Princess Mary

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. 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. In the first biography in decades, Elisabeth Basford offers a fresh appraisal of Mary's full and fascinating life.

The first biography of Australia's own fairytale princess.

From diaries, letters, and papers of the royal family.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The United Kingdom of 1897 was a far cry from the realm Victoria had inherited in 1837. By the end of her reign, Victoria was known as the Grandmother of Europe having over thirty living adult grandchildren. #2 Princess Mary’s mother was Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, known in the family as May. Princess May was the eldest child and only daughter of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge and Francis, Duke of Teck. Francis was the child of a morganatic marriage, meaning that he had no rights of succession to the Kingdom of Württemberg. #3 The family returned to England in 1885, and made their home at White Lodge in Richmond. Princess Mary Adelaide was well known for her kindness towards her neighbors and the poor. She was eager that her children learn an empathy with those less fortunate. #4 The match between Eddy and May was announced in December 1891. May was shy and aloof, but Queen Victoria liked her and thought she was suitable for Eddy. However, Eddy had a dissolute life, and May had misgivings about the match.

'A scary portrait of put-upon servants and potty aristos ... this is arguably the most riotously funny volume published this year' Max Hastings, Sunday Times 'One of the funniest, most eccentric books of the year' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday When James Pope-Hennessy began his work on Queen Mary's official biography, it opened the door to meetings with royalty, court members and retainers around Europe. The series of candid observations, secrets and indiscretions contained in his notes were to be kept private for 50 years. Now published in full for the first time and edited by the highly admired royal biographer Hugo Vickers, this is a riveting, often hilarious portrait of the eccentric aristocracy of a bygone age. Giving much greater insight into Queen Mary than the official version, and including sharply observed encounters with, among others, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Duke of Gloucester, and a young Queen Elizabeth, The Quest for Queen Mary is set to be a classic of royal publishing.

By turns thrilling, dramatic and touching, this is the story of Henry the Eighth and Catherine of Aragon's divorce as you've never heard it before - from the eyes of their daughter, Princess Mary. More than anything Mary just wants her family to stay together; for her mother and her father - and for her - to all be in the same place at once. But when her father announces that his marriage to her mother was void and by turns that Mary doesn't really count as his child, she realises things will never be as she hoped. Things only get worse when her father marries again. Separated from her mother and forced to work as a servant for her new sister, Mary must dig deep to find the strength to stand up against those who wish to bring her down. Despite what anyone says, she will always be a princess. She has the blood of a princess and she is ready to fight for what is rightfully hers.

When Mary Donaldson married her prince on 14 May 2004 she became much more than Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark. For Australians she was the embodiment of a modern fairytale - elegant, gracious and stylish - and she was ours, along with her handsome husband, Crown Prince Frederik. Lavishly illustrated throughout, Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark charts Mary's journey from her childhood in Tasmania to her royal wedding, her visit to Australia in 2005 and the announcement of the impending birth of their child. Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark is the first biography of this thoroughly modern royal woman.