by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Her Serene Highness Princess Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes of Teck (known as Mary or May) was born at Kensington Palace, London on May 26, 1867. She was the eldest of the four children and the only daughter of Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. Mary was christened at the Private Chapel in Kensington Palace by Charles Thomas Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury on July 27, 1867.  Her godparents were:

• Queen Victoria (her mother’s first cousin)
• The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII, her second cousin)
• The Duchess of Cambridge (born Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, her maternal grandmother)

Mary’s mother Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge was a male-line granddaughter of King George III and a first cousin of Queen Victoria.  She weighed approximately 250 pounds and was affectionately known as “Fat Mary.” Queen Victoria wrote of her, “Her size is fearful. It is really a misfortune.” Princess Mary Adelaide, however, was high-spirited and full of life, and was adored by the Victorian public who called her “The People’s Princess.”

Mary’s father was His Serene Highness Prince Francis of Teck, the product of a morganatic marriage. Prince Francis’ father, Duke Alexander of Württemberg, was once heir to the throne of Württemberg. However, Duke Alexander contracted a morganatic marriage (marriage to a person of a lower rank) to a Hungarian countess, Claudine Rhedey. Duke Alexander lost his rights to the throne and his children lost the right to use the Württemberg name. Francis’ cousin King Karl of Württemberg eventually elevated him to the more important Germanic title of Duke of Teck.

Mary Adelaide and Francis had a happy marriage but had chronic financial problems due to Mary Adelaide’s extravagance and generosity. Queen Victoria gave them an apartment at Kensington Palace where their four children were born.

Mary had three younger brothers:

• Prince Adolphus of Teck (Dolly) (1868 – 1927), later Duke of Teck and 1st Marquess of Cambridge, married Lady Margaret Evelyn Grosvenor, had issue
• Prince Francis of Teck (Frank) (1870 – 1910), unmarried
• Prince Alexander of Teck (Alge) (1874 – 1957),  later 1st Earl of Athlone, married Princess Alice of Albany, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, had issue

Mary spent her first sixteen years in London.  The Tecks were always in financial difficulties, and in 1883, they fled from their creditors to the European continent where it was cheaper to live. The family lived with various relatives in Europe and eventually settled in Florence, Italy where Mary acquired an interest in art that would remain with her throughout her life. In 1885, the family returned to London.

Mary was first engaged to Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (known as Prince Eddy), the oldest son and eldest child of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.  Backward and lazy, Eddy had been an apathetic student and received very little education. He was primarily interested in pursuing pleasure which often led him into trouble. His lack of concentration on anything serious caused great concern in his family. Eddy’s family decided that finding a suitable wife might help correct his attitude and behavior.

Unbeknownst to her, Mary was considered the most suitable bride for Eddy. Eddy offered no resistance to this suggestion. Mary had been brought up to revere the monarchy and to be proud that she was a member of the British Royal Family. The fact that Mary’s father was a product of a morganatic marriage could have presented difficulties for her in the marriage market. Despite Eddy’s shortcomings, Mary felt it was her duty to marry him. The engagement was announced on December 6, 1891, and the wedding was set for February 27, 1892.  A month after the engagement announcement, Prince Eddy became ill with influenza. Within a few days, his lungs became inflamed and pneumonia was diagnosed.  He died on January 14, 1892.

After Prince Eddy’s death, Mary and his brother George, the future King George V, now second in the line of succession after his father, spent much time together. As time passed and their common grief eased, there was hope that a marriage might take place between them. George proposed to Mary beside a pond in the garden of his sister Louise’s home, East Sheen Lodge, on April 29, 1893. The engagement was announced on May 3, 1893, with the blessing of George’s grandmother Queen Victoria, and the couple married on July 6, 1893, at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King George V of the United Kingdom and Princess May of Teck

George and Mary had six children:

• King Edward VIII (Duke of Windsor after his abdication) (1894-1972), married Wallis Simpson, no children
• King George VI (1895-1952), married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, had two daughters
• Mary, Princess Royal (1897-1965), married Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, had two sons
• Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900-1974), married Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott, had two sons
• Prince George, Duke of Kent, (1902-1942), married Princess Marina of Greece, had two sons and one daughter
• Prince John (1905-1919)

 

In 1901, after the accession of King Edward VII, George and Mary toured the British Empire, visiting Malta, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. In 1906, they toured India and then traveled to Spain for the wedding of George’s first cousin Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg to King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Soon afterward, George and Mary traveled to Norway for the coronation of King Haakon VII, George’s first cousin, and Queen Maud, George’s sister.

