Obscure Book of the Day: Princess Anne, the First Souvenir Album

Today’s book surprised me. To be honest, of this batch of Pitkin Guides, this was one of the ones that least excited me. At first glance, I figured it was just sort of a baby album of Princess Anne. But, it’s much more than that. When I began to study it, I realized that it’s very nicely detailed history of Queen Mary’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Now, had I paid better attention, I would have noticed that the title of the book is actually, “A Pictorial Souvenir of Queen Mary’s Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren to Commemorate the Birth of H.R.H. Princess Anne.”

Not only does the book offer the “first photographs” of Princess Anne, but it also shows the relationship between Queen Mary and all of her family in the years just before her death in 1953. Again, there’s no date of publication, but since Anne was born in August of 1950, that’s a good indication of when this book was printed.

Being Queen Mary’s biggest fan (certainly her biggest in Texas, at least), I will admit, that I found the many photos of George V’s widow with many assorted Royal babies to be quite interesting. It is often said that Queen Mary didn’t like children. That’s not entirely true. She was quite involved with her own children when they were young and enjoyed reading to them and visiting with them. She was not allowed the luxury of being a hands-on mama. She was, after all, the Queen Consort (and before that, the Duchess of York, among other things) and had a lot of duties. As devoted as Mary was to her family, nothing outweighed her two top devotions—her husband, the King; and the Empire. Above all else, Mary loved Britain. Her love for her children was colored by the fact that, for her, they had a role in the Empire—an obligation that she always tried to make clear to them.

By the time her grandchildren came along, Queen Mary had a little more time on her hands. She was very involved with the children of her second son, “Bertie” and his wife, Elizabeth (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother). Mary and George V often stated to one another that their eldest grandchild, Princess Elizabeth, showed—even as a child—the makings of a good Queen. George, in fact, was known to have bemoaned the fact that “David” (later, briefly, King Edward VIII) would get in the way of “Bertie” and “Lilibet” and the throne.

George V and Mary with their favorite grandchild,
now Queen Elizabeth II

After the death of her husband and the whole abdication kerfuffle with her eldest son, Queen Mary realized that “Lilibet” would one day, in fact, be Queen, and began to spend as much time with the girl as possible. Still, war and other assorted crises got in the way. By the time Mary’s great-grandchildren came along, she did, in fact, love them and delighted in their births. But, her diary makes her position clear. More than their individual natures, Mary loved the fact that these children meant the future of Britain and the Royal family.

The simple truth is, Queen Mary was uncomfortable with children. It’s not that she didn’t like them, she just didn’t understand them. They surprised her. They acted in ways that she couldn’t comprehend. That made her uneasy. She just didn’t know what to do about it. And, so, as you’ll see, her discomfort is apparent. She valued each baby that she’s holding in these pictures. But, the sense of the unknown that came with each one was just a little too much of a source of discomfort.

Let’s take a look inside:

Queen Mary and her first grandchild--the son of her daughter, Princess Mary.

Then-Princess Elizabeth with her daughter, Princess Anne and Prince Charles

The Family of the Duke of Kent.

The Queen Mother and her hat and Princess Anne.

Queen Mary called her granddaughter Elizabeth, "a simply delightful baby."

"Queen Mary obviously has a way with her granddaughter."  Christmas, 1926.

Royal babies a-plenty.  Isn't it funny?  We just saw this little boy's eldest son get married at Westminster Abbey.

When the Duchess of York first held her eldest girl, she had no idea that the child would one day be Queen.

"Then, my dear, simply tell your hostess that you admire her brooch.  She'll have to give it to you."
"Thank you, Grandma Britain."
Or, so I'd like to think this exchange went.

Coronation Day--May of 1937.  Uncle David went off to marry that American and Daddy became king.
On the balcony: Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, King George VI, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen) and Princess Margaret.
Crowns and coronets for all.

"Oh, dear.  Another one."
Queen Mary holds Edward, son of her son, the Duke of Kent.  She is flanked by the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.

Queen Mary with an infant Prince Charles.  I can't imagine what she was thinking.  Here's a woman who was engaged to one heir to the throne--who died, was married to the King, was the mother of two Kings, the grandmother of a Queen and, here, holds in her arms a child who would be the next heir to the throne. 

Buy more books--in the past.