Princess Mary: The First Modern Princess
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- Create Date：2021-11-13 09:51:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Elisabeth Basford
- ISBN：0750992611
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Summary
"At last a biography of Princess Mary， the Queen’s aunt—and a good one 。 。 。 She has long deserved a full study and in Elisabeth Basford， she has found a dedicated and sympathetic biographer， who has done her full justice。" —Hugo Vickers
Princess Diana is seen as the first British royal to tear up the rulebook in terms of what behavior befit a princess， and in her wake Catherine and Meghan are taking leaps and bounds in modernizing the monarchy。 But before this trio of deservedly lauded and often lambasted women， there was a princess who paved the way。
Born in 1897， Princess Mary was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary。 Despite her Victorian beginnings， she strove to make a princess' life meaningful， using her elevated position to help those less fortunate and defying gender conventions in the process。 From her dedication to the war effort， visiting wounded soldiers and training as a nurse， to her role as a peacemaker during the Abdication Crisis， Mary was one princess who redefined the title for the modern age。
Princess Diana is seen as the first British royal to tear up the rulebook in terms of what behavior befit a princess， and in her wake Catherine and Meghan are taking leaps and bounds in modernizing the monarchy。 But before this trio of deservedly lauded and often lambasted women， there was a princess who paved the way。
Born in 1897， Princess Mary was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary。 Despite her Victorian beginnings， she strove to make a princess' life meaningful， using her elevated position to help those less fortunate and defying gender conventions in the process。 From her dedication to the war effort， visiting wounded soldiers and training as a nurse， to her role as a peacemaker during the Abdication Crisis， Mary was one princess who redefined the title for the modern age。
Reviews
Jessica
，
If anyone is looking how to be an effective， working member of the royal family then look no further then Princess Mary （Princess Royal）。 Only daughter of George V and Queen Mary she found a way to find meaning in her title and work。 During WWI she worked as a nurse， no job was too small or menial for her willingness to do it。 Every charity she was involved with felt her presence and interest in the work they were doing。 Naturally shy， she found ways to over come by promoting women's education， If anyone is looking how to be an effective， working member of the royal family then look no further then Princess Mary （Princess Royal）。 Only daughter of George V and Queen Mary she found a way to find meaning in her title and work。 During WWI she worked as a nurse， no job was too small or menial for her willingness to do it。 Every charity she was involved with felt her presence and interest in the work they were doing。 Naturally shy， she found ways to over come by promoting women's education， girls guides， nursing and even promoted donating blood when it was desperately needed。 She won the hearts of Yorkshire after her marriage to the Earl of Harewood where locals would find her grocery shop with her ration coupons。 She managed to maintain relationships with all of her family， including the brother who abdicated， and was a companion to her mother during their widowhood together。 Princess Mary is very impressive sans a royal title， but she deserve so much respect for charting her own path to a meaningful life。 I think Princess Anne， current Princess Royal， has taken a page or two from Princess Mary。 As she should。 。。。more
Tara Corrigall
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Audio - Queen Elizabeth’s aunt was amazing。 Shame on Downton Abbey for the minimal mention and The Crown for not including her at all。
Stacy Campbell
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Such an interesting read about a not very well-known member of the Royal Family。 You can imagine that Princess Anne takes her cues from her。
Shreedevi Gurumurty
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Princess Diana is seen as the first member of the British royal family to tear up the rulebook， and the Duchess of Cambridge is modernising the monarchy in strides。 But before them was another who paved the way。Princess Mary was born in 1897。 Despite her Victorian beginnings， she strove to make a princess’s life meaningful， using her position to help those less fortunate and defying gender conventions in the process。 As the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary， she would live to see not Princess Diana is seen as the first member of the British royal family to tear up the rulebook， and the Duchess of Cambridge is modernising the monarchy in strides。 But before them was another who paved the way。Princess Mary was born in 1897。 Despite her Victorian beginnings， she strove to make a princess’s life meaningful， using her position to help those less fortunate and defying gender conventions in the process。 