For Every Sailor Afloat, Every Soldier at the Front: Princess Mary?s Christmas Gift 1914

The full history of Princess Mary’s World War I Christmas gift box. 

In 1914, Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V, was just seventeen years old. Only two months into World War I, the young princess was destined to make her mark. She would send a Christmas gift to all those serving in uniform, “afloat and at the front.” With great determination, she set about her task to provide her gift to all those on active service.

Beautifully illustrated and deeply researched, For Every Sailor Afloat, Every Soldier at the Front is the first full retelling of the story of the princess’s gift. Using original sources, texts, and archives, and illustrated with images of original surviving objects, this book unfolds the true story of the fund and its wider meaning. For anyone interested in the first Christmas of the war, this book offers new perspectives on the meaning of the gift to the recipients and the nature of the gift itself.

Peter Doyle is an author and historian who specializes in World War I. He is a member of the British Commission for Military History, secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on War Heritage, and visiting professor of history at London South Bank University.