On May 6, 1910, George’s father King Edward VII died and George became King. George and Mary’s coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on June 22, 1911. See Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. In December 1911, King George V and Queen Mary traveled to India for the Delhi Durbar where they were presented as Emperor and Empress of India.  In 1919, George and Mary’s youngest child 13-year-old Prince John, who had epilepsy, died after a very severe seizure, most likely from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy or SUDEP.

On May 6, 1935, King George V and Queen Mary celebrated their Silver Jubilee. George was a heavy smoker and was already very ill at that time. He died on January 20, 1936, and was succeeded by his eldest son, King Edward VIII.  King Edward VIII abdicated less than a year later and his brother Prince Albert, Duke of York ascended the throne, taking the regnal name George VI. King George VI was followed on the throne by his daughter Queen Elizabeth II.

 

During World War II, King George VI wanted to evacuate his mother from London. Mary was very reluctant, but eventually, she went to live with her niece Mary, Duchess of Beaufort, the daughter of her brother Adolphus, at Badminton House in Gloucestershire.    Mary annoyed her niece by having the ivy torn from the walls of Badminton House because she considered it ugly and a health hazard.  In 1942, Mary’s son Prince George, Duke of Kent was killed in an airplane crash while on active service. See Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August.

 

In 1952, King George VI died.  Queen Mary had lived long enough to see her granddaughter Elizabeth become queen, but died on March 24, 1953, at age 85 of lung cancer (although her illness was referred to as “gastric problems”) just ten weeks before the coronation. Before her death, Queen Mary had insisted that the coronation go ahead as scheduled. Mary was buried in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle with her husband King George V.

Embed from Getty Images 
Tomb of King George V and Queen Mary in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

House of Windsor Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Index
• House of Windsor Index
• Birth of the House of Windsor
• British Royal Weddings
• Children, Grandchildren, Great-Grandchildren, and Great-Great-Grandchildren of King George V
• Coronations after the Norman Conquest (1066 – present)
• History and Traditions: Windsor Weddings Part 1 – Children of King George V
• History and Traditions: Windsor Weddings Part 2 – Later Windsor Weddings
• House of Windsor Christenings
• House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and House of Windsor Burial Sites
• Line of Succession to the British Throne
• When The British Monarch Dies
• Windsor Weddings Part 1 – Children of King George V
• Windsor Weddings Part 2 – Later Windsor Weddings

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

King Henry IV of England usurped the throne from his first cousin, King Richard II of England, and became the first Lancaster king. He was the eldest surviving son of John of Gaunt (third surviving son of King Edward III of England) and his first wife, Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster.  He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, England, and was called Henry Bolingbroke.  The birth date is uncertain, although April 15, 1367, is the date generally used.  However, various sources list his birth date as  April 3, April 4, April 15, and May 30, and the years 1366 and 1367.  Historian Ian Mortimer wrote an article about this topic.  The abstract of the article says, “The date of Henry IV’s birth has proved problematic for two key reasons. The failure of any contemporary chronicler to note the date is one. Another is the assumption that medieval people assigned their birthdays to a specific calendar date. This note argues that Henry IV was born on a movable feast – Maundy Thursday 1367 – and celebrated his birthday accordingly. In addition, it suggests that the origin of the custom of the sovereign’s age-related donations, on Maundy Thursday, lies in Henry’s own attempt to draw attention to the fact that he, like Richard II, was born on a religious feast day.”  In 1367, Maundy Thursday was April 15.

Henry was the sixth of his parents’ seven children and their only surviving son:

• Philippa of Lancaster (1360 – 1415), married King João I of Portugal, had issue
• John of Lancaster (c.1362/1364), died in early infancy
• Elizabeth of Lancaster (1364 – 1426), married (1) John Hastings, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, marriage annulled, no issue; (2) John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter, had issue; (3) John Cornwall, 1st Baron Fanhope, had issue
• Edward of Lancaster (1365–1365)
• John of Lancaster (born and died 1366)
• Isabel of Lancaster (b.1368), died young

Henry had two half-siblings from his father’s second marriage to Constance of Castile:

• Catherine of Lancaster (1373 – 1418), married King Enrique III of Castile, had issue, grandmother of Queen Isabella I of Castile, who was the mother of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII of England
• John of Lancaster (1374–1375), died in infancy

Henry had four half-siblings from his father’s relationship with Katherine Swynford.  John of Gaunt married Katherine in 1396, and their children were eventually legitimized.

