Princess Diana is seen as the first member of the British royal family to tear up the rulebook, and the Duchess of Cambridge is modernising the monarchy in strides. But before them was another who paved the way. Princess Mary was born in 1897. Despite her Victorian beginnings, she strove to make a princess's life meaningful, using her position to help those less fortunate and defying gender conventions in the process. As the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, she would live to see not only two of her brothers ascend the throne but also her niece Queen Elizabeth II. She was one of the hardest-working members of the royal family, known for her no-nonsense approach and her determination in the face of adversity. During the First World War she came into her own, launching an appeal to furnish every British troop and sailor with a Christmas gift, and training as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital. From her dedication to the war effort, to her role as the family peacemaker during the Abdication Crisis, Mary was the princess who redefined the title for the modern age. In the first biography in decades, Elisabeth Basford offers a fresh appraisal of Mary's full and fascinating life.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The United Kingdom of 1897 was a far cry from the realm Victoria had inherited in 1837. By the end of her reign, Victoria was known as the Grandmother of Europe having over thirty living adult grandchildren. #2 Princess Mary’s mother was Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, known in the family as May. Princess May was the eldest child and only daughter of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge and Francis, Duke of Teck. Francis was the child of a morganatic marriage, meaning that he had no rights of succession to the Kingdom of Württemberg. #3 The family returned to England in 1885, and made their home at White Lodge in Richmond. Princess Mary Adelaide was well known for her kindness towards her neighbors and the poor. She was eager that her children learn an empathy with those less fortunate. #4 The match between Eddy and May was announced in December 1891. May was shy and aloof, but Queen Victoria liked her and thought she was suitable for Eddy. However, Eddy had a dissolute life, and May had misgivings about the match.

'In Mary Donaldson, Denmark gained not only a Crown Princess, but a style icon.' Princess Mary has captivated both Australia and Denmark since the announcement of her engagement to Crown Prince Frederick in 2003. A wedding and two royal children later, Tasmanian-born Mary continues to enchant the world with her innate style and natural beauty. With more than 150 lavish photographs, Mary - Princess of Style is a beautiful illustrative record of Mary's journey from laid-back Tasmanian girl to the future queen of Denmark and international style icon.

When Mary Donaldson married her prince on 14 May 2004 she became much more than Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark. For Australians she was the embodiment of a modern fairytale - elegant, gracious and stylish - and she was ours, along with her handsome husband, Crown Prince Frederik. Lavishly illustrated throughout, Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark charts Mary's journey from her childhood in Tasmania to her royal wedding, her visit to Australia in 2005 and the announcement of the impending birth of their child. Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark is the first biography of this thoroughly modern royal woman.

H.R.H. Princess Mary A Holiday in Bed J. M. Barrie The Spy G. A. Birmingham Charlie the Cox Hall Caine Canada's Word Ralph Connor Bimbashi Joyce A. Conan Doyle The Ant-Lion J. H. Fabre An Angel of God Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler A Model Soldier Charles Garvice The Land of Let'spretend Lady Sybil Grant Magepa the Buck H. Rider Haggard True Spartan Hearts Beatrice Harraden Big Steamers Rudyard Kipling A True Story from Camp The Bishop of London The Ebony Box A. E. W. Mason A Spell for a Fairy Alfred Noyes Out of the Jaws of Death: A Pimpernel Story Baroness Orczy What Can a Little Chap Do? John Oxenham Altogether Different W. Pett Ridge The Escape Annie S. Swan Fleur-de-Lis Kate Douglas Wiggin