King George V was a small man, but with a strong presence. Queen Mary was taller, gave a larger presence–after all, the rotund Duchess of Teck was her mother! This size difference caused several “humorous’ remarks over the years. Perhaps the best known comment emerged when the King and Queen were in Paris on a State Visit.
In French, the word to support is SOUTENIR, The word for a lady’s brassier/bra is SOUTIEN-GORGE. When the royal couple arrived in Paris, the Parisians were very aware of the size difference between the King and the Queen. Also, Queen Mary was “generous” in her bust size. During this Paris visit, Queen Mary was humorously given the title “MADAME SOUTIENT-GEORGE”–the Queen’s support of the King compared to the service she necessarily received from her bra.
The Frenchies never miss a punch! Hilarious. And the English love a pun! Both my grandfather and Father loved King George V and Queen Mary. This King’s heart beat with England.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