• John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (1373–1410), married Margaret Holland, had issue, King Henry VII of England descended from this marriage
• Henry Beaufort, Cardinal and Bishop of Winchester (1375–1447)
• Thomas Beaufort, 1st Duke of Exeter (1377–1426), married Margaret Neville of Horneby, had one son who died young
• Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland (1379–1440), married (1) Robert Ferrers, 5th Baron Boteler of Wem, had issue (2) Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland,  had issue, King Edward IV of England and King Richard III of England descended from this marriage

When Henry IV was still a young child, his mother Blanche died, possibly of the plague or due to childbirth complications, at age 23, on September 12, 1368.  On July 27, 1380, at Arundel Castle, 13-year-old Henry married an 11-year-old heiress, Mary de Bohun. Mary was the second daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford, 6th Earl of Essex, 2nd Earl of Northampton. Upon his death in 1373, his estate was divided between his two surviving daughters. Henry and Mary had six children, but Mary died giving birth to their last child at the age of 25.

• King Henry V of England (1386–1422), married Catherine of Valois, had one son, King Henry VI of England
• Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence (1387–1421), married Margaret Holland, no issue
• John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford (1389–1435), married (1) Anne of Burgundy, no issue (2) Jacquetta of Luxembourg, no issue
• Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (1390–1447), married (1) Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut and Holland, no issue (2) Eleanor Cobham, no issue
• Blanche of England, Countess Palatine (1392–1409) married Ludwig III, Elector Palatine, had issue
• Philippa of England (1394–1430) married Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, no issue

In 1377, Henry’s grandfather, King Edward II,I died and was succeeded by another grandson, King Richard II, the only child of King Edward III’s eldest son Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince), who had predeceased his father.  In 1387, Henry participated in the rebellion of the Lords Appellant,  a group of nobles who wanted to restrain some of King Richard II’s favorites from the power they held.  The Lords Appellant were temporarily successful until John of Gaunt’s support (Richard’s uncle and Henry’s father) enabled Richard II to regain power.

In 1398, Henry quarreled with Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, who accused him of treason.  The two men planned to duel, but instead, King Richard II banished them from England. Henry went to France, and on a visit to the court of Brittany, he met his future second wife, Joan of Navarre, the widow of Jean V, Duke of Brittany.  John of Gaunt died on February 3, 1399, and Richard confiscated the estates of his uncle and stipulated that Henry would have to ask him to restore the estates.  Henry returned to England while his cousin Richard was on a military campaign in Ireland. Henry began a military campaign of his own, confiscating the land of those who had opposed him.  King Richard II was eventually abandoned by his supporters and was forced by Parliament on September 29, 1399, to abdicate the crown to his cousin Henry.  King Henry IV was crowned in Westminster Abbey on October 13, 1399.  Richard was imprisoned at Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire, where he died on or around February 14, 1400. The exact cause of his death, thought to have been starvation, is unknown.

Joan of Navarre had not forgotten Henry.  Henry had made a good impression on her, and she became determined to marry him if the opportunity should arise. In 1402, after Joan’s son came of age and could rule Brittany on his own, she sent an emissary to England to arrange a marriage with Henry.  Henry was agreeable to the marriage, and a proxy marriage was held on April 3, 1402, with Joan’s emissary standing in for the bride.  Joan left France for England in January 1403 with her two youngest daughters and then traveled to Winchester, where Henry met her and they were married at Winchester Cathedral on February 7, 1403. They eventually traveled to London, where Joan’s coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on February 26, 1403.  At the time of their marriage, Henry was about 37 and Joan was about 35, but they had no children together. Joan got along well with her stepchildren, especially Henry of Monmouth, Prince of Wales, the future King Henry V of England.

During much of King Henry IV’s 13-year reign, he was occupied with war.  Owain Glyndŵr‘s fight for Welsh independence took 10 years to put down.  The French attacked along England’s south coast and the Scots kept Henry’s armies busy in the north.  The Percy family, led by Sir Henry Percy (Hotspur), and their supporters made three attempts to overthrow Henry.

In his last years, Henry suffered from a disfiguring disease (possibly leprosy, syphilis, or psoriasis) and had severe attacks (possibly from epilepsy or cardiovascular disease).  On March 20, 1413, while in prayer at the shrine of Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey, Henry suffered a fatal attack, possibly a stroke.  He was carried to the Jerusalem Chamber, a room in the house of the abbot, where he died at age 45.  Henry was not buried at Westminster Abbey but instead requested that he be buried at Canterbury Cathedral, presumably because of an affinity towards Saint Thomas Becket, whose shrine was there.

England: House of Lancaster Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Index
• House of Lancaster Index
• British Royal Births, Marriages, Deaths, and Other Important Events
• Coronations after the Norman Conquest (1066 – present)
• History and Traditions: Norman and Plantagenet Weddings
• House of Lancaster Burial Sites

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Known as Patsy in the family, Princess Patricia of Connaught was born on March 17, 1886, at Buckingham Palace in London, England.  She was the youngest of the three children of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria, and Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia.

