Object of the Day: A Tinted Photograph of Mary of Teck

My appreciation for Queen Mary, consort of King George V, is no secret. Without Mary of Teck, the Royal Collection would be half as spectacular as it is—if not more so. Though Mary is often criticized for the methods she used in obtaining many of the shiny, wonderful objects she added to the collection, you’ve got to give her credit for doing it. She was a very interesting woman whose first interest—aside from getting her hands on pretty things—was the well-being of the monarchy. Though she probably was not the most agreeable of people, she’s someone I would have liked to have known.

Mary of Teck was born Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes in 1867 at Kensington Palace to Prince Francis, Duke of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. Styled as Serene Highness, she was a princess of Teck, in the Kingdom of Württemberg. Known as “May” to her family, as a young woman she was engaged to the eldest son of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale—the heir to the throne. Six weeks after their engagement was announced, Prince Albert Victor died from a bout of pneumonia. May and Prince Albert Victor’s brother, Prince George, Duke of York, comforted one another during their time of grief. Soon, they had become quite close and announced their engagement. They married in 1893 at St. James Palace and May became the Duchess of York. Upon the death of King Edward VII, the Duke of York became King George V and his wife took the name Queen Mary so as not to be confused with her husband’s grandmother, Queen Victoria.

Mary survived two World Wars, the death of her husband, and the kerfuffle involving her son, the erstwhile King Edward VIII and his ever-so-charming wife, the American divorcee. She saw her husband’s wishes come to pass when their son, “Bertie” took the throne as King George VI and she survived his death as well. Determined to see her granddaughter Elizabeth ascend to the throne, Queen Mary died slightly before the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

I have several bits of Mary of Teck memorabilia. A more recent addition to the collection is this lovely tinted photograph of Mary from later in her life. The photograph was taken in the 1920’s by Hay Wrightson of London. Wrightson was a commercial photographer who worked from 1920-1929. He had a studio at 30 New Bond Street and took many photos of the Royal Family for commercial distribution.