Talk:Mary of Teck

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Contents

[edit] older entries

After the death of George V, Queen Mary was indeed a queen mother and a queen dowager. However, she was never styled "queen mother" or "queen dowager" in official documents or the Court Circular. She was titled "Her Majesty Queen Mary" from 1936 until her death in 1953. Queen Mary's daugther-in-law, the former Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons, only adopted the style "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother" in February 1953 to distinguish herself from the new Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen Elizabeth is the only person in British history to have formally used the words "Queen Mother" as part of her title.

According to Buckingham Palace (whom I consulted) Queen Mary was indeed styled Queen Mother until 1952 and from 1952 to her death Dowager Queen Mother. I have also seen her referred to as such in state papers. However she expressed a personal preference to be called Queen Mary and that was honoured in many state papers and in the Court Circular. Nor is QE the QM the first person to formally use QM as part of her title. A former coach belonging to Queen Alexandra, which was sold after her death and which was used in the Irish presidential inauguration in 1945 was recorded as having belonged to "Queen Alexandra the Queen Mother". FearÉIREANN 22:06, 2 Aug 2003 (UTC)

People seem to believe this very wide-spread myth of "QEtQM" being the "first" to use the style of Queen Mother... it must be something they were taught in their impressionable youths. Perhaps a note in the article pointing out it is wrong would be good prophylaxis against future "corrections"? -- Someone else 22:10, 2 Aug 2003 (UTC)
As regards her titles--was her title as the Queen Consort of George V simply 'Her Majesty The Queen'? She was styled 'Her Majesty Queen Mary' in the Regency Act 1910: http://www.heraldica.org/topics/royalty/ukregency.htm#1910 Mapple 13:10, 7 October 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Revised

I have revised this page to include more detail in a better structure and with a suitable picture of Mary. I havn't bothered keeping what was discussed above, becuase I don't think it that relevant, but I guess it could be added as a footnote.

[edit] Princess of Württemberg

Princess May of Teck was never a princess of Württemberg. Her father, Francis, Duke of Teck was never entitled prince of Württemberg (Prinz von Württemberg) because he was the product of a morganatic marriage.

[edit] Use name

A statement formerly appeared in the article to the effect that the reason Victoria Mary Augusta Louisa Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes became Queen Mary was that the reigning Queen Victoria wished that there should never be another Queen Victoria after her death. I corrected this to read: "(This was because she normally did not use the name Victoria, not because of any supposed wish by Queen Victoria that no British Queen be named Victoria after her death. Victoria had in fact named her eldest children Victoria and Albert in full expectation that, in the event, they would use these as their regnal names.)" But I have now removed it on the grounds that it's too detailed and argumentative.

But in this space I would like to make clear that there is no evidence that Victoria never wanted another Queen Victoria; rather the opposite. During her lifetime, most of her descendants had "Albert" or "Victoria" among their names due to Victoria's express desire to have her and her husband's names to descend in perpetuity. What Queen Mary may have thought of the idea is another matter; in any case she never used Victoria as her use name and would have been called Queen Mary regardless of Queen Victoria's wishes. -- Kalimac

[edit] Introduction

Revised: she should be introduced as Princess Mary of Teck, since that is the title of the article. Queens consort of england are known by their maiden names in any reputable encyclopedia, plus this article itself is titled that way

The superfluous use of "HRH" and Majesty removed because it is reserved for living people only. It is a form of address and as far as i know you can't address a dead person. It's not used for any of the Tudor articles etc and i think the people who are doing it are zealous Royalists. It's enough just to put what she would have been called at the time once only. In history books these titles are never mentioned.

Was her name not techincally Victoria?

Correction, the first of Queen Mary's names was Victoria. However, when her husband, King George V, ascended the British throne, shw as asked in what name did she want to be known. She decided she could not be known as "Queen Victoria" so used "Queen Mary". This was fitting because her family called her "May" all of her life up to her ascension as Queen. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.208.59.224 (talk) 04:07, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] chef?!

  • Husaren-Regiment Fürst Blücher von Wahlstatt, Chef

I changed this to read Chief, but I'm to assume thats German, and for all I know the proper term is actually chef. If this is the case please change it (of course) and leave me a note on my talk page.

Liastnir 14:56, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

Chef is the german word for "Boss" or "head".

[edit] Full Name?

I'm wondering why the Queen's full name (the imposing "Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes" has been edited out. It's useful information (and I just love the idea that one of her names was "Agnes"), and if there is no good reason it shouldn't be there, I will restore it. Robertissimo 04:16, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

Indeed, it should be there. john k 14:51, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

I agree! I've also capitalised "consort" in her title as is standard. (See "Queen Dowager," "Queen Mother.")--Marysunshine 02:47, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

Actually, Queen Mary was going to be called Princess Agnes of Teck, but Princess Mary Adelaide changed it to Victoria Mary to please Queen Victoria- she was the godmother

[edit] Descent from house of Habsburg?

