Mary, Dowager Countess of Strathmore, has died at her home in the Scottish Borders at the age of 92.
The Dowager Countess passed away on Monday in Melrose, where she had spent her later years.
But it is in Angus where her loss will be most keenly felt, after a near 60-year association with Glamis Castle.
Her late husband, Fergus, inherited the Angus landmark when he became the 17th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in 1972.
Born in London
Born Mary Pamela McCorquodale on May 31 1932, at her grandparents’ house in London, she was the youngest child of Brigadier Norman McCorquodale and his wife, Barbara (nee de Knoop).
In September 1939, the family moved from near Edinburgh to Buckinghamshire, where her father had inherited Winslow Hall, later requisitioned by the RAF as part of Bletchley Park decoding centre.
After the war, she learned French in Paris, studied domestic science at Oxford, then moved to London.
In Germany in 1955, she met Fergus Bowes Lyon, who was serving with the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards.
They married in April 1956 and Royal guests included The Queen, Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, who was born at Glamis.
A family statement said: “They lived in The White House, Glamis for some of their early married life and continued to visit frequently from East Lothian where they lived while Fergus worked as a stockbroker in Edinburgh.
“Fergus inherited Glamis and became the 17th Earl of Strathmore in 1972 and, after making some adaptations to make the private side of the castle suitable for a young family, they moved in in 1975 and threw themselves into life on the estate and in the wider Angus community.”
Countess of Strathmore admired and respected by many
The Countess became one of the most influential, admired and respected individuals in Angus and far further afield.
She was held in deep affection by all who knew and worked for her.
Many saw her as the embodiment of noblesse oblige, with a charm and friendliness that could enchant everyone who came into contact with her.
As well as creating a family home for their three children, the Earl and Countess led the development of Glamis Castle into one of Scotland’s leading tourist attractions.
They were welcoming hosts to all, from Royal guests to visitors from around the globe.
Lady Strathmore personally welcomed the first visitors of the new season to Glamis on countless occasions, to their surprise and delight.
Patron and dedicated supporter of Tayside charities
Her support of charities and organisations across Angus and beyond, often as patron, was dedicated and unstinting.
These included the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Age Concern, Cancer Relief, Day Care Committee for the Elderly, Nursing Benevolent Fund, Brittle Bone Society, Child Psychotherapy Trust and many others.
She was an enthusiastic supporter of the arts, including the Whitehall Theatre, Tayside Symphony Orchestra and the National Theatre of Scotland.
She was made Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Angus in 1989 and in 2002 was created a Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa by the University of Dundee.
After her husband’s early death in 1987, Lady Strathmore continued to play a vital role at the castle, providing support to her late son, Michael, the 18th Earl. He predeceased her in 2016 at the age of 58.
Glamis welcomed many Royal visitors including Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother – who was her husband’s aunt – The Queen, Princess Margaret and Prince Charles.
Former Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major also visited, and in 2005 Glamis hosted the wives of world leaders during the G8 Summit at Gleneagles.
Lady Strathmore also had many links with America.
She was the Honorary Regent for Great Britain for the Kenmore Trust, which runs George Washington’s sister’s home in Virginia, and was honoured by a special flag being flown over the US Capitol in 1997.
NASA astronaut phone call to Countess from space shuttle Discovery
Through a Tayside space school connection she struck up a special relationship with NASA, welcoming a number of US astronauts to the castle.
One of those, Jim Reilly, was married in the castle chapel and later had his children christened there.
And in 2011, US Air Force Colonel Alvin Drew called Glamis Castle during the shuttle Discovery’s final flight – but had to leave a message on the Dowager Countess’s answering machine.
She told The Courier at the time: “I was out when he called, but I think I must be the only granny in Great Britain who’s had a call from outer space, which my grandchildren thought was pretty cool.”
Colonel Drew later visited Glamis to take up the role of chieftain at Strathmore Highland Games, held each June in the castle grounds.
After retiring to the Borders, the Dowager Countess regularly returned to Angus. She loved scooting around the castle grounds on her Strathmore-crested golf buggy, complete with MSK 1 registration plate.
In 2022, following the death of The Queen, Lady Strathmore’s trusted and longstanding relationship with The Courier was illustrated in a deeply personal recollection of the monarch’s final visit to Glamis.
The Dowager Countess shared a photograph of what proved to be a final farewell at the castle’s Queen Mother memorial gates.
She said at that time: “I had her on my golf buggy for around an hour and a half and we went around the castle grounds.
“She always had a great affection for Glamis and so many happy memories here.
“I do think she knew it might be her last visit and she had come to say goodbye to Glamis.”
Figurehead and role model
The family statement added: “A recent kind message sent to Mary just before she died read: ‘Speaking of the ‘best’ I would like to reinforce to you what a marvellous role model and figurehead you have been for Glamis over the years’.
“Your dedication to, and love of, Glamis has shone through at every level.
“You are a very much loved and important figure in the history of Glamis, not just to the staff but to the wider community.’”
Mary leaves two daughters, Lady Elizabeth Leeming and Lady Diana Godfrey-Faussett, and 11 grandchildren, the eldest being the 19th Earl of Strathmore.
A Service of Thanksgiving is to be held on Friday May 16 at 2.30pm at St Fergus Kirk in Glamis.
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