Card of the Day: H.R.H. Mary, the Princess Royal

Mary, the Princess Royal (seen here in this, the seventh card in the Silver Jubilee series by Godfrey & Phillips) was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. At the time of her birth, her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, passed letters of patent to ensure that all children of the then Duke and Duchess of York would be styled as Royal Highness. Mary was created Princess Royal. She was the sixth Royal daughter to hold that title. She was also known as Princess Mary of Wales, and, after her marriage, the Countess of Harewood.

Throughout her life, Mary was the great-granddaughter of the Sovereign (Victoria), grand-daughter of the Sovereign (Edward VII), daughter of the Sovereign (George V), sister of the Sovereign (Edward VIII, briefly, and George VI), and aunt of the Sovereign (Elizabeth II). After that whole abdication kerfuffle in 1936-7, Mary sided with her eldest brother, “David,” (Edward VIII and, later, Duke of Windsor) with whom she was forever close. This, I’m sure, irritated Queen Mary. In 1947, when Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) married Lieutenant Phillip Mountbatten (now the Duke of Edinburgh), Mary refused to attend the wedding because her brother, the Duke of Windsor had not been invited. Oh my!

Princess Mary of Wales marriage to
the Viscount Lascelles, 1922

Princess Mary, in 1922, married Henry Charles George, Viscount Lascelles and 6th Earl of Harewood. Some believe that their marriage was a loveless, arranged union. The Viscount, fifteen years Mary’s senior, was said not to have been an affectionate mate. However, their two sons both contend that this wasn’t true. They state that their parents were actually quite well-matched and had a very happy union.

Mary’s devotion to the empire took the form of years of charitable works, mostly in the field of nursing. She shared her mother’s interest in the arts and would often accompany Queen Mary on her almost-daily museum/shopping jaunts, making sure they could return to Buckingham Palace in time for the Queen to pour King George V’s tea. The Princess Royal passed away in 1965 while walking in the gardens of her impressive estate, Harewood House.

Mary, the Princess Royal in 1901
The Royal Collection