Q CAN you give me any information on Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V? - LD Wilson, Guisborough.

A THE Princess Mary you mention is not to be confused with the Princess Mary, later known as Queen Mary who was the current Queen's grandmother.

Queen Mary (born 1867, died 1953) was the daughter of the Duke of Teck and married George, Prince of Wales who later became King George V. Princess Mary, was their third child and their only daughter. Princess Mary's full name was Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary. She was also known as Mary Windsor and from 1932 was titled the Princess Royal.

Princess Mary's older brothers were Edward, the Duke of Windsor (or Edward VIII who abdicated in 1936) and George VI, the present Queen's father.

Mary was born on April 25, 1897 at York Cottage, Sandringham, in Norfolk. As a royal figure this Princess Mary has often been forgotten. In fact this seems to have been the case during her lifetime. According to one story, she was attending a reception when she was asked: "And tell me what's your brother doing these days?" 'He's still king', she replied."

In February 1922, at the age of 25 Mary married Henry Lascelles, the Earl of Harewood, nine years her senior, at Westminster Abbey in London. As a result of this marriage she inherited the acquired the titles Viscountess of Lascelles and Countess of Harewood. The couple had two sons, George Lascelles, the seventh Earl of Harewood, who was born in 1923, and Gerald Lascelles, who was born 1924.

Princess Mary is perhaps best known for her instigation of the Princess Mary's Gift Box. This was a special Christmas gift fund launched during the First World War. The Princess intended to pay for a gift for each soldier and sailor from her own personal allowance. However this was not practicable and, instead, the Princess gave her name to the fund.

The Princess aimed to send each serviceman a gift that was in her own words "a token of love and sympathy on Christmas morning, something that would be useful and of permanent value". She also aimed to have gifts made that would provide work in trades adversely affected by the war. Princess Mary died on March 28, 1965 at Harewood House, near Leeds, at the age of 68.

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