Was Mary actually descended from the house of Habsburg (via Württemburg)? If so, could someone provide the line of descent. I'm trying to work out the most recent Holy Roman Emperor that Elizabeth II is descended from. I've only managed Ferdinand I so far... Lec CRP1 11:52, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

There are several descents to choose from, one is:

Ferdinand I | Marie of Austria m. Wilhelm, Duke of Cleves | Marie Eleonore (d.1608) m. Albrecht Friedrich, Duke of Prussia | Anne of Prussia (1576-1625) m. Johann Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg | Georg Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg (1595-1640) | Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg (1620-1688) | Philip, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1669-1711) | Friedrich Wilhelm, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1700-1771) | Friederike Sophie Dorothea (1736-1798) m. Friedrich Eugen, Duke of Wurttemberg | Ludwig of Wurttemberg (1756-1817) | Alexander of Wurttemberg (1804-1885) | Francis, Duke of Teck (1837-1900) | Mary of Teck

Both the Queen and Prince Philip are also descended from Ferdinand through Christian IX:

Ferdinand I | Marie of Austria m. Wilhelm, Duke of Cleves | Marie Eleonore (d.1608) m. Albrecht Friedrich, Duke of Prussia | Sophie of Prussia (1582-1610) m. Wilhelm Kettler, Duke of Courland | Jacob Kettler, Duke of Courland (1610-1682) | Marie Amalie of Courland (1653-1730) m. Karl, Landgrave of Hesse | Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel (1682-1760) | Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel (1720-1785) | Karl of Hesse-Cassel (1744-1836) | Louise Caroline of Hesse-Cassel (1789-1867) m. Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstine-Sonderburg-Glucksburg | Christian IX, King of Denmark (1818-1906)

And Diana Spencer was also a descendant via the illegitimate children of the Stuart kings:

Ferdinand I | Johanna of Austria m. Francis de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany | Marie de Medici m. Henry IV, King of France | Henrietta Maria m. Charles I | etc.

You are right in thinking that Ferdinand is the latest Habsburg traceable to the British royal family.

Personally, I don't think that Mary's descent from the Habsburgs is of note, given that the majority of European nobles are descended from them in one way or another. DrKiernan 08:59, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. That's roughly what I got. I tried tracing back through the Württemburg line on here, but eventually came up against red links, so I decided to ask on here. I'd've thought that if Habsburg descent was mentioned on the Mary of Teck article that it would have been more recent than Emperor Ferdinand I, but there you go.
I'm fairly sure half of Europe is descended from the Habsburgs in mostly illegitimate lines... Lec CRP1 19:37, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Second reversion

I've just reverted the section on the King's death for a second time. The history of these revisions is as follows:

  • 20:50, 4 February 2007 Masalai (Talk | contribs) m (→Dowager Queen - unnecessarily coy euphemism; "supposedly" suggests the reported fact is bogus)
  • 07:59, 5 February 2007 DrKiernan (Talk | contribs) (revert - "reportedly" sounds as though it was so reported at the time, rather than revealed 50 years later "supposedly" is OK because the King could have died anyway without intervention)
  • 10:54, 11 February 2007 Masalai (Talk | contribs) m (→Dowager Queen - unnecessarily coy euphemism; "supposedly" suggests the reported fact is bogus)
  • 07:41, 12 February 2007 DrKiernan (Talk | contribs) (second revert - see discussion)

If you wish to revert my reversion for a third time you need to come up with a different argument rather than use the same one again. DrKiernan 07:42, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

  • I've tried to come up with some better wording. Please take a look and let me know what you think. DrKiernan 08:55, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "in her own right"

The article states: "In her own right she held the title of a Princess of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg with the style Her Serene Highness." This is not correct. The Queen today is Queen in her own right; Mary was born as a princess because of her father's status. She was "Princess Mary of Teck." She was never "Princess of Teck", because that is the style of the wife of the Prince of Teck. Although the sentence uses the correct article ("a" rather than "the") before "Princess of Teck," it is misleading because it says "title of" and "in her own right." The sentence should be rephrased to say something like: "She was born Princess Mary of Teck" or "Before her marriage, she was Princess Mary of Teck." Laura1822 00:53, 22 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] May

She was not known as May because of her birth month. In England, May was a common diminuative of Mary. 86.136.31.176 (talk) 09:58, 20 May 2008 (UTC)

Indeed it is. If the origin of her use of May is indeed related to her birth month and not the extremely common diminutive use then it absolutely needs a citation to some other source. Pyrope 12:47, 20 May 2008 (UTC)
It is said that she was known as "May" by her family. The average reader isn't her family. Should she be called "May" throughout the article? -- megA (talk) 18:28, 20 May 2008 (UTC)