The daughter of an ironmonger and a school teacher, in 1983, Dame Mary became the first female lord mayor of the City of London, the oldest local governmental entity in England (established in 1192 by King Richard the Lionhearted). Inside the old city area, the Lord Mayor is the most powerful person — unless the queen happens to be in town.
And Donaldson insisted on the title “Lord” Mayor, rather than “Lady” Mayor. She said she “will stand on a soapbox for equal opportunity” even though “I’m not a great banner-waver for the feminist movement.” Before being appointed mayor in a unanimous vote by city officials, she was the first woman on London’s Common Council (elected 1966), the first female city alderman (1975), and first female city sheriff (1981).
She served with good humor, noting that rather than wearing traditional medieval clothing under her ceremonial robe, she just wore a slip and a bra; she also once pointed out that “After all my years in the city, it no longer strikes me as extraordinary that when you see something move, you bow to it.” Donaldson died October 4 at a hospice in Lymington, southern England. She was 82.