Mary, Princess Royal (1897-1965), later Countess of Harewood

Princess Mary, only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, was sixteen when Lavery painted her as part of his 1913 royal commission. She would later become Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood, but in 1913 she was still a young figure on the edge of public life — the commission therefore required Lavery to navigate the convention of royal portraiture while capturing the freshness of adolescence. The 1913 portraits formed a coherent series designed to present the royal family as a modern, unified, and accessible dynasty at a moment when European monarchies were under increasing pressure. Lavery's treatment of the young princess reflects his sensitivity to age and character — lighter in handling and warmer in tone than the formal state portraits of her parents.

The portrait employs a softer, lighter palette than Lavery's mature royal portraits, with delicate handling of the princess's complexion and dress. Background tone is kept warm and unassertive to allow the youthful figure to read clearly. Brushwork in the dress passages is loose and decorative, consistent with Lavery's Impressionist-influenced approach to fabric.