As the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary， she would live to see not only two of her brothers ascend the throne but also her niece Queen Elizabeth II。 She was one of the hardest-working members of the royal family， known for her no-nonsense approach and her determination in the face of adversity。 During the First World War she came into her own， launching an appeal to furnish every British troop and sailor with a Christmas gift， and training as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital。Princess Mary's public duties reflected her concerns with nursing， the Girl Guide movement， and the Women's Services。From her dedication to the war effort， to her role as the family peacemaker during the Abdication Crisis， Mary was the princess who redefined the title for the modern age。"For Mary，it was not enough merely to support a charitable enterprise:she derived more fulfillment in seeing the fruition of active involvement。For her，royal patronage had to involve longevity of commitment， dependability and permanence throughout her lifetime。""She had love for her family， devotion to duty， and commitment to the Monarchy。" She married Henry Lascelles， Viscount Lascelles （later the 6th Earl of Harewood）， in 1922。 Mary was given the title of Princess Royal in 1932。 During WWII， she was Controller Commandant of the Auxiliary Territorial Service。 The Princess Royal and the Earl of Harewood had two sons， George Lascelles， 7th Earl of Harewood， and The Honourable Gerald Lascelles。After her husband's death in 1947， the Princess Royal lived at Harewood House with her elder son and his family。 She became the chancellor of the University of Leeds in 1951， and continued to carry out official duties at home and abroad。 。。。more
Ellen
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I'm always fond of reading books about royals and I have encountered mentions of Princess Mary in biographies of her father， mother and brothers so I was all ready to read this。 Princess Mary was a nice lady， but not a lot of consequence happened to her。 So the author describes every room in every house Mary lived in and every bit of clothing in every event she took part in。 I got to the point where my eyes glazed over and I flipped the screen of the Kindle faster and faster looking for somethin I'm always fond of reading books about royals and I have encountered mentions of Princess Mary in biographies of her father， mother and brothers so I was all ready to read this。 Princess Mary was a nice lady， but not a lot of consequence happened to her。 So the author describes every room in every house Mary lived in and every bit of clothing in every event she took part in。 I got to the point where my eyes glazed over and I flipped the screen of the Kindle faster and faster looking for something that was interesting。 But for the most part， it just wasn't there。 。。。more
Arthur H。
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The author commented that a distinguished royal biographer warned him that there might not be much to say。 He was certainly correct。 This is not a scholarly and insightful examination of Princess Mary's life - it is an exhaustive list of "nice things" about her。 Other than that， the author has very little to say about her。 She stayed busy with her patronages; her health could be dicey。Ms。 Basford is no Pope-Hennessy or Wheeler-Bennett。 I wonder if they would have had more to say。I don't recommen The author commented that a distinguished royal biographer warned him that there might not be much to say。 He was certainly correct。 This is not a scholarly and insightful examination of Princess Mary's life - it is an exhaustive list of "nice things" about her。 Other than that， the author has very little to say about her。 She stayed busy with her patronages; her health could be dicey。Ms。 Basford is no Pope-Hennessy or Wheeler-Bennett。 I wonder if they would have had more to say。I don't recommend this book except for a mild diversion。 。。。more
Julie Taylor
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I am giving Princess Mary: The First Modern Princess by Elisabeth Basford a four-star rating only for the fact that hers is the first （but it is to be hoped not the last） effort to inform readers of a senior member of the House of Windsor who has been overlooked and all but forgotten by history。 The only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary emerges from the pages of Basford's biography as a truly remarkable woman of personal integrity， kindness and warmth。 She also shared the sense of duty t I am giving Princess Mary: The First Modern Princess by Elisabeth Basford a four-star rating only for the fact that hers is the first （but it is to be hoped not the last） effort to inform readers of a senior member of the House of Windsor who has been overlooked and all but forgotten by history。 The only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary emerges from the pages of Basford's biography as a truly remarkable woman of personal integrity， kindness and warmth。 She also shared the sense of duty that characterized her brother Albert （King George VI） and characterizes her niece， HM Queen Elizabeth II。 