The Princess Mary Gift Fund box is an embossed box that originally contained a variety of items such as tobacco and chocolate. It was intended as a Christmas present to those serving at Christmas in 1914 and was paid for by a public fund backed by Princess Mary.
A Princess Mary Gift Fund Box was a treasured possession of many veteran soldiers of the First World War, even when the original contents – usually cigarettes and rolling tobacco – had long been used. The embossed box was air-tight, and made a useful container for money, tobacco, papers and photographs, so was often carried through subsequent service. A great many men carefully repacked their presents and sent them home to their wives and families.