A manually operated override release mechanism for a motorized window shade assembly having a shade fabric (5, 7) with a leading edge, the shade fabric (5, 7) being disposed behind a pane (9, 11) and movable between an opened position and a closed position upon operation of a motor (69, 69a), characterised in that the override release mechanism comprises: a mounting plate; an actuator slidably secured to the mounting plate to provide for movement of the actuator with respect to the mounting plate between a first position and a second position and biased in the first position, the actuator having a first side secured to one end of a cable (210, 210a), and a second side having a through-hole formed therein, another end of the cable (210, 210a) being connectable to the motor (69, 69a), the cable (210, 210a) applying tension to the actuator for biasing the actuator in the first position, whereby the motor (69, 69a) is in an operating position when the actuator is in the first position and the motor is in a decoupled position when the actuator is in the second position; and a tether extending through the through-hole of the actuator and attachable at one end to the shade fabric (5, 7) proximate the leading edge, the tether being slidably engaged with the actuator and having a free end accessible by a user, wherein, when said another end of the cable (210, 210a) is connected to the motor (69, 69a), applying tension to the free end of the tether urges the actuator to the second position and causes decoupling of the motor (69, 69a) from the motorized window shade assembly to allow for manual raising of the shade fabric (5, 7) through extension of the tether, and reducing tension to the free end of the tether causes coupling of the motor (69, 69a) to the motorized window shade assembly to allow for motorized operation of the shade fabric (5, 7). a mounting plate; an actuator slidably secured to the mounting plate to provide for movement of the actuator with respect to the mounting plate between a first position and a second position and biased in the first position, the actuator having a first side secured to one end of a cable (210, 210a), and a second side having a through-hole formed therein, another end of the cable (210, 210a) being connectable to the motor (69, 69a), the cable (210, 210a) applying tension to the actuator for biasing the actuator in the first position, whereby the motor (69, 69a) is in an operating position when the actuator is in the first position and the motor is in a decoupled position when the actuator is in the second position; and a tether extending through the through-hole of the actuator and attachable at one end to the shade fabric (5, 7) proximate the leading edge, the tether being slidably engaged with the actuator and having a free end accessible by a user, wherein, when said another end of the cable (210, 210a) is connected to the motor (69, 69a), applying tension to the free end of the tether urges the actuator to the second position and causes decoupling of the motor (69, 69a) from the motorized window shade assembly to allow for manual raising of the shade fabric (5, 7) through extension of the tether, and reducing tension to the free end of the tether causes coupling of the motor (69, 69a) to the motorized window shade assembly to allow for motorized operation of the shade fabric (5, 7).