On 24 October 1931 in St Mary's Church,
Balcombe, Sussex, the parish church of the Athlone residence of
Brantridge Park, Lady May married Colonel
Sir Henry Abel Smith, then a
lieutenant in the
Royal Horse Guards serving as
aide-de-camp (ADC) to Lady May's father the Earl of Athlone. He was the eldest son of Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Abel Smith (1861–1908) of Wilford House, Nottinghamshire, of
Coleorton Hall, Leicestershire, the future Queen Elizabeth II, her first cousin-once-removed. Another of the bridesmaids,
Princess Ingrid of Sweden, introduced her brother,
Prince Gustaf Adolf to his future wife,
Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who was also a bridesmaid. In 1958 Sir Henry Abel Smith was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as
Governor of Queensland in Australia and served in that office until 1966. The marriage of Sir Henry and Lady May was long-lived and the couple celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary a few months before Sir Henry's death in January 1993. They had three children: •
Anne Mary Sibylla Abel Smith (born 28 July 1932), who married
David Liddell-Grainger of
Ayton Castle, Scottish Borders on 14 December 1957 at
St George's Chapel,
Windsor Castle. Amongst the bridesmaids were Princesses
Beatrix and
Irene of the Netherlands and
Princess Christina of Sweden. They were the parents of four sons (including
Conservative MP
Ian Liddell-Grainger) and one daughter, before divorcing in 1981. • Colonel
Richard Francis Abel Smith (11 October 1933 – 23 December 2004), who married Marcia Kendrew (b. 1940), a daughter of Sir
Douglas Kendrew, a future
Governor of Western Australia. They had a daughter, Katherine Emma Abel Smith. • Elizabeth Alice Abel Smith (born 5 September 1936), who married Peter Ronald Wise (1929–2021) in 1965. They divorced in 1975, after having had one daughter who died in infancy. == Titles, styles, and honours ==