Princess Mary’s Centenary at Goldsborough Hall
Exactly 100 years ago, on a cold day February day, HRH Princess Mary, only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, married Viscount Henry Lascelles at Westminster Abbey. But why is the centenary of this wedding so important to us here at Goldsborough Hall?
After their marriage on 28th February 1922, Henry, known as Harry, brought his new bride to live at Goldsborough Hall and they stayed here throughout the 1920s, bringing up their two boys, George and Gerald. During the Twenties they hosted many Royal visitors including the King, Queen, as well as Mary’s two brothers David and Bertie, later Edward VIII and George VI.
Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles marrying at Westminster Abbey, 28th February 1922
Mary had met Harry at various parties as he was a friend of the King but at 39 years old, he was over 15 years her senior. Born in 1882, he was the eldest son of Henry Lascelles, 5th Earl of Harewood and Lady Florence Bridgeman, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Bradford. The couple got engaged on 20th November 1921 at Sandringham and the following month toured Goldsborough along with Queen Mary.
‘Motored to see Goldsborough near Knaresborough where Harry and Mary are to live in,’ the Queen recorded in her diary. ‘Mrs Lamb, the present tenant showed us over the house which is charming and Jacobean in style. It could be made most comfortable...’ This was lucky as Viscount Lascelles had thought the house might seem too small after the vastness of Buckingham Palace!
Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles with their bridesmaids
On the day, over 2,000 guests were packed into Westminster Abbey with the service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of London and the Dean of Westminster. Once married, the wedding party proceeded down The Mall with huge crowds cheering them along the way. At Buckingham Palace the couple hosted a simple wedding breakfast for around 100 people before leaving by train from Paddington for the first part of their honeymoon.
Top wedding facts:
This was the first time since 1290 that a child of the monarch had married at Westminster Abbey.
Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon was one of Mary’s bridesmaids - this was her first public occasion. She, of course, went on to marry Mary’s brother and became Queen Elizabeth [the Queen Mother].
This was first royal wedding to be filmed. The Topical Film Company employed 15 camera men along the route and paid £3,000 for the best vantage points. Reels were shown in theatres that same day.
Mary had no less than seven wedding cakes - the main wedding one was over 6ft high and weighed over 500lb.
It was the first Royal wedding to be covered in Vogue magazine which described the bride as ‘a fairy Princess with Youth, Beauty and Happiness as her attendants’. The dress was designed by Messrs Reville Ltd of Hanover Square, London and the cloth was silver with an ivory silk train.
Special wedding number of The Daily Sketch, March 1922
Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles honeymooned at Weston Park and in Italy, from The Daily Sketch
While extensive renovations were taking place at Goldsborough Hall to prepare for the couple’s arrival, Mary and Harry spent the next few months on honeymoon. They first travelled to Weston Park in Shropshire, the family home of Harry’s mother Lady Florence Bridgeman and later to Villa Medici, Florence, Italy. They arrived at Goldsborough Hall in December 1922, planting the first tree in the Lime Tree Walk on 28th December.
Princess Mary’s wedding shoes at Harewood House
It seems fitting that Viscount Lascelles should have brought his new bride to live at Goldsborough Hall as it was where he, himself had grown up as a child. Today it is a historic stately home you can visit, dine or stay the night in.
Standing in 12 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds which boast unspoilt elevated views over the historic gardens and tranquil parkland, it is one of the most private, exclusive and beautiful places to stay in Yorkshire.
For more information on Goldsborough Hall’s Royal history click here. The Hall will be hosting a centenary exhibition on Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles at its NGS garden opening on 24th July 2022.
For a fascinating and in-depth look at Mary’s life, see Princess Mary The First Modern Princess by Elisabeth Basford which was published in 2021 by The History Press.
