Queen Elizabeth's Maid of Honor Died One Day Before the Monarch's Funeral
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One day before the world said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II at her state funeral, the monarch's maid of honor passed away.
Lady Mary Russell died on September 18 at the age of 88. She was one of Queen Elizabeth's six maids of honor on her coronation day: June 2, 1953. The six ladies held the queen's gold-embellished ivory and purple train through the ceremony.
The two had know each other for years, as Lady Russell's father, the Earl of Haddington, was a childhood friend of Queen Elizabeth's mother.
An obituary for Lady Mary was published in The Times earlier this month. It read that she was a beloved wife, mother to three sons, and grandmother to 12 children, and that she died "peacefully" at home with her family.
Queen Elizabeth's funeral and burial were held the day after her friend's death, on September 19, at Westminster Abbey in London. She died on September 8. Westminster Abbey is also where the late queen was crowned back in 1953, one year after the death of her father, King George VI.
The queen's British royal family attended the funeral service, as did royals from other countries, and world leaders. She was then buried in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where her husband of more than 70 years, Prince Philip, was laid to rest following his death last year. St. George's Chapel is also the resting place of the queen's father, King George VI; mother, Queen Elizabeth; and sister, Princess Margaret.
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