George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was
KingThe Monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
of the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927...
and the British
DominionA dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of semi-autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, from the late 19th century. They included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the...
s, and
Emperor of IndiaEmperor/Empress of India was used as a title by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II, and revived by the colonial British monarchs during the British Raj in India....
, from 1910 through
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
(1914–1918) until his death in 1936. He was the first British monarch of the
House of WindsorThe House of Windsor is the current Royal House of the United Kingdom and each of the other Commonwealth realms. It is a branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , which adopted the name Windsor by a royal proclamation of George V in 1917...
, which he created from the British branch of the German
House of Saxe-Coburg and GothaThe House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is German noble family, a line of the Saxon House of Wettin that ruled the two duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. It is also the royal house of several European monarchies, and branches currently reign in Belgium through the descendants of Leopold I, and in the...
.
From the age of twelve George served in the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
, but upon the unexpected death of his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, he became heir to the throne and married his brother's fiancée,
Mary of TeckMary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Empress of India as the consort of King-Emperor George V. By birth, she was a princess of Teck, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, with the style Serene Highness...
(known as "May" to her family after her birth month). Although they occasionally toured the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
, George preferred to stay at home with his stamp collection and lived what later biographers would consider a dull life because of its conventionality.
George became King-Emperor in 1910 on the death of his father, King
Edward VIIEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910...
. George was the only Emperor of India to be present at his own
Delhi DurbarThe Delhi Durbar, meaning, "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India to commemorate the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times in 1877, 1903, and 1911 at the height of the British Empire...
, where he appeared before his Indian subjects crowned with the
Imperial Crown of IndiaThe Imperial Crown of India was the crown of the Sovereign as Emperor of India during the time of the British Raj. The crown is housed with, but is not part of, the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.-History:...
, created specially for the occasion. During World War I he relinquished all German titles and styles on behalf of his relatives who were British subjects, and changed the name of the royal house from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor. During his reign, the
Statute of WestminsterThe Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which established a status of legislative equality between the self-governing dominions of the British Empire and the United Kingdom, with a few residual exceptions...
separated the crown so that George ruled the
dominionA dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of semi-autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, from the late 19th century. They included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the...
s as separate kingdoms, preparing the way for the future development of the
CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
. His reign also witnessed the rise of
socialismSocialism refers to various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a method of compensation based on...
,
communismCommunism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general. Karl Marx posited that communism would be the final stage in human...
,
fascismFascism, , comprises a radical and authoritarian nationalist political ideology and a corporatist economic ideology developed in Italy. Fascists believe that nations and/or races are in perpetual conflict whereby only the strong can survive by being healthy, vital, and by asserting themselves in...
,
Irish republicanismIrish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, and the first Labour ministry, all of which radically changed the political spectrum.
George was plagued by illness throughout much of his later reign; he was succeeded by his eldest son,
EdwardEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the British dominions, and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December 1936, after which he was immediately succeeded by his younger brother, George VI...
.
Early life and education
George was born on 3 June 1865, at
Marlborough HouseMarlborough House is a mansion in Westminster, London, in Pall Mall just east of St James's Palace. It was built for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the favourite and confidante of Queen Anne. The Duchess wanted her new house to be "strong, plain and convenient"...
, London. His father was
the Prince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland...
(later
King Edward VIIEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910...
), the eldest son of
Queen VictoriaVictoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India of the British Raj from 1 May 1876, until her death...
and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. His mother was the Princess of Wales (later
Queen AlexandraAlexandra of Denmark was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Empress of India from 1901 to 1910 as the consort of Edward VII....
), the eldest daughter of
King Christian IX of DenmarkChristian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906. He became known as the father-in-law of Europe, as his six children married into other royal houses; most current European monarchs are descended from him.-Early life:He was born in Gottorp, the fourth son of Friedrich...
. As a grandson of Queen Victoria in the male line, George was styled
His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales at birth.
He was baptised in the private chapel of
Windsor CastleWindsor Castle, in Windsor in the English country of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation...
on 7 July 1865, by the
Archbishop of CanterburyAlso see Leaders of ChristianityThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, the see that churches must be in communion with in order to be...
