From Urlings to Leicester | Mary Ann Prince Marks 100 Years

Surrounded by four generations of family and visited by Antigua and Barbuda’s highest officials, Mary Ann Prince celebrated her 100th birthday on Friday, 1 August 2025, a milestone that speaks to a life rich in resilience, hard work, and community spirit.

Governor General Sir Rodney Williams and Lady Sandra Williams, along with High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Karen-Mae Hill, visited Prince to share in the occasion and offer personal congratulations.

Born on 14 June 1925 in the village of Urlings, Prince was one of nine siblings raised by Catherine Jude and Nathaniel Prince. She attended Johnson’s Point School and, as a young woman, worked the farmlands of Cades Bay alongside her mother, nurturing a love for agriculture that would stay with her for life.

In the 1960s, she left Antigua aboard a ship bound for England in search of new opportunities. She worked first at the TW Kemptiqons Hosiery Factory, then as a healthcare assistant at Glenfrith Hospital, where she formed enduring friendships.

In her adopted home of Leicester, Prince’s green thumb flourished, her garden and allotment overflowed with vegetables, herbs, flowers, and her favourite, sunflowers. She also earned a local reputation for her rice pudding and mah (tripe), recipes she continued to pass down to her grandchildren well into her nineties.

Her family today spans six children, 26 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and eight great-great-grandchildren.

“Miss Mary Ann Prince is a shining example of the strength, resilience and unwavering spirit that defines the Antiguan and Barbuda diaspora. Her contributions both at home and abroad, and the legacy she has built through her family, community service and enduring cultural price, are truly inspiring. We are honoured to celebrate this remarkable milestone with her.” Sir Rodney Williams said during the visit.

Her Excellency Karen-Mae Hill added: “It is a privilege to visit Miss Prince on this momentous occasion. Her journey from Urlings Village to England. Her journey from Urlings Village to England, her hard work and generosity and her deep love for both Antigua and Barbuda and the United Kingdom is commendable. Her story is a reminder of the enduring connections between our homeland and our diaspora here in the United Kingdom”.

The Office of the Governor General has extended best wishes for Prince’s continued health and happiness, and many more shared memories with her growing family.