Mary of Teck

Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes, known as Mary of Teck, was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India from 1910 until 1936. Born at Kensington Palace, she was the daughter of Francis, Duke of Teck, and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. Initially engaged to Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, she married his brother, George V, after Albert Victor’s death. Mary supported her husband through World War I, his subsequent ill health, and the political upheaval that followed. Upon George V’s death, she became queen mother, supporting her sons Edward VIII and George VI. She died shortly before her granddaughter Elizabeth II’s coronation.

Mary was educated at home and was known for her charitable work. Despite being a minor royal, her marriage to George V placed her at the center of the British monarchy during significant historical events. She was a patron of the arts and was known for her personal sense of duty and strong character. Her legacy includes her contributions to the war effort, her support of her sons during the abdication crisis, and her namesake in an ocean liner, a battlecruiser, and a university.