Mary of Teck was the
queen consort of
King George V as well as the
Empress of India. Before her accession, she was successively
Duchess of York,
Duchess of Cornwall and
Princess of Wales. By birth, she was a
princess of
Teck, in the Kingdom of
Württemberg, with the style
Her Serene Highness. To her family, she was informally known as
May, after her birth month. Queen Mary was known for setting the tone of the
British Royal Family, as a model of regal formality and propriety, especially during state occasions. She was the first Queen Consort to attend the coronation of her successors. Noted for superbly bejewelling herself for formal events, Queen Mary left a collection of jewels now considered priceless.
Photo credit: Bain News Service