial,helvetica]"There's only one thing I never did and wish I had done: climbed over a fence."[/FONT]​

[FONT=avantgarde,arial,helvetica]"This is a pretty kettle of fish." (on the abdication crisis)[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[lashinka2002]

Little things to know about Queen Mary...

When the present Queen was a child, she and Queen Mary were out on an educational expedition when Princess Elizabeth started wriggling in her seat. Then Queen Mary asked if she would prefer to go home. Princess Elizabeth replied, "Oh no, Grannie, we can't leave before the end. Think of all the people who'll be waiting to see us outside." Queen Mary thought that was very unroyal and vulgar, so Princess Elizabeth was taken out the back with a lady-in-waiting, and home in a taxi."

When the current Queen Elizabeth was 6 years old, a Minister of State, on encountering her at Buckingham Palace, greeted her with "Hello, little lady." "I'm not a lady, I'm Princess Elizabeth" came the snotty retort. On hearing of this, Queen Mary the following week marched the Princess into the presence of the Minister to apologize, beginning with "This is Princess Elizabeth, who hopes one day to be a lady."

Her famous kleptomaniac tendencies were indicated by the line, on seeing something she coveted, with "I'm caressing it with my eyes."

Only made two official speeches : during World War I and at her Silver Jubilee.

Made several visits to the front during the first World War.

[FONT=avantgarde,arial,helvetica]The Queen Mother was short on Royal Jewels when Queen Consort because Queen Mary hung on to them all until she died, when they passed to the Queen.[/FONT]

Prior to receiving her in their homes hosts would hide their prized possessions given her propensity for expecting pieces which she admired to be offered as gifts. When caught out hosts could expect a van to arrive from Buckingham Palace the next morning to collect the gifts.

Abolished maids-of-honour to save on their dowries.

Introduced napkin rings during World War I to save on laundry costs.

 

[Warren]

More pics

I's a bit harsh to describe Queen Mary as a "kleptomaniac", although it is true that when something caught her eye, it could cause her hosts extreme discomfort.

The reason for this was she was trying to restore those things which once belonged to the Royal Collection and had been dispersed over time. She did not covet objects or furniture for her own possession, but rather to return things to where she believed they belonged.

Anyway here are a couple more pics I found...

Wearing just a few diamonds
Wearing the Delhi Durbar Tiara
.

 

[lashinka2002]

Ancestry

Here's a link to Queen Mary's Ancestry

http://demo.treeshare.com/pedigree.php?rootid=I2415

 

[Squidgy]

I love this picture of Mary with her granddaughter "Lillibet".

 

[gogm]

Pictures of Queen Mary

Here are some pictures of this regal lady:

And a picture of her as a young lady with a drop dead gorgeous figure:

 

[tiaraprin]

I's a bit harsh to describe Queen Mary as a "kleptomaniac", although it is true that when something caught her eye, it could cause her hosts extreme discomfort.

The reason for this was she was trying to restore those things which once belonged to the Royal Collection and had been dispersed over time. She did not covet objects or furniture for her own possession, but rather to return things to where she believed they belonged.

Anyway here are a couple more pics I found...

Another thing Queen Mary was quite passionate about was the removal of ivy from homes and buildings. During WWII when she lived on an estate with her married niece, Queen Mary had a squad of people, including herself, tearing the ivy off of the buildings.

 

[Warren]

Badminton Anecdotes

Another thing Queen Mary was quite passionate about was the removal of ivy from homes and buildings. During WWII when she lived on an estate with her married niece, Queen Mary had a squad of people, including herself, tearing the ivy off of the buildings.

This was at Badminton, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort. As well as the obsessive and aggressive "Ivy Squad", there were the sorties to recover scrap metal for the war effort. Embarassingly several times they had to return neighbouring farmers' field harrows and other equipment which Queen Mary, who had no experience of country life, had thought to be discarded.

When she moved to Badminton just after the War began, Queen Mary's entourage consisted of 63 people, plus dependents. Plus 70 pieces of personal luggage. When her equerry was asked in which part of Badminton House the Queen would be living, he replied "All of it". The Duke and Duchess were reduced to having for themselves only their bedrooms and a small sitting room.
.

 

[Ennyllorac]

Looking through the pictures of Queen Mary, you can definitely see that Queen Elizabeth does look a bit like her.

 

[Elise27]

Imo she doesn't look a little bit like her grandmother, the queen looks a whooooole lot like queen mary, there are some pictures were the resemblance between the two is pretty amazing.

 

[auntie]

This was at Badminton, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort. As well as the obsessive and aggressive "Ivy Squad", there were the sorties to recover scrap metal for the war effort. Embarassingly several times they had to return neighbouring farmers' field harrows and other equipment which Queen Mary, who had no experience of country life, had thought to be discarded.

When she moved to Badminton just after the War began, Queen Mary's entourage consisted of 63 people, plus dependents. Plus 70 pieces of personal luggage. When her equerry was asked in which part of Badminton House the Queen would be living, he replied "All of it". The Duke and Duchess were reduced to having for themselves only their bedrooms and a small sitting room.
.

oh my, what a "wicked" old woman she sounds like!!!

 

[emily62_1]

Imo she doesn't look a little bit like her grandmother, the queen looks a whooooole lot like queen mary, there are some pictures were the resemblance between the two is pretty amazing.

I think Q Margaret looked very much like her aunt, Mary, the Princess Royal , then Viscountess of Lascelles, I like P. Mary, does anyone know something about her and her relationship to her own mum ?

 

[emily62_1]

Oh yes, Queen Mary was very elegant, very stylish.

Thank you for those pictures.

Queen Mary was very beautiful when still May of Teck, though she did not exhitate to marry George, the younger brother of Albert Victor, the man who died the day before their wed.......obvious all she wanted from life was to be queen of UK.

 

[Warren]

Separate Prince John thread

I have a DVD - The Lost Prince- about their youngest son, John, born in 1905 and died in 1919, at 14.

There is a thread about Prince John "The Forgotten Prince" here:

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=980

 

[Victoria1999]

Does someone know what was the relationship between queen Mary and her daughter-in-low Elizabeth. From what I know they both had very strong personalities.

Few weeks ago, I got the DVD "The Windsors: A Royal Family". Have you seen this documentary?