Shortly before leaving for the Netherlands, Mary was designated by her father "Princess Royal", thus establishing the tradition that the eldest daughter of the British sovereign might bear this title. The title was created because Queen Henrietta Maria, the daughter of King Henry IV of France, wanted her daughter to have a title comparable to ""Madame Royale"", the style of the eldest daughter of the King of France. Until that time, the eldest daughters of English and Scottish kings were variously titled "lady" or "princess". The younger daughters of British sovereigns were not consistently titled princesses of Great Britain and styled "Royal Highness" until the accession of George I in 1714.