Queen Mary, consort of George V (1867-1953)

[eya]

https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...ry-kew-gardens-1937-gail-griffiths-brenda-pye

"i find it extraordinary how casual they are"

 

[Andrew_Goodchild]

Whilst I was browsing the TV the other night I came across a documentary on the BBC. It was two parts the first about George V and the second about Queen Mary. It was first broadcast in 2012 but is available on the iPlayer until the end of January. I thought it might be of interest to some.

It may only be available for users in the United Kingdom.

BBC iPlayer - King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy - 2. Queen Mary

 

[RCBadger]

Oh, I watched that the other night too. You can also access it if you have a VPN.

George V had a nice speaking voice.

 

[padams2359]

It's also on YouTube.

 

[Osipi]

Actually when I went to search for this documentary, I found that there are several relating to George V and Mary. I'm saving this link for later viewing in the deep dark of night when TV is boring and all is quiet on the home front.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+royals+who+rescued+the+monarchy+

 

[Denville]

I have to say, remembering Queen Mary's public persona, I find it difficult to visualise her sitting there, doing the knit one, pearl one, puffing away with a ciggie hanging from her lips!!

I think that in private she was a bit more relaxed than the stiff public image, she felt she had to be "perfect" in public for the sake of the RF. but she might haeve enjoyed a cigartetee but felt it was "fast" for women to smoke, so she would never do so in public,

 

[Osipi]

I think that in private she was a bit more relaxed than the stiff public image, she felt she had to be "perfect" in public for the sake of the RF. but she might haeve enjoyed a cigartetee but felt it was "fast" for women to smoke, so she would never do so in public,

I have to agree with this. My mother had the same attitude towards women and smoking in public and she was of the generation that came after Mary. It just wasn't something that "ladies" did in public.

 

[andrew]

.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Queen Mary's birth.
Do you think that there'll be some kind of event to commemorate that?

 

[Curryong]

I doubt it. There might be a few lines in one of the newspapers, if an historically minded reporter is stuck for copy one day and looks it up. Few people alive today can even remember Queen Mary (who was a fabulous consort.) It's been almost 65 years since her death, just before Queen Elizabeth's Coronation.

 

[Denville]

I dotn think she's popular today. She wasn't glamourous or beautiful like Alexandra.. and she was stiff and prim and proper...

 

[Queen Claude]

While not a household name and image like Queen Victoria, it looks like to me that Mary is a more enduring figure than Alexandra, I attribute it to three reasons:
1. she is the mother of Edward VIII.
2. she is the grandmother of the current Queen;
3. she has a cult following among royal jewelry aficionados.

 

[Curryong]

I don't think most people in Britain take that much notice of living members of the royal family, let alone one who has been dead for over sixty years. As a Royal watcher, however, I think she was a magnificent consort and a fascinating figure of the time.

 

[Denville]

well she had good and bad points like everone. But I would think that she's not one of the popular "old dead royalss....

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Living royals:

Everyone knows who the Queen is. The most popular/famous head of state (many would say persom) in the world. Everyone also know who Philip, Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and Harry is.

The Cambridges/Harry are togheter with HM the most famous peole in the UK.

Some know who Anne, Andrew, Edward and Sophie is.

Almost no one (at least not under 30) know who the Gloucesters/Kents is. (The reason for this is that the media don't write about them)

Deceased Royals:

People who are not interested in history don't know who Queen Mary is. They don't know who Queen Alexandra is either

People under 30 who are not interested in history know almost nothing about either Diana or Margaret.

But many under 30 know who the Queen Mother is.

Former monarchs:

Many of those who are not interested in history (including people under 30) know who Victoria and George VI is.

 

[Ish]

Mary isn't one of the popular dead royals.

But, to be fair, I think to be a "popular" dead royal your name has to either start with Victoria or end with Tudor. The Queen Mother is a bit different because she died in living memory, and Edward VIII is different because... well Nazis + love story.

I would add too, Mary was a consort. Consorts aren't remembered outside of historical types and/or royal watchers.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Mary isn't one of the popular dead royals.

But, to be fair, I think to be a "popular" dead royal your name has to either start with Victoria or end with Tudor. The Queen Mother is a bit different because she died in living memory, and Edward VIII is different because... well Nazis + love story.

