Late Queen's cousin, Mary Dowager Countess of Strathmore, dies at home

The late Queen's Mary, Dowager Countess of Strathmore, has died at her home aged 92. The Dowager Countess passed away at her house in Melrose, on the border, on Monday.

The countess was born Mary Pamela McCorquodale to Brigadier Norman McCorquodale and his wife, Barbara, on May 31, 1932. She was directly related to the late as the countess was the late niece. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and were all guests at the Countess of Strathmore's to Fergus Bowes Lyon in 1956.

After her marriage, the countess spent nearly 60-years at the Glamis Castle in Angus, - which is also where Princess Margaret was born, according to The Courier. 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.

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"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."

The late Queen's cousin was beloved in her local community for helping transform Glamis Castle into one of Scotland's biggest tourist attractions. The stunning castle welcomed people from visitors to royalty through it's doors.

These included Queen Elizabeth, , and the Queen Mother - who was the Countess of Strathmore's husbands aunt. The castle even hosted the wives of leaders during the 2005 G8 Summit in Gleneagles.

Her family shared a "recent kind message" Mary received just before she died which said: "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 is survived by her two daughters, Lady Diana Godfrey-Faussett and Lady Elizabeth Leeming - who was once a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen.

Her beloved husband died on August 19, 1987, after he collapsed while shooting grouse on the grounds of his Glamis Castle. He was pronounced dead while on route to the hospital and his son Michael succeeded him into his title.

Mary opened up to Countryfile in 2022 about the late Queen and recalled their memories as children together. The countess claimed Queen Elizabeth would have opted for life in the country rather than on the throne.

She shared the late Queen would spend lots of her time, before she ascended to The Throne as Glamis Castle as it was where the Queen Mother was raised. The countess said: "And I would imagine that both of them, if they could’ve chosen, would’ve chosen to have a country life."