Queen Mary was born in 1867 and grew up when German nobles were
everywhere, but especially the UK. Wars were infrequent and the
aristocracy and nouveaux riches were living an international
life style of grace and ease. War was dashing uniforms and
heroic deeds. Britannia ruled the waves. She died in 1953 with
the Savoias, Romanovs, Hohenzollerns, and Habsburgs deposed and
other monarchies deposed in places like Romania. War, the
classic role of royalty, had changed. A hydrogen bomb could
destroy a metropolitan area and atomic bombs had destroyed
cities. War was total. She had two sons who became King, but the
first, Edward VIII, had to be edged aside to preserve the UK
given his pro-Nazi leanings. Fortunately, his romantic choice of
Wallis Simpson was untenable. The second son to become King,
George VI, served his country, and the rest of the world, ably.