Mary Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone

Mary Frances Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone, née Bowes-Lyon, was born on August 30, 1883, in Angus, Scotland. Her parents were Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck. She was an elder sister of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who later became Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother of the United Kingdom, and thus a maternal aunt to Queen Elizabeth II.

In her personal life, Lady Elphinstone married Sidney Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone, on July 24, 1910, in Westminster. Sidney Elphinstone inherited extensive estates, some dating back to the reign of King David II of Scotland. He held multiple notable positions, including governor of the Bank of Scotland, Lord Clerk Register of Scotland, Keeper of the Signet, and Lord High Commissioner of the Church of Scotland.

The couple had five children:

- The Hon. Mary Elizabeth Elphinstone (born July 2, 1911; died May 16, 1980), who served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923.

- John Elphinstone, 17th Lord Elphinstone (born March 22, 1914; died November 15, 1975).

- The Hon. Jean Constance Elphinstone (born April 3, 1915; died November 29, 1999), who married Captain John Lycett Wills. Their daughter Marilyn was a goddaughter of Princess Margaret and served as a bridesmaid at Princess Margaret's wedding in 1960.

- The Rev. The Hon. Andrew Charles Victor Elphinstone (born November 10, 1918; died March 19, 1975), who married Jean Frances Hambro. Their daughter was also provided with issue.

- The Hon. Margaret Elphinstone (born June 9, 1925; died November 25, 2016), who married Denys Rhodes. She was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.

Lady Elphinstone participated in various prominent royal events. In 1937, she attended her sister's coronation, sitting behind her niece Princess Elizabeth in the royal box. She was also among the leading guests at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.

Sidney Elphinstone died at Carberry Tower in Musselburgh on November 28, 1955. Lady Elphinstone served as president of the Midlothian branch of the British Red Cross. She died at Carberry Tower in Inveresk, Scotland, on February 8, 1961, at the age of 77.