Royal sadness! Queen Elizabeth II’s first cousin, Lady Mary Colman, passed away at the age of 88. She died on January 2 at her home in Norfolk.
Lady Mary was the daughter of Captain Michael Bowes-Lyon and the niece of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. She had a twin sister, Lady Patricia Bowes-Lyon, who died in 1995.
Her obituary, printed in The Daily Telegraph, stated that a “private family funeral and a Service of Thanksgiving for Mary’s life to be held at a later date.” She is being remembered as a woman “loved by all who met her.”
Lady Mary married Timothy Colman — of the Colman Mustard family — in 1951 when she was only 19-years-old. She was a philanthropist and worked with many charities, including the Red Cross.
Lady Mary and Sir Timothy welcomed five children together: sons James and Matthew, and daughters Sabrina, Emma and Sarah, who is currently the Lord-Lieutenant of Wiltshire.
The sad news of Lady Mary’s death comes after the Queen shared a heartfelt New Year’s Eve message encouraging the public to remain positive despite the overwhelming sadness around the world due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again,” Her Majesty wrote on Thursday, December 31. “Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year.”
The 94-year-old grandmother to Prince William and Harry shared four pics alongside her uplifting message via Instagram. The first photo was a candid shot of the Queen and Prince Philip reading a handmade card from great-grandchildren Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 5, and Prince Louis, 2, on their 73rd anniversary in November.
The second pic was of the iconic Round Tower at Windsor Castle that lit up in blue lights in honor of the NHS health care workers who have been working tirelessly amid the pandemic. The third photo was of a quote from when the Queen addressed the nation in regards to COVID-19, which was displayed on Piccadilly Circus in London in April.
The last photo was of Queen Elizabeth knighting Captain Sir Tom Moore at Windsor Castle in July for his extraordinary fundraising work amid the global crisis.
