Lady Mary Whitley
Encyclopedia
The Lady Mary Whitley née Cambridge (24 September 1924 - 13 December 1999) was a descendant of the British Royal Family
. She was the only child of the 2nd Marquess of Cambridge
.
, Kensington
, to the Earl and Countess of Eltham
, later the Marquess and Marchioness of Cambridge, born Dorothy Isabel Westenra Hastings, a granddaughter of the 14th Earl of Huntingdon
. She was a great-great-great-granddaughter of King George III
, a great-granddaughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster
and a niece of the Duchess of Beaufort
. Her father was a nephew of the Earl of Athlone
and of Queen Mary
, the consort to King George V
, making her a second cousin to Queen Elizabeth II
.
Lord and Lady Eltham lived on the edge of Hyde Park, London
, near Lord Eltham's cousin and his wife, the Duke
and Duchess of York
. The young Lady Mary was educated at home under the supervision of her grandmother, nanny, and governess. During her free time, Mary would play with her friends. Often she would be invited to play with her second cousins, the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret of York
, who lived near her by Hyde Park (specifically at 145 Piccadilly). When they were in London she would also play with George
and Gerald Lascelles
, the children of the Princess Royal
, who were her second cousins. On 29 November 1934, she was a bridesmaid at the marriage of the Duke of Kent
to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.
, the Cambridges sent Lady Mary to stay with her maternal grandparents, Captain the Hon.
Osmond Westenra Hastings (1873–1933) and his wife Mary Caroline Campbell Tarratt (died 1955), at Hodcott House, their country house near West Ilsley
in Berkshire
. Near her were her cousins the Yorks and Harewoods, who were staying at Windsor Castle
. Her parents remained in London, as her father was a director of Coutts & Company
, a banking firm, in the city. When Mary was older, toward the end of the war, she became a volunteer nurse in the blitzed area of London.
-25 January 2003) of Leighland House, Roadwater, Watchet
, Somerset
, a son of Sir Norman Henry Pownall Whitley
KCB
, MC
. After marriage, the couple were given the Lord Cambridge's London townhouse in St. James's Square
. Peter pursued a career with Distillers Company and became a managing director before his retirement in 1985. The couple had two children:
, participated in the coronations of King George VI
and Queen Elizabeth II
and attended the Trooping the Colour
every year between 1950 and 1999 (excluding 1955 when it was cancelled due to a rail strike). She attended the following royal marriages: the Prince of Wales
to Lady Diana Spencer
(1981); Princess Anne
to Captain Mark Phillips
(1972) and to Commander Timothy Laurence
(1992); Prince Andrew
to Sarah Ferguson
(1986).
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
. She was the only child of the 2nd Marquess of Cambridge
George Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge
George Francis Hugh Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge, GCVO , known as Prince George of Teck until 1917 and as Earl of Eltham from 1917 to 1927, was a descendant of the British Royal Family. He was the elder son of the 1st Marquess of Cambridge, formerly the Duke of Teck, and his wife, the...
.
Early life
Lady Mary was born at 19, Lowndes SquareLowndes Square
Lowndes Square is an upmarket residential community in Belgravia, London. Like much of Belgravia it is characterised by grand terraces with white stucco houses. The square runs parallel with Sloane Street to the east, east of the Harvey Nichols store and Knightsbridge tube station. It is home to...
, Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, to the Earl and Countess of Eltham
George Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge
George Francis Hugh Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge, GCVO , known as Prince George of Teck until 1917 and as Earl of Eltham from 1917 to 1927, was a descendant of the British Royal Family. He was the elder son of the 1st Marquess of Cambridge, formerly the Duke of Teck, and his wife, the...
, later the Marquess and Marchioness of Cambridge, born Dorothy Isabel Westenra Hastings, a granddaughter of the 14th Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
. She was a great-great-great-granddaughter of King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, a great-granddaughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG, PC, JP , styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.He inherited the estate of...
and a niece of the Duchess of Beaufort
Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort
Victoria Constance Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort was the daughter of the 1st Marquess of Cambridge and Lady Margaret Evelyn Grosvenor.Princess Mary was born at White Lodge, Richmond Park...
