Lady Mary, daughter of the
Earl and Countess of Haddington, passed away on the eve of the Queen’s state
funeral. She was one of Her Majesty’s six maids of honour present at the
Queen’s coronation in 1953.
News of her death was
published in the obituary section of The Times. The announcement
read: “Lady Mary died peacefully at home with her family around her on
Sunday 18 September.
“Beloved wife of David,
much-loved mother of Arabella, Anthony, Philip, Jason and Marina, and dearly
loved by her 12 grandchildren.”
Recalling the Queen’s
coronation, Lady Mary Russell said: “It was overwhelming and moving –
especially during the anointing… It was an incredible moment, but all I could
think about was how heavy the embroidery felt.
“Of all the girls our age
in the country, we six girls were chosen to carry the Queen’s train and that
meant a great deal.”
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Lady Mary was the Queen’s youngest maid of honour
Like the Queen, all six young
women wore gowns created by Sir Norman Hartnell. The ladies, who were aged
between 18 and 23, carried Elizabeth II’s 21-foot train as she walked
through Westminster Abbey towards the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey
Fisher.
Lady Mary is the second of the
six maids of honour to die after Lady Moyra Campbell passed away in 2020. Still
alive today are Dowager Baroness Glenconner, Lady Jane Lacey, Baroness
Willoughby de Eresby, and Lady Rosemary Muir.
The sad news comes after the
royal family mourned the death of Her Majesty who died aged 96 on 8 September.
The beloved monarch reportedly died “peacefully” surrounded by
members of her immediate family.
