Page "Mary of Teck" Paragraph 29

Mary was an eager collector of objects and pictures with a royal connection.

She paid above-market estimates when purchasing jewels from the estate of Dowager Empress Marie of Russia and paid almost three times the estimate when buying the family's Cambridge Emeralds from Lady Kilmorey, the mistress of her late brother Prince Francis.

In 1924, the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens created Queen Mary's Dolls ' House for her collection of miniature pieces.

Indeed, she has sometimes been criticised for her aggressive acquisition of objets d ' art for the Royal Collection.

On several occasions, she would express to hosts, or others, that she admired something they had in their possession, in the expectation that the owner would be willing to donate it.

Her extensive knowledge of, and research into, the Royal Collection helped in identifying artefacts and artwork that had gone astray over the years.

The Royal Family had lent out many objects over previous generations.

Once she had identified unreturned items through old inventories, she would write to the holders, requesting that they be returned.