This biography also puts paid the rumors and mischaracterizations of The Princess Royal -the title was Mary's until her death when it was passed to her great-niece Princess Anne- and Mary's husband Henry （Harry） Lascelles。 Contemporaneous letters and diary entries reveal theirs was truly a love match， not the loveless， miserable union depicted in the film version of Downton Abbey。 There is a lesson here: *never* take the entertainment industry's depictions of real people as fact。 Princess Mary was a royal trailblazer long before the much-hyped Diana， Princess of Wales married into the Royal Family。 She championed many worthy causes including opportunities for the disadvantaged， veterans affairs， children's charities and secondary education for women。 Yet she did it without the need for personal recognition and without sacrificing what many today describe as traditional moral ethics and values。 The fact that no one who knew her in any capacity had a bad word to say about her -save a few catty socialite celebrities who thought her unfashionable- speaks volumes。My chief criticism of Basford's biography is that， in later chapters， Mary's achievements read like someone's to-do list recited for the readers' benefit。 She *tells* readers Princess Mary was "timid" and "painfully shy"， or was "warm" and had a "great sense of humor" without *showing* us through specific anecdotes that illustrate these traits。 However， these deficiencies are balanced somewhat with a handful of wonderful family photographs and copious footnotes。 All in all， I enjoyed reading and learning more about the UK's first modern princess。 。。。more
Heather Cotton
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Great read。 Definitely recommend if you are interested in the royal family and learning more about them。
Rebecca Nelson
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Thoroughly researched biography。 Clearly a royalist in terms of stance so sometimes reads as a little biased。
Rosemary Readman
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interesting life story， particularly about her parents， King George V and Queen Mary。 They got to know Yorkshire and enjoyed saying at Harewood house。 She was accepted by the local people and loved to be out on the land with them。
Ghost of the Library
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Absolutely fantastic read， such a great look at a rather formidable but clearly much loved lady。Proper Review to follow
Annie Booker
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Princess Mary， The Princess Royal， truly was the first modern princess。 Despite the fact that she married a commoner and was relatively distant from the throne after Queen Elizabeth II's accession， she nonetheless worked hard on behalf of the Royal Family up until her death。 She was an intelligent and fascinating woman and this is an excellent biography of her。 Princess Mary， The Princess Royal， truly was the first modern princess。 Despite the fact that she married a commoner and was relatively distant from the throne after Queen Elizabeth II's accession， she nonetheless worked hard on behalf of the Royal Family up until her death。 She was an intelligent and fascinating woman and this is an excellent biography of her。 。。。more
Susan Williams
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Excellent Biography of Queen Elizabeth's AuntI found this book fascinating and well researched/written。 Some reviewers seemed bored with the minutiae of her life but I didn't consider it so。 That is because the details on offer were mostly her myriad service projects in a time of great societal and historical change。 She was patron of over fifty charities and the first woman chancellor of a university （Leeds）。 She was a trained nurse who did much during WWI and WWII to ease the suffering of many Excellent Biography of Queen Elizabeth's AuntI found this book fascinating and well researched/written。 Some reviewers seemed bored with the minutiae of her life but I didn't consider it so。 That is because the details on offer were mostly her myriad service projects in a time of great societal and historical change。 She was patron of over fifty charities and the first woman chancellor of a university （Leeds）。 She was a trained nurse who did much during WWI and WWII to ease the suffering of many。 The last chapter in the book explaining the value of her legacy sums it up perfectly。 Before there was Princess Margaret， Anne or Diana， Princess Mary （sister of Prince Edward VIII and George VI） was setting the stage for female royal service and many traditions of the modern British monarchy。 And she was kind， approachable， thoughtful and willing to muck in when necessary。 I knew nothing about her before reading this and am now a great admirer。 Thank you to the author for a well done job on someone who needs to be better appreciated。 。。。more
Elma Voogdt
