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1 the Public Life of a Twentieth Century Princess Princess Mary Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood Wendy Marion Tebble

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1 the Public Life of a Twentieth Century Princess Princess Mary Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood Wendy Marion Tebble View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by SAS-SPACE 1 The Public Life of a Twentieth Century Princess Princess Mary Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood Wendy Marion Tebble, Institute of Historical Research Thesis submitted for Degree of Master of Philosophy, 2018 2 Table of Contents Abstract 3 Acknowledgements 5 Abbreviations 7 Acronyms 8 Chapters 9 Conclusion 136 Bibliography 155 3 Abstract The histiography on Princess Mary is conspicuous by its absence. No official account of her long public life, from 1914 to 1965, has been written and published since 1922, when the princess was aged twenty-five, and about to be married. The only daughter of King George V, she was one of the chief protagonists in his plans to include his children in his efforts to engage the monarchy, and the royal family, more deeply and closely with the people of the United Kingdom. This was a time when women were striving to enter public life more fully, a role hitherto denied to them. The king’s decision was largely prompted by the sacrifices of so many during the First World War; the fall of Czar Nicholas of Russia; the growth of socialism; and the dangers these events may present to the longevity of the monarchy in a disaffected kingdom. Princess Mary’s public life helps to answer the question of what role royal women, then and in the future, are able to play in support of the monarchy. It was a time when for the most part careers of any kind were not open to women, royal or otherwise, and the majority had yet to gain the right to vote. Her work was carried out during four periods: the First World War, which broke out when the effects of the industrial revolution were still being felt by the majority of the poor and working class, in health and housing in the big cities; the inter-war years at a time of economic depression, unemployment and deprivation for so many; the Second World War; and the post war period 1945-1965. The princess’s particular areas of interest were philanthropic, civic, regimental and diplomatic, both at home and abroad. Philanthropy was to become a major factor in the royal family’s efforts to provide publicity and support for the charitable organizations working to alleviate the plight of so many of the nation’s deprived citizens. Given that Princess Mary may be said to have disappeared from British history the resources for my research have been limited, first, to the entry in the Dictionary of National Biography, the National Archives, and the only published biography. Newspapers have been consulted both nationally and 4 foreign, in particular The Times Court Circular; without this publication research would have been almost impossible. Not only did it provide a record of her daily engagements throughout her lifetime, but it provided knowledge of the many organizations with which the princess was connected. Thus, I was able to gain access to their archives, where available; locally, regional and foreign. Histories of the various organizations were also helpful when Princess Mary’s involvement was described, even if only briefly. The Royal Archive at Windsor does not hold her papers, but on occasions staff were able to answer my questions. Princess Mary’s archive at Harewood remains uncatalogued. Despite the various limitations on my research I believe I have obtained an overview and understanding of Princess Mary’s public role, and its value to the nation and the monarchy. During her life time she set the template for the public role of future princesses, and other females, within the royal family. 5 Acknowledgements The opportunity to undertake research into the public life of Princess Mary arose after the offer, made by Professor Andrew Lambert of King’s College, London, to write a letter of introduction for me to the then Director of the Institute of Historical Research, Professor David Cannadine. He agreed to supervise my work at the School of Advanced Study. Professor Cannadine, after his knighthood, and commitments elsewhere, continued to offer support and guidance throughout the ensuing years; and after moving to America to take up a Chair at Princeton University. Professor Miles Taylor continued my supervision after he became the Director of the Institute, as did Professor Lawrence Goldman who followed Professor Taylor, and who has brought me to the completion of the thesis. The support and guidance of my supervisors was invaluable throughout. Throughout my research I have been fortunate to receive information, even if at time limited, and co-operation from the archivists, librarians, curators and assistants at all of the organizations I have contacted, both nationally and foreign. In one instance, Colonel Dr Bradley Coleman, of the Virginia Military Institute, went out of his way to look for Princess Mary, and West Indies documents, during his own research at the US National Archives, Washington. Jerome Lee, at