I would add too, Mary was a consort. Consorts aren't remembered outside of historical types and/or royal watchers.

Agree! But almost none of the people I know (who are not interested history) know who Edward VIII is either.

 

[Daenerys Targaryen]

I dotn think she's popular today. She wasn't glamourous or beautiful like Alexandra.. and she was stiff and prim and proper...

She had standards and was an exemplary Queen. I can respect both of those things. Not cuddly, not glamorous (though could rock the jewels like no one else...a huge ding ding ding for me).

 

[Denville]

I'd say she wore too many jewels, and she was well known for her love of objet d'arts which she bullied out of people...

 

[Osipi]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that it was pretty much that case that if Queen Mary was coming to visit, it was wise to put things you really valued out of sight. If HM caught her eye on something and said "Oh! This is really nice!" it kind of was code for making it a gift to HM.

 

[Ish]

I've read much the same.

There's also the story that she knew exactly what historic pieces had once belonged to the RF and she would make a comment about it if she saw it. I believe zher reasoning was that items that were once owned by the BRF must always be owned by the BRF.

 

[Daenerys Targaryen]

Well, to the BRF or to ME!

 

[Dman]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that it was pretty much that case that if Queen Mary was coming to visit, it was wise to put things you really valued out of sight. If HM caught her eye on something and said "Oh! This is really nice!" it kind of was code for making it a gift to HM.

Yes, that was true.

 

[Curryong]

As I love antique objects de art and trinkets myself, I do have a sneaking sympathy for the old girl! However, it was a bit beyond the pale when she showed some of her latest aquisitions to the Grand Duchess Olga of Russia. This was a woman who had escaped from her homeland by a hairs breadth and realised that some of the things she was being shown had been in her parents' palaces before the revolution!

 

[Denville]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that it was pretty much that case that if Queen Mary was coming to visit, it was wise to put things you really valued out of sight. If HM caught her eye on something and said "Oh! This is really nice!" it kind of was code for making it a gift to HM.

Yes exactly. I think there were even rumours that she helped herself to stuff, though I don't believe that. But while in many ways an excellent queen she was far from perfect

 

[Kronprinz]

I think it's a pity Queen Mary didn't have the chance to attend the coronation of the Queen.

It was 1953 but she would have worn jewels like it was 1903 again. It would have been a splendid sight!

 

[padams2359]

I think it's a pity Queen Mary didn't have the chance to attend the coronation of the Queen.

It was 1953 but she would have worn jewels like it was 1903 again. It would have been a splendid sight!

No kidding. As I am sure you noticed, as I did, the really nice jewels, the Cullinans, were never on QEQM. QM hung onto all of it until it passed to QE2. I am sure there had to be some resentment there. As there was some going the other way about the Grenville jewels.

Those were two very strong women that I have a feeling put on a show for the public on many occasions.

 

[Westfield Bakery]

I think it's a pity Queen Mary didn't have the chance to attend the coronation of the Queen.

It was 1953 but she would have worn jewels like it was 1903 again. It would have been a splendid sight!

True. She loved her granddaughter, Elizabeth II. She would have doted on Charles and Anne, more than her daughter-in-law did!

 

[JR76]

True. She loved her granddaughter, Elizabeth II. She would have doted on Charles and Anne, more than her daughter-in-law did!

Anne wasnt present at Westminster Abbey.

 

[Kronprinz]

No kidding. As I am sure you noticed, as I did, the really nice jewels, the Cullinans, were never on QEQM. QM hung onto all of it until it passed to QE2. I am sure there had to be some resentment there. As there was some going the other way about the Grenville jewels.

Those were two very strong women that I have a feeling put on a show for the public on many occasions.

The Queen Mother had the unfortunate combination of being Queen Consort for short period of time (just 15 years), during the Second World War and during the lifetime of Queen Mary.

During the war, all big state occasions were basically suspended. At the same time, Queen Mary kept the really big jewels to herself and when she died, the jewels simply skipped a generation.

Of the 3 consorts of the 20th century, the Queen Mother was surely the one most short of royal jewels.

In addition she was never Princess of Wales, so she really didn't have access to top jewellery like Alexandra and Mary.

 

[Kronprinz]

Is it true that Queen Mary received the German Crown Princess Cecilie in 1952?