Queen's heartbreak over death of beloved family member

Queen's heartbreak over death in family as close relative dies

Queen's heartbreak: Queen Elizabeth II travels in her chauffeur driven Bentley car
(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo / Contributor Getty)
Selina Maycock
By
published
in News

The Queen's heartbreak after news that her first cousin Lady Mary Colman has died aged 88.

Her majesty Queen Elizabeth II's maternal cousin Lady Mary Colman passed away at the weekend whilst staying at her Norfolk home.

Lady Mary, who died on January 2, has been a been a beloved guest at the royal household for several decades, and her family have paid tribute to the cousin of the monarch.

Known for her charitable work, Lady Mary’s family said she was “loved by all who met her”. 

READ MORE: The heartbreaking reason the Queen and Prince Philip don't live together

A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)

A photo posted by on

Well, her links come from the Queen Mother as she was the daughter of Captain Michael Bowes-Lyon and Elizabeth Margaret Cator. 

And Captain Bowes-Lyon was one of the four brothers of the Queen Mother who served in the Army. He was reported missing in action in April 1917 but the family sadly discovered three weeks later he had been captured after getting injured during battle. He remained imprisoned behind enemy lines until the end of the war. 

Meanwhile Lady Mary was born in 1932 in Bedfordshire, where she grew up. She went on to marry Sir Timothy Colman, a British businessman part of the world-renown Colman Mustard family in 1951 when she was just aged 19.

READ MORE: Prince Charles gives up beloved home ahead of becoming king

Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by her cousin Lady Mary Colman (née Bowes-Lyon) attends Sunday service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on January 27, 2013 in King's Lynn, England.

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo / Contributor Getty)

Two years after her wedding, Lady Mary and her husband moved into a home in Norfolk, Bixley Manor, and this is where she spent the rest of her life. 

Like her Majesty, Lady Mary is fond of dogs and she was often in the company of her beloved Jack Russell Terriers.

And the Queen formed a special bond with the couple as both she and her husband were often invited over to Sandringham and Balmoral during holidays and breaks. 

In 2013 they were both pictured sharing a car as they attended Sunday service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate.

Selina Maycock
Selina Maycock

Selina is a Senior Entertainment Writer with more than 16 years of experience in newspapers and magazines. She has covered all things Entertainment for GoodtoKnow, Woman&Home and My Imperfect Life. She has also worked as Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow. Before joining Future Publishing, Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism. She is fully NCTJ and NCE qualified and has 100wpm shorthand.

Latest