- Lady May Abel Smith
Lady May Abel Smith born Princess May of Teck ("May Helen Emma Abel Smith") (
23 January 1906 –29 May 1994 ) was a descendant of theBritish Royal Family , a great granddaughter of Queen Victoria. From her birth she was known as Princess May of Teck, a title in the Kingdom ofWürttemberg . She later was styled The Lady May Cambridge after the British Royal Family and its relatives ceased using their German titles in 1917 and Lady May Abel Smith after her marriage in 1931.Early life
Princess May was born at
Claremont House inSurrey ,England . Her parents were Prince Alexander of Teck (later the 1st Earl of Athlone), the youngest son ofPrince Francis, Duke of Teck andPrincess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge . Her mother was Princess Alexander of Teck (nèe Princess Alice of Albany), the daughter ofPrince Leopold, Duke of Albany and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.As a daughter of Prince Alexander of Teck, she was styled "Her Serene Highness Princess May of Teck" at birth.
Lady May Cambridge
During
World War I , anti-German feeling in the United Kingdom led Princess May's uncle, King George V, to change the name of the royal house from the GermanicHouse of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to the more English-soundingHouse of Windsor . The King also renounced all his Germanic titles for himself and all members of the British Royal Family who were British subjects.In response to this, May's father, Prince Alexander, renounced his title of a Prince of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg and the style "His Serene Highness". Alexander, along with his brother, Prince Adolphus of Teck, adopted the name
Cambridge , after their grandfather,Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge .A few days later, the King created Alexander
Earl of Athlone and Viscount Trematon. Alexander was now styled The Right Honourable The Earl of Athlone. His daughter was now styled Lady May Cambridge, and his surviving son adopted the courtesy title of Viscount Trematon. Alexander's wife, Alice, retained her title of aBritish princess with the style Her Royal Highness and became known as Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.Marriage & Issue
Lady May married
Henry Abel Smith (later Sir Henry) on24 October 1931 and had three children:Lady May's wedding party included:
*The Hon.Imogen Rhys
*MissKathleen Alington
*Princess Ingrid of Sweden, futureQueen Consort of KingFrederick IX ofDenmark
*Maj. The Hon.Cecil G. Weld-Forester
*MissJennifer Bevan
*MissWenefryde Tabor
*Lady Mary Cambridge, the bride's first cousin once removed
*Princess Elizabeth of York, futureQueen Elizabeth II of theUnited Kingdom , the bride's first cousin once removed
*MissRosemary Fraser
*LadyAlice Scott Later life
Lady May did not carry out any royal duties as she was not British royal. She did attend some major royal events such as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the wedding of
Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.Between 1958 and 1966, Sir Henry Abel Smith served as the
Governor of Queensland . May accompanied Henry toBrisbane , as vice-regal consort.Lady May died one year after her husband. They are both buried at
Frogmore in the Royal Burial Ground not far fromWindsor Castle . Her funeral was attended by members of the Royal Family.Titles
* "Her Serene Highness" Princess May of Teck (1906–1917)
* Miss May Cambridge (1917–1917)
* The Lady May Cambridge (1917–1931)
* Lady May Abel Smith (1931–1994)Ancestry
ahnentafel-compact5
style=font-size: 90%; line-height: 110%;
border=1
boxstyle=padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0;
boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
1= 1. Lady May Abel Smith
2= 2.Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
3= 3. Princess Alice of Albany
4= 4.Francis, Duke of Teck
5= 5.Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
6= 6.Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
7= 7. Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont
8= 8.Duke Alexander of Württemberg
9= 9.Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde
10= 10.Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
11= 11. Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel
12= 12.Albert, Prince Consort
13= 13.Victoria of the United Kingdom
14= 14.George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
15= 15. Princess Helene Wilhelmine of Nassau-Weilburg
16= 16.Duke Louis of Württemberg
17= 17. Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg
18= 18. László, Count Rhédey of Kis-Rhéde
19= 19. Agnes Inczédy of Nagy-Várad
20= 20.George III of the United Kingdom
21= 21.Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
22= 22.Prince Frederick of Hesse
23= 23. Princess Caroline Polyxene of Nassau-Usingen
24= 24.Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
25= 25. Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
26= 26.Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
27= 27.Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
28= 28. George II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
29= 29. Princess Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg
30= 30.William, Duke of Nassau
31= 31. Princess Pauline of Württemberg
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.