Florence Lascelles, Countess of Harewood

Florence Lascelles, Countess of Harewood (1859 – 5 May 1943),[1] formerly Lady Florence Katharine Bridgeman, was an English noblewoman. She was the wife of Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, the mother of the 7th earl, and the mother-in-law of Princess Mary (the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom).[2]

Lady Florence grew up at Weston Park, the youngest daughter of Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford, and his wife, the former Selina Weld-Forester.[3]

She married the future earl, then known as Viscount Lascelles,[4] on 29 October 1881 an lived at Goldsborough Hall until in 1892 her husband inherited his father's earldom, making his wife a countess and moved to Harewood House.

The couple had three children:

• Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1882–1947), who married Princess Mary and had two sons, who were, at the time of their birth, 6th and 7th in the Line of succession to the British throne
• Lady Margaret Selina Lascelles (1883–1978), who married Gustavus Hamilton-Russell, 9th Viscount Boyne and had children
• Major Hon. Edward Cecil Lascelles (1887–1935), who married Joan Balfour, a granddaughter of George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll.

The countess was appointed a Dame of Justice of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.[5]

In 2017, Harewood House held an exhibition of photographs taken by the countess, who was a keen amateur photographer.[1]