. Her father was a nephew of the Earl of Athlone
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Major-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the shared British and Canadian royal family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the...
and of Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, the consort to King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, making her a second cousin to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
Lord and Lady Eltham lived on the edge of Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, near Lord Eltham's cousin and his wife, the Duke
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and Duchess of York
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
. The young Lady Mary was educated at home under the supervision of her grandmother, nanny, and governess. During her free time, Mary would play with her friends. Often she would be invited to play with her second cousins, the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret of York
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
, who lived near her by Hyde Park (specifically at 145 Piccadilly). When they were in London she would also play with George
George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood
George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, KBE AM , styled The Hon. George Lascelles before 1929 and Viscount Lascelles between 1929 and 1947, was the elder son of the 6th Earl of Harewood , and Princess Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and...
and Gerald Lascelles
Gerald Lascelles
The Honourable Gerald David Lascelles was the younger son of the 6th Earl of Harewood and Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. He was the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He was styled The Honourable Gerald Lascelles...
, the children of the Princess Royal
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
, who were her second cousins. On 29 November 1934, she was a bridesmaid at the marriage of the Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.
Life During The War
When not in London and for the duration of the London BlitzThe Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
, the Cambridges sent Lady Mary to stay with her maternal grandparents, Captain the Hon.
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Osmond Westenra Hastings (1873–1933) and his wife Mary Caroline Campbell Tarratt (died 1955), at Hodcott House, their country house near West Ilsley
West Ilsley
West Ilsley is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England.-Location and amenities:It is situated in the West Berkshire district north of the town of Newbury on the Berkshire Downs. There is also an East Ilsley approximately a mile southeast of the village.West Ilsley has a public house, The...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. Near her were her cousins the Yorks and Harewoods, who were staying at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
. Her parents remained in London, as her father was a director of Coutts & Company
Coutts
Coutts & Co. is one of the UK's private banking houses, now wholly owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland . RBS acquired Coutts and all of its overseas subsidiaries when it bought NatWest. On 1 January 2008, Coutts' international businesses were renamed RBS Coutts, aligning them more closely with...
, a banking firm, in the city. When Mary was older, toward the end of the war, she became a volunteer nurse in the blitzed area of London.
Marriage & Family
On 9 November 1951 at Kirtling, Newmarket, Lady Mary married Peter Whitley (22 October 1923 SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
-25 January 2003) of Leighland House, Roadwater, Watchet
Watchet
Watchet is a harbour town and civil parish in the English county of Somerset, with an approximate population of 4,400. It is situated west of Bridgwater, north-west of Taunton, and east of Minehead. The parish includes the hamlet of Beggearn Huish...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, a son of Sir Norman Henry Pownall Whitley
Norman Whitley
Sir Norman Henry Pownall Whitley KCB MC was a British Army officer, judge and silver medalist in Lacrosse at the 1908 Summer Olympics....
KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
. After marriage, the couple were given the Lord Cambridge's London townhouse in St. James's Square
St. James's Square
St. James's Square is the only square in the exclusive St James's district of the City of Westminster. It has predominantly Georgian and neo-Georgian architecture and a private garden in the centre...
. Peter pursued a career with Distillers Company and became a managing director before his retirement in 1985. The couple had two children:
- Sarah Elizabeth Whitley (born 30 November 1954), who married Timothy Felton (born 8 March 1954) on 18 September 1982 and has two children: Emily Ilona Felton (born 21 July 1985) and Chloë Amelia Felton (born 17 June 1987), the latest descendants of the Marquesses of Cambridge.
- Charles Francis Peter Whitley (born 10 September 1961), who married Diana Hewitt (born 8 November 1953) on 25 May 1991. They have no children.
Personal information
Lady Mary regularly attended major royal occasions, but like her father she did not carry out royal duties. On 20 November 1947, she was a bridesmaid at the marriage of the Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, participated in the coronations of King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and attended the Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed by regiments of the British and the Commonwealth armies. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments since the 17th century, although the roots go back much earlier. On battlefields, a regiment's colours, or flags, were used as rallying points...
every year between 1950 and 1999 (excluding 1955 when it was cancelled due to a rail strike). She attended the following royal marriages: the Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
to Lady Diana Spencer
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
(1981); Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
to Captain Mark Phillips
Mark Phillips
-Ancestry:-Issue:-Sources:...
(1972) and to Commander Timothy Laurence
Timothy Laurence
Vice Admiral Sir Timothy James Hamilton Laurence, KCVO, CB, ADC is a senior British naval officer and the second husband of HRH The Princess Royal, the only daughter of HM The Queen...
(1992); Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
to Sarah Ferguson
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
(1986).
Styles from birth to death
- The Lady Mary Cambridge (1924–1951)
- The Lady Mary Whitley (1951–1999)