PRINCESS MARY: THE FIRST MODERN PRINCESS

Though daughter of a king (George V), sister to two kings (Edward VIII and George VI) and aunt to HM Queen Elizabeth, Princess Mary has, until now, largely been consigned to a historical footnote. When she does emerge, her depiction often cuts a sorry figure: only recently the film Downton Abbey portrayed her as rather forlorn and insipid, struggling within an unhappy arranged marriage. “I find it unbelievable that someone who has contributed so much to the nation . . . can be so easily overlooked” says biographer Elisabeth Basford, who tells Mary’s story by drawing on many sources, including those held by the Royal Archives and Harewood House Trust. It was Mary, Basford argues, who paved the way for the agency of Diana and Kate and set the standard for hard work, undertaking a monumental number of engagements, including visiting every hospital in the country and lending her support to causes misunderstood at the time, such as PTSD. A comprehensive study some might say is long overdue. History Press, £20; ISBN: 978-0-750-99261-9