Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh: Difference between revisions

 

According to [[Flora Fraser (writer)|Flora Fraser]], Mary was considered to be the most beautiful daughter of George III; Fraser calls her a "bland beauty". Mary danced a [[minuet]] for the first time in public at the age of sixteen in June 1791, during a court [[ball (dance)|ball]] given for the king's birthday.<ref name=Lane191>{{cite book| last = Lane| first = Henry M.| title = The Royal Daughters of England| year = 1911| location = London| page = 191}}</ref> In the spring of 1792 she made her official [[debutante|debut]] at [[Noble court|court]].<ref name=Lane191/> Around 1796 Mary fell in love with the Dutch [[Prince Frederick of Orange-Nassau|Prince Frederick]], while he and his family lived in [[exile]] in London. Frederik was a son of [[William V, Prince of Orange]], the Dutch [[stadholder]], and younger brother to the future King [[William I of the Netherlands]]. However Frederik and Mary never married because George III stipulated that her elder sisters should marry first. In 1799 Prince Frederik died of an infection while serving in the army, and Mary was allowed to go into official [[mourning#United Kingdom|mourning]].

Mary's youngest sister and beloved companion [[Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom|Princess Amelia]] called her "Mama's tool" because of her obedient nature. Amelia's premature death in 1810 devastated her sister, who had nursed her devotedly during her painful illness.