Queen Mary ... Mary...quite contrary

The most common version is:

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells, and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row.

Like many nursery rhymes, it has acquired various historical explanations. One is that it refers to Mary I of Scotland, with "how does your garden grow" referring to her reign, "silver bells" referring to (Catholic) cathedral bells, "cockle shells" insinuating that her husband cheated on her, and "pretty maids all in a row" referring to her ladies-in-waiting - "The four Maries".

Another claims that it refers to Mary I of England and her attempts to restore England to Roman Catholicism. In this version, the "cockle shells" are identified with the symbol of pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint James in Spain (Santiago de Compostela) and the "pretty maids all in a row" with nuns.

The above mentioned information all came from Wikipedia... and there are more extreme and ugly meanings of the rhyme. If you want to read them click here.

So, this time I want to name my creation after Queen Mary.

Wearing a gown of golden silk and of yellow laces, Queen Mary is a picture of elegance.

Ahuge yellow rose on soft feathers adorns her left shoulder.



Following her is a trail of chapel length and embelished by pretty yellow flowers.



Even the back gives an empression of being majestic and regal.

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I'm running out of names for my queens. Hopefully I find ingenious names that are worth discussing and relating to their gowns.