Mary Davidson Smith, a resident of Care UK’s Murrayside home in Edinburgh, recently marked her 105th birthday with a celebration that included receiving 105 greeting cards, one of which was from King Charles III. Smith is among the few centenarians to have received congratulatory cards from both the current monarch and his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. She is already looking forward to her 106th birthday and hopes to celebrate with a glass of whisky.

Born in Korea, Mary Davidson Smith has led a life spanning several countries, having lived in England, Canada, and the United States during her youth. She later served in the Royal Navy, where she met her husband, British Army officer Charles Wynyard Davidson Smith, during a posting in Washington, D.C. The couple eventually settled in Edinburgh, raising two sons, Neil and Mark. Now a widow, Mary is a grandmother to four grandchildren.

Her 105th birthday celebration was marked with an afternoon tea and a family gathering at the care home, where staff member Jose prepared cupcakes arranged in the shape of the number 105. Smith remarked humorously on the absence of candles, saying she did not have enough breath for all of them. The care home initiated a public appeal for birthday cards, which prompted an outpouring of well wishes from across the globe, including as far away as Singapore. Mary described reading the cards as an extraordinary experience, noting she had never received so many in her lifetime.

In a recently meaningful moment, Mary was reunited with a traditional Korean outfit, a hanbok, that she had worn nearly a century ago. This occurred during a private tour of the National Museum of Scotland, where officials presented the traditional attire consisting of a hat, bag, and a wraparound jacket called a chimaegoori.

Care home manager Suzanne Welsh praised Mary as a valued and much-loved member of the Murrayside community. Welsh highlighted Mary’s active participation in a variety of activities, including outdoor events, church services, quizzes, singing sessions, and social coffee mornings. The staff expressed satisfaction in reaching their goal of collecting 105 cards to honor Mary’s milestone birthday, emphasizing the effort to ensure residents maintain fulfilling and engaging lives.

When asked about her longevity, Mary attributed it to her enjoyment of life and persistence, also noting that she comes from a family with a history of long-lived relatives.