Queen Elizabeth is mourning another loss of a family member, who sadly passed away on Jan. 2, 2021. Lady Mary Colman, the Queen's first cousin on her mother's side, reportedly died peacefully in her home in Norfolk at the age of 88.
Born Lady Mary Cecilia Bowes Lyon, the Queen's cousin was the daughter of Captain Michael Bowes Lyon, one of the Queen Mother's four brothers. Lady Mary was a frequent guest at Her Majesty's estates in Sandringham and Balmoral and was also into charity work just like her royal cousin. She was often seen joining the Queen to church whenever the monarch was in her country home.
Lady Mary volunteered at the Norfolk Autistic Society and the Red Cross and was quite an integral part of the formation of the Norfolk Millennium Trust. According to Daily Mirror, this organization aimed to take care of disadvantaged families with small children around the Norfolk region.
Lady Mary was married to Sir Timothy Colman of the established Colman-Mustard family, and they had five children, 10 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. The family stated that they would have a private funeral for the Queen's cousin, but it's unclear if Her Majesty will be able to witness the service in person due to the latest COVID-19 lockdowns.
According to Daily Express, Lady Mary shared the same love for dogs as Queen Elizabeth and had Jack Russell Terriers at her Norfolk estate all her life. She used to run a small-scale dried flowers business with her friends.
In 1970, the Queen tasked Lady Mary to help out in the royal family as one of the extra-lady-in-waiting for her other cousin, Princess Alexandra. The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the daughter of Prince George, the Duke of Kent, the Queen's paternal uncle.
Meanwhile, tributes have been pouring for Lady Mary since news of her passing as she was a vital fixture and was well-loved by her community in Norfolk.
In November, Queen Elizabeth also lost a cousin and a confidant in Lady Elizabeth Anson. She was related to the monarch on her mother's side as well since Lady Elizabeth was the daughter of Anne Bowes Lyon, the Queen Mother's niece.
However, Lady Elizabeth lived a few years of her life in Denmark when her parents divorced, and her mother became the wife of Prince George of Denmark. She returned to England at 15, after the death of her father, and became re-acquainted with the Queen's family.
