Mary Mumford, 15th Lady Herries of Terregles facts for kids

Mary Katharine Mumford, 15th Lady Herries of Terregles (born Lady Mary Fitzalan-Howard; 14 August 1940 – 7 April 2017) was an important Scottish noblewoman. She was the second of four daughters of the 16th Duke of Norfolk and The Hon. Lavinia Strutt. Her father also held the title of 13th Lord Herries of Terregles.

Early Life and Family

Lady Mary Fitzalan-Howard was born at Arundel Castle on 14 August 1940. Her family, the Fitzalan-Howards, is one of the oldest and most well-known noble families in England.

She had three sisters. Her older sister, Anne, became the 14th Lady Herries of Terregles before Mary. Her younger sisters were Lady Sarah Clutton and Jane, Marchioness of Lothian. Jane later became the 16th Lady Herries of Terregles after Mary's death.

Lady Mary went to school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Woldingham. After that, she attended a finishing school in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

Royal Service and Charity Work

Starting in 1964, Lady Mary served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Alexandra. A lady-in-waiting is a female assistant who helps a princess or queen with her daily duties. Lady Mary continued this role until she passed away.

Because of her dedicated service to the royal family and her charity work, she received several special awards. She was made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order in 1974. Later, she was promoted to Commander in 1982 and then to Dame Commander in 1995. This last title meant she could use "Dame" before her name.

Lady Herries was also very active in charity work. She was a patron of Rockinghorse, which is the official fundraising group for the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital. She also supported animal rescue centers, other hospitals, and the Shoreham Harbour Lifeboat Station, which helps people at sea.

Later Life and Title

Lady Herries lived in a small house in Arundel, England. She also spent time on the Caerlaverock estate in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. She and her sister ran a tearoom on this estate.

In 1986, Lady Mary married Group Captain Anthony Mumford at Arundel Castle. After her marriage, she was known as Lady Mary Mumford. Her husband passed away in 2006.

In 2014, her older sister Anne died. At that time, Lady Mary inherited the ancient Scottish noble title, the Lordship of Herries of Terregles. This title had been passed down through her family. Her father had inherited it from his mother, Gwendolen, Duchess of Norfolk. After inheriting the title, she became known as the 15th Lady Herries of Terregles.

Lady Herries passed away on 7 April 2017, at the age of 76.