Mary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom, the Dominions, and Empress of India from 1910-1936. The daughter of a German nobleman and granddaughter of George III, she was always destined to become Queen. But what do we know about Queen Mary? First betrothed to the eldest son of the Prince of Wales, and after his unexpected death, married to his younger brother, the future King-Emperor George V. While some biographies, films, and television portray her as a rigid and cold figure in pearls, she was also a mother and grandmother—whose grandchildren said she loved the moments when they could be “a small family and do small things”. When the late Queen Elizabeth II invited author James Pope-Hennessy to write the official biography of her grandmother, he set off between 1955 and 1958 to interview Queen Mary’s surviving relatives, traveling all over Europe as well as to Sandringham and Balmoral. In this lecture, royal historian Mr. Hugo Vickers will regale us with funny stories from Pope-Hennessy’s notes and other stories shared by members of the British Royal Family. Mr. Vickers will also discuss his own research and bring to life the Queen-Empress who was witness to two world wars, a bystander to a scandal that rocked the monarchy, and a monarch who experienced the changes of British society from the beginning of the 20th century until the 1950s.

Hugo Vickers, is well known as a biographer, lecturer and broadcaster, and acknowledged expert on the Royal Family. He has covered events from royal weddings, including the first wedding of the Prince of Wales; the funerals of Diana, the Queen Mother, Prince Philip, the State Funeral and Committal of The Queen; and the Coronation of Charles III. The Financial Times recently described him as: ‘the most knowledgeable royal biographer on the planet.’ He has written many biographies of 20th-century figures, including Cecil Beaton, Vivien Leigh, the Duchess of Windsor, Princess Andrew of Greece, and the Queen Mother. His first biography, about Gladys Deacon, Duchess of Marlborough (1881-1977) was based on his interviews with her before her death. In 2022, he published a book with HRH The Duke of Kent, entitled A Royal Life. In 2024, Mr. Vickers published a novel Pining in Paradise and his biography of Clarissa, Countess of Avon (widow of PM Anthony Eden). When not writing, he travels through the Commonwealth and Overseas Territories, establishing Commonwealth Walkways. Mr. Vickers is a Deputy Lieutenant for the Royal County of Berkshire and Captain of the Lay Stewards of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Tickets: $35 members*; $45 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account