the Trinidad Guardian newspaper, who suggested I should contact Dr Coleman, also provided information on Princess Mary’s visits to the West Indies, when it was unavailable elsewhere. My thanks also go to Pamela Clark, Royal Archives, Windsor Castle; Rebecca Newell, the National Army Museum; Rod Hamilton BBC Sound Archive; Dr Robin Woolven; Susan Boyle, Blind Veterans UK, (formerly St. Dunstan’s Hospital); Dr Melvin Baker and Emily Dingwall, Libraries and Archives of Canada; Alan Power, Buckinghamshire Libraries; Peter Lewis, the Church Army; Gabrielle St. John-McAllister, The Children’s Society Records and Archive Centre; Julia Schmidt, the Churchill Archives; Annette Gillis, the 6 Military Communications and Electronics Museum Canada; Chak Yung, City of Vancouver Archives; Jack Amos, Canadian Science Museum; M. J. Hinman, Coventry Heritage and Arts Trust; Richard Hunter, Edinburgh City Archives; Saad Javed of Getty Images; staff at the Guiding Movement Centre, London; the Howard Gottlieb Research Center, Boston University; Imperial War Museum; Dr Michael Kandiah; Sarah Steenson, Belfast Central Library; Lavall University, and Greg Giannakis at McGill University Archives Canada; the League of Mercy; Fran Toma, the Marine Society; Graham Skanes for the Newfoundland Memorial University; Frank Gogos, Royal Newfoundland Regimental Museum; Carl White, Municipal Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Canada; Amy Bowler, Nottingham University Archives; Carolyn Carr, New Zealand Defence Library; Parliamentary Archives, Westminster; Elizabeth Kingston, Peterborough Central Library Archives and Local Studies; Sarah Cox, The Red Cross Museum and Archives; Laura Maffiolo-Brown, The Royal Star and Garter Home; Matthew McMurray, the Royal Volunteer Service, formerly the Women’s Voluntary Service; Thomas Gordon, The Royal Scots Museum; Juliet Chaplin, SAAFA; Senate House Libraries, including Anne McLaughlin, for the West Indies Committee records; Dr. John Purvis, Surgical Travellers; Alan Walker, Toronto Pubblic Library; Gilly King, University of Roehampton, for photographs of Princess Mary a Whitelands College; Janelle Duke, National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago;; Laura Waayers, Naval History and Heritage Command, USA; Janet Hodges, Volunteer Office, National Archives, Maryland, USA, to whom I offer special thanks for her diligent work, and the provision of photographs of Princess Mary at the US Naval Base, Chaguarama in 1953; National Library of Wales; Rebecca Alexander-Holder, The Alma Jordan Library, St. Augustine, Trinidad; Ivana Frlan, YMCA Women’s Auxiliary, and University of Birmingham Cadbury Research Library; David Smith, who allowed me to consult his self-published work, Forgotten Angels, the history of the YMCA Women’s Auxiliary. 7 ABBREVIATIONS AA Anti-Aircraft ACV Armoured Command Vehicle ANA Australian National Archives ARP Air Raid Precautions ASC Australian Signals Corps ATS Auxiliary Territorial Service BEF British Expeditionary Force BAOR British Army on the Rhine Bn Battalion CAB Cabinet CO Colonial Office CRO Commonwealth Relations Office DBE Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire FCO Foreign and Commonwealth Office FO Foreign Office GBE Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire HO Home Office IWM Imperial War Museum MT Ministry of Transport NA National Archives NATS National Service NZSC New Zealand Signals Corps PEC Palestine Exeutive Committee PIN Ministry of Pensions PREM Premier RA Royal Artillery RCS Royal Corps of Signals RCSC Royal Canadian Signals Corps T Treasury USN United States Navy WO War Office WRAC Women’s Royal Army Corps 8 ACRONYMS GOSH Great Ormond Street Hospital NAAFI Navy Army and Airforce Institute SSAFA Soldiers Sailors and AirMen’s Association VAD Voluntary Aid Detachment WVS Women’s Voluntary Service YMCA Young Men’s Christian Association YWCA Young Women’s Christian Association 9 Chapters Introduction 10 Chapter 1 Princess Mary A Twentieth Century Princess 16 Chapter 2 Princess Mary’s Solo Engagements from 1917 26 Chapter 3 Princess Mary’s Role With Civilian Organizations 42 during the Second World War Chapter 4 Princess Mary’s Role with Service Regiments 75 and Non-Military Organizations during the Second World War Chapter 5 Princess Mary’s Foreign Visits and Tours both 101 Private and Official Conclusion 136 Bibliography 155 10 The Public Life of a Twentieth Century Princess Introduction The impetus to undertake research into this subject emerged in a roundabout way and was prompted by four factors. The first was to chart the changes in the lives of two British princesses, Mary and Margaret, and to discover the expectations for them as female members of the royal family, particularly in the latter half of the twentieth century. The second, the coincidence of being offered a position in the State Apartments at Kensington Palace in the latter stages of earlier undergraduate research, which included a chapter on the life of Queen Caroline, wife of George II. The palace was the home of Queen Caroline and, in the nineteen and twentieth centuries, that of Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, daughter of Queen Victoria, and Princess Margaret, after their marriages.
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