Lady Janet of Mar

Lady Janet Helen of Mar (b. 31 January 1946), formerly Lady Janet Helen Anderson, is the sister of Margaret of Mar, Countess of Mar, 31st holder of the Earldom

Lady Janet was born in Kenya, the younger daughter of James Clifton Lane (later Master of Mar and Earl of Mar) and his first wife, Millicent Mary Salton, who from the time of her marriage until her death was always known as Mrs Mary Lane and never, as has sometimes been stated, as the Mistress of Mar, a substantive title that can be used only by the senior heiress presumptive.

In 1959, the Master of Mar (succeeded as Earl of Mar in 1965) was officially recognized by the Lord Lyon in the surname "of Mar". His son David (Lord Garioch), and his daughters Margaret and Janet were also "of Mar" from that time onwards. Lord Garioch died in 1967, and Lady Margaret, the elder co-heiress presumptive of her father, eventually succeeded as the 31st holder of the Earldon in 1975.

Lady Janet, the younger co-heiress presumptive, married Lt-Cdr Laurence of Mar, RN (formerly Laurence Duncan McDiarmid Anderson) on March 22, 1969, and was known as Lady Janet Anderson for only a few months; from October 1969 she and her husband were officially recognized by warrant of the Lord Lyon in the style "of Mar", the surname "Anderson" being formally abandoned. Laurence bears the Mar arms, differenced, by the Feudal Courtesy ofScotland. The style "of Mar" is a "name of nobility" and should not be confused with Scottish territorial designations. They have two daughters:

* Elizabeth of Mar (b. 1970)
* Catherine of Mar (b. 1971)