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Recently I saw a book that caught my attention。 Princess Mary – The First Modern Princess。 Unknown to me， so time to change that。 Princess Mary was a member of the British Royal Family。 She was the sixth princess with the title Princess Royal。 In the book we get to know Princess Mary well。 Finally， you would almost say。 Princess Mary， daughter of George V， sister of Edward VII and George VI， aunt of Elizabeth II to clarify the family connection。Despite we little known about Mary， she was one of Recently I saw a book that caught my attention。 Princess Mary – The First Modern Princess。 Unknown to me， so time to change that。 Princess Mary was a member of the British Royal Family。 She was the sixth princess with the title Princess Royal。 In the book we get to know Princess Mary well。 Finally， you would almost say。 Princess Mary， daughter of George V， sister of Edward VII and George VI， aunt of Elizabeth II to clarify the family connection。Despite we little known about Mary， she was one of the hard-working royals of that time。 It seems like it’s in the name of Princess Royal: Working hard。 Princess Mary has always stood in the shadow of her two brothers。 We all know the history with Edward and Wallis， Bertie who now had to become king。 The first crisis that was widely covered in the media。 Mary herself kept her activities low profile， little was reported about it， while the book tells us that Mary continued tirelessly， especially during the war。Elisabeth Basford ensures that Mary’s story is known with this first and very complete biography。 A story that should definitely be read。 The biography has been well researched， many unknown sources have been used such as letters， diaries all with permission from the Royal Archives， Queen Elizabeth， family and friends。 That means that the book has something special and gives a special glimpse into the life of Princess Mary。 For example， Mary raised money to provide every soldier who fought in WWI with a 1914 Christmas gift box containing a “Best Wishes for a Happy New Year” card， a photo and tobacco/cigarettes or a pencil & stationery。 In addition， Mary was Britain’s first working royal， as a nurse。 Mary also appears to be the founder of a tradition at the British Royals: The royal brides who stop at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after their wedding ceremony to place a bouquet。So we get to know not only her work for the charities， but also her titles and ranks。 Perhaps more interestingly， her close relationship with her brother David （King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor） is revealed about her family ties， such as her parents， George V and Queen Mary， and her husband Henry， Viscount Lascelles， not to mention her two sons。I enjoyed reading this book。 The life course of Princess Mary has been thoroughly and well researched， so as a reader you get a very good view of this hard-working royal。 It is indeed true that she was the first princess to dedicate herself to the less fortunate。 Things we later saw with Princess Diana and now by the Duchess of Cambridge。In summary : A very complete biography。 The author has an accessible way of writing， because it makes the book easy to read。 The book is interesting， educational and pleasant to read。 It introduces the reader in to the unknown world of this British Royal。 The book will certainly contribute to more awareness of Princess Mary。 Every one who is interested in royal and history should have this book on their bookshelf。 。。。more
Scott Whitmont
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Most 21st century readers are unfamiliar with the life of the Queen’s aunt， Princess Mary， Princess Royal and the Countess of Harewood。 Overshadowed in the headlines by her four brothers， two of whom were kings， she kept a relatively low media profile whilst still working tirelessly in support of the Crown， charities and public service through both World Wars and until her sudden death in 1965 when she was just 67。Elisabeth Basford offers the first full biography of Princess Mary’s life， meticul Most 21st century readers are unfamiliar with the life of the Queen’s aunt， Princess Mary， Princess Royal and the Countess of Harewood。 Overshadowed in the headlines by her four brothers， two of whom were kings， she kept a relatively low media profile whilst still working tirelessly in support of the Crown， charities and public service through both World Wars and until her sudden death in 1965 when she was just 67。Elisabeth Basford offers the first full biography of Princess Mary’s life， meticulously researched and using correspondence and diaries never previously accessed， made available to her by the Royal Archives and Mary’s family and friends。 Not only does it detail her many charity patronages and honorary military ranks and titles but also examines her very close relationship with her parents， George V and Queen Mary， her recalcitrant brother David （the Duke of Windsor）， her loving husband Henry， Viscount Lascelles and two sons。It is fascinating to learn that Mary was responsible for raising funds to provide every serving Empire soldier with a gift Christmas tin in 1914 which included a card with “best wishes for a victorious new year”， a photo and either tobacco/cigarettes or a pencil & stationery。