Patricia had an elder sister and brother:

• Princess Margaret of Connaught (1882 – 1920), married Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden; Margaret died before he became king; had issue
• Prince Arthur of Connaught (1883 – 1938), married first cousin once removed Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife; had issue

On May 1, 1886, the infant princess was christened at St. Anne’s Church near her parents’ home Bagshot Park in Bagshot, England.  She was given the names Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth, after her three godmothers: her grandmother Queen Victoria, her paternal aunt Princess Helena, and her maternal aunt, born Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, and St. Patrick, the saint of her birthday.

• Queen Victoria (her paternal grandmother)
• Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (her paternal great-uncle)
• Hereditary Grand Duchess of Oldenburg (her maternal aunt, born Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia)
• Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (her first cousin, later Wilhelm II, German Emperor)
• Princess Helena  (her paternal aunt)
• Prince Albert of Prussia (her first cousin twice removed)

Princess Patricia spent two years in India while her father, the Duke of Connaught, who served in the British Army, was posted there.  In 1911, the Duke of Connaught was appointed Governor-General of Canada and Patricia accompanied her parents there.  She became popular with the Canadian people during the five-year period she lived in Canada.  In 1917, her picture appeared on the Dominion of Canada one-dollar note.

In 1914, at the start of World War I, Canada had insufficient military forces, and Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault offered the Canadian government $100,000 to help raise and equip an infantry battalion.  Lieutenant-Colonel Francis D. Farquhar, Military Secretary to Canada’s Governor-General, then the Duke of Connaught, asked the Duke of Connaught for permission to name the regiment after his daughter.  Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry was formed and Princess Patricia was named Colonel-in-Chief on February 22, 1918, and held that appointment until she died in 1974.  She designed the badge and colors for the regiment and the regiment attended and played their march at her wedding in 1919.  Besides World War I, the regiment has served in World War II, the Korean War, and the War in Afghanistan, as well as in numerous NATO operations and United Nations peacekeeping missions.

There was much speculation about whom Princess Patricia would marry. She was matched with several foreign royals, but ultimately she chose a commoner, albeit the son of a peer, The Honorable Alexander Ramsay, then a Captain in the Royal Navy and the third son of John Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie, and his wife, Lady Ida Bennet, daughter of Charles Bennet, 6th Earl of Tankerville.  Alexander had been a naval aide-de-camp to the Duke of Connaught in his early years as Governor-General of Canada.  The marriage proposal occurred at the fishing lodge of J. K. L. Ross, a Canadian businessman, sportsman, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder, and philanthropist, on St. Anns Bay in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The wedding was held at Westminster Abbey on February 27, 1919.  This was the first major royal event after World War I and the first royal wedding at Westminster Abbey since the 1382 wedding of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. The bridal party consisted of eight bridesmaids and two train-bearers:

• Lady Victoria Cambridge, elder daughter of the 1st Marquess of Cambridge
• Princess Mary, daughter of King George V
• Lady Ida Ramsay, elder daughter of the 14th Earl of Dalhousie and niece of the groom
• Lady Helena Cambridge, younger daughter of the 1st Marquess of Cambridge
• Princess Maud of Fife, younger daughter of Princess Louise, Princess Royal
• Lady Jean Ramsay, younger daughter of the 14th Earl of Dalhousie and niece of the groom
• Lady May Cambridge, daughter of the 1st Earl of Athlone
• Princess Ingrid of Sweden, daughter of the Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden, and niece of the bride
• Earl of Macduff, son of Prince and Princess Arthur of Connaught and nephew of the bride
• The Honorable Simon Ramsay, younger son of the 14th Earl of Dalhousie and nephew of the groom

After her marriage, Princess Patricia voluntarily relinquished the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and assumed the style of Lady Patricia Ramsay. She was not obligated to renounce her royal title but she wished to have a social status and rank closer to that of her husband. The decision was made with the agreement of her father The Duke of Connaught and her first cousin King George V.  Lady Patricia remained a member of the British Royal Family, remained in the line of succession, and attended all major royal events including weddings, funerals, and coronations.

The couple had one child:

• Alexander Ramsay of Mar (1919 – 2000), married, Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun, had issue

Lady Patricia was an accomplished watercolor artist and was made an honorary member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours.

At the age of 91, Alexander Ramsay died at his home Ribsden Holt in Windlesham, Surrey, England on October 8, 1972, and was buried in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore, in Windsor, England. Fourteen months later, on January 12, 1974, Lady Patricia died at Ribsden Holt at the age of 87 and was buried alongside her husband.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.