Princess Mary’s Gift Book, published in 1914, followed the example set by Queen Alexandra’s Gift Book (published in 1908 in aid of charity) and later continued by Queen Mary (1915) and the then Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) (three gift books were published on his behalf between 1920 and 1926 for wounded war veterans).  

Her gift book, which contained a collection of children’s stories and illustrations by the leading authors and artists of the day, was published to raise funds for The Queen’s Work for Women Fund (a subsidiary of the National Relief Fund, which raised money for several military and civilian charities during the war years). The fund, which was set up in August 1914, was intended to initiate and subsidise projects for employing women who were out of work as a result of the war.

The book is now better known as the source of the illustration on which the Cottingley Fairies photograph hoax was based, rather than for the charitable work which it enabled.