She was the first British royal to work professionally as a nurse， was the first female university chancellor in Britain and worked tirelessly for the advancement of women’s education。 She also instigated the still observed tradition of royal brides stopping by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after their wedding ceremony to place a remembrance bouquet。Despite the fictional antipathy portrayed between Princess Mary and her husband in the recent Downton Abbey movie， the Harewoods were devoted to each other and though not publicly demonstrative with their love， had a very happy marriage indeed notwithstanding their 15 year age difference。 After marrying， Mary took to being the chatelaine of the expansive Harewood House estate outside Leeds with aplomb， gradually being accepted and seen by the people of Yorkshire as one of their own。On multiple occasions over the years， she stood in for her mother， her brother & sister-in-law （George VI and Queen Elizabeth） as well as her niece Elizabeth II as a Counsellor of State， when they were ill， pregnant or out of the country on extensive tours。 She undertook her own substantial royal tours of Canada， Africa and the Caribbean， overseeing independence ceremonies and celebrations in Zambia and Trinidad & Tobago， often attending up to five separate official events in a day， making speeches at each， despite her being naturally shy and reticent to engage with big crowds。Princess Mary is a most informative and revealing portrait of an admirable， previously widely unlauded Windsor and makes a welcome contribution to the canon of royal historical biography。 。。。more
Saturday's Child
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Princess Mary， the Princess Royal lived through the reigns of six monarchs and yet not many books have been written about her until this one。 The impressive research has made this a worthy read about one of England’s lesser-known members of the Royal Family。 She trained and performed nursing duties during World War 1 and continued to show her support for returned soldiers and their families when it ended。 She once again showed her support during World War 2。 In 1922 her wedding dress train featu Princess Mary， the Princess Royal lived through the reigns of six monarchs and yet not many books have been written about her until this one。 The impressive research has made this a worthy read about one of England’s lesser-known members of the Royal Family。 She trained and performed nursing duties during World War 1 and continued to show her support for returned soldiers and their families when it ended。 She once again showed her support during World War 2。 In 1922 her wedding dress train featured symbols such as a daffodil for Wales， a maple for Canada， a wattle for Australia， a fern for New Zealand etc。 After the ceremony she left her bridal bouquet at the Cenotaph。 。。。more
Jane
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Princess Mary was a member of the Royal Family that I knew nothing about， so I’m very glad I read this book。 I very good account of a life well lived。
Susan
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I had forgotten that George VI and the Duke of Windsor had other siblings so was happy to read this book and be reminded about their only sister。 The book was quite dry and not a little bit dull。 It sounded like Princess Mary's son George was the most interesting member of the family。 I'm glad I read it but don't think I'd read another by this author。 I had forgotten that George VI and the Duke of Windsor had other siblings so was happy to read this book and be reminded about their only sister。 The book was quite dry and not a little bit dull。 It sounded like Princess Mary's son George was the most interesting member of the family。 I'm glad I read it but don't think I'd read another by this author。 。。。more
Paul Davies
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I enjoyed reading this book。 Thorough and well-researched， emphasizing the progress of events， interactions， and activities in her career。 The book succeeds in its objective of the reader understanding Princess Mary to be a consistently hard-working member of the royal family， 'using her position to help those less fortunate and defying gender conventions。' I enjoyed reading this book。 Thorough and well-researched， emphasizing the progress of events， interactions， and activities in her career。 The book succeeds in its objective of the reader understanding Princess Mary to be a consistently hard-working member of the royal family， 'using her position to help those less fortunate and defying gender conventions。' 。。。more
Mary
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An interesting read， Princess Mary deserved her own biography and she was clearly the first modern Princess。 Unfortunately there just isn't enough information about her nor the family dynamics， probably due to her very private nature。 An interesting read， Princess Mary deserved her own biography and she was clearly the first modern Princess。 Unfortunately there just isn't enough information about her nor the family dynamics， probably due to her very private nature。 。。。more
Jessica
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