cheltonian lifestyle The History Hour byHannahWright


Lastmonth the county andmost of theworldwent crazy for the Royal wedding, sharing in the Family’s happy day.Historically, and still to this day, it is to theMonarchy that many of the British Public turn in times ofNational celebration and also sadness. In some ofCheltenham’s darkest


days, the Royal Familywere also in attendance. On the evening of 27 July 1942,


Cheltenhamwas hit by the second major bombing raid of thewar. Brunswick Street bore the brunt. 11 residentswere killed and 27 injured. The aid effort started immediately, with residentsworking alongside the YMCA and theWomen’s Voluntary Service to secure the area and ensure residents had emergency supplies. One of the lucky survivors from


the Brunswick Street bombingwas reportedly a small ducklingwhich was namedQuackers, although it is not knownwhat became of him. £1000in noteswas also rescued fromamattress in a bombed property and returned to its owners whowere recovering in hospital. A fewdays later, on the 5th August,


the YMCA trucks and theMayor of Cheltenham, AldermanWaite, escorted a special guest to the site. QueenMarywas no stranger to


Cheltenham.During thewar years, at the insistence of her son, shemoved with her 55 staff to Badminton House inGloucestershire, the residence of her niece theDuchess of Beaufort.Mary visited


QueenMary


When she came of age,Marywas engaged toQueen Victoria’s grandson and second in line to the throne, the colourful Prince Albert Victor. Albert died of influenza six weeks after their engagement, and Marywas subsequently married to his brother,George,who acceded asGeorge V in 1910. According to reports the couple were very close and faithful, andGeorge wrote to hiswife every day that they were apart.


Cheltenhamonmany occasions throughout thewar, andwas an active supporter of theDig for Victory campaign and the civil defence. Shewas also the first patron of theWVS.During the first worldwar, the King andQueen had visited hospitals and bases tirelessly, including troops abroad in France, andMary continued to rallywhere shewas able. QueenMarywas by nowaged 75


andwidowed herself. Shewas born Princess VictoriaMary of Teck in 1867, in Kensington Palace and known as ‘May’.On hermother’s side shewas theGreatGranddaughter of George III,who had putCheltenham on themapwhen he visited the spa waters.Her fatherwas Prince Francis,Duke of Teck (inGermany).


The family had endured their own


sadness.Mary andGeorge’s youngest son, Prince John had died of epilepsy aged 13, andGeorge died of lung disease in 1936. Famously, their eldest son Edward, abdicated the throne tomarry AmericanWallis Simpson, and the throne then passed to their next son, the shy George VIwho emerged as a strong and empathetic leader throughout thewar. Just threeweeks after her visit to


Cheltenham,Mary lost another son whowas killed in an air crash during an RAF training exercise. George VI died in 1952, and the


belovedQueenMary died the following year, just tenweeks before the coronation ofQueen Elizabeth II.


THECHELTONIAN JULY /AUGUST 2018 49


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