Princess Mary: The First Modern Princess [9780750992619]

Diana, Princess of Wales, is seen worldwide as the first British royal to tear up the rulebook in terms of what behaviour befit a princess, and in her wake Kate and Meghan are reported to be taking leaps and bounds in modernising the monarchy.

But before this trio of deservedly lauded - and often lambasted - women, there was a princess who redefined what it was to be a princess. Born in 1897, Princess Mary was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary.

Despite her Victorian beginnings, she strove to make a princess' life meaningful, using her elevated position to help those less fortunate and defying gender-based conventions about a woman of her standing should be able to do.

From her heavy involvement in the war effort, visiting wounded soldiers and training as a nurse, to her role in many of the twentieth century's key events in royal history, Mary was one princess who paved the way for the modern age.

AUTHOR: ELISABETH BASFORD is a writer, blogger and social media copywriter, who has been in the education sector for twenty-five years. She has written for online publications and magazines including Cosmopolitan, Red, and Goldie. Her blog, focused on arts, culture, history and lifestyle, was nominated for the UK Blog Awards and receives more than 250 unique hits per day. She lives in South Yorkshire.