,
Charles Thomas LongleyCharles Thomas Longley , was a priest in the Church of England. He served as Bishop of Ripon, Bishop of Durham, Archbishop of York, and later as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1862 until his death.-Life:...
. As a younger son of the
Prince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland...
, there was no expectation that George would become King as his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor, was second in line to the throne after their father. Given that George was born only fifteen months after his brother, Prince Albert Victor, it was decided to educate both royal princes together. The Prince of Wales appointed
John Neale DaltonCanon John Neale Dalton KCVO CMG was a chaplain to Queen Victoria and tutor to King George V of the United Kingdom.Dalton was the son of Reverend John Neale Dalton and Elisa Maria Allies...
as their tutor, although neither Albert Victor nor George excelled intellectually. In September 1877, both brothers joined the training ship
HMS BritanniaHMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860....
at
DartmouthBritannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, with...
. Their father thought that the navy was "the very best possible training for any boy".
For three years from 1879 the royal brothers served as midshipmen on
HMS BacchanteHMS Bacchante was a Bacchante-class ironclad screw-propelled corvette of the Royal Navy. She is particularly famous for being the ship on which the Princes George and Albert served as midshipmen....
, accompanied by Dalton. They toured the colonies of the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
in the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts...
, South Africa and Australia, and visited
Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 234,403 as of the 2000 census, it is Virginia's second-largest incorporated city behind its eastern neighbor, Virginia Beach....
, as well as South America, the Mediterranean,
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
, and the
Far EastThe Far East is a term used in English mostly equivalent to East Asia and Southeast Asia, sometimes to the inclusion of South Asia for economic and cultural reasons."Far East" came into use in European geopolitical discourse in...
. In Japan, George had a local artist tattoo a blue and red dragon on his arm. Dalton wrote an account of their journey entitled
The Cruise of HMS Bacchante. Between Melbourne and Sydney, Dalton records a sighting of the Flying Dutchman, a mythical ghost ship. When they returned to Britain, the brothers were separated; Albert Victor attended
Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 160 Fellows ....
, while George continued in the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
. He travelled the world, visited many areas of the British Empire, and served actively until his last command in 1891. From then on his naval rank was largely honorary.
Marriage
As a young man destined to serve in the navy, Prince George served for many years under the command of his uncle,
Prince Alfred, Duke of EdinburghAlfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha reigning between 1893 and 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha...
, who was stationed in
MaltaMalta , officially the Republic of Malta , is a densely populated developed European country in the European Union. The Southern European island nation is an archipelago that includes the inhabited islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, along with a number of smaller, uninhabited islands...
. There, he grew close to and fell in love with his uncle's daughter, his first cousin,
Marie of EdinburghMarie of Edinburgh was Queen of Romania as spouse of King Ferdinand of Romania.-Early life:...
. His grandmother, father and uncle all approved the match, but the mothers, the Princess of Wales and
the Duchess of EdinburghGrand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia was a daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Empress Maria Alexandrovna...
, both opposed it. The Princess of Wales thought the family was too pro-German, and the Duchess of Edinburgh disliked England. When George proposed, Marie refused, guided by her mother. She later became
Queen of RomaniaKing of the Romanians rather than King of Romania was the official title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947 when Romania was proclaimed a republic....
.
In 1891, Albert Victor became engaged to his second cousin once removed,
Princess Victoria Mary of TeckMary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Empress of India as the consort of King-Emperor George V. By birth, she was a princess of Teck, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, with the style Serene Highness...
(known as "May" to her family, after her birth month), the only daughter of
Prince Francis, Duke of TeckFrancis, Duke of Teck , was a member of the British Royal Family, the father of Queen Mary. Francis held the titles of Count of Hohenstein and later Duke of Teck...
and
Princess Mary Adelaide of CambridgePrincess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George III. She later held the title of Duchess of Teck by marriage....
. However, Albert Victor died of
pneumoniaPneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the lung. Frequently, it is described as lung parenchyma/alveolar inflammation and abnormal alveolar filling with fluid ....
six weeks later, leaving George second in line to the throne and likely to succeed after his father. This effectively ended George's naval career, as he was now expected to assume a more political role.
Queen VictoriaVictoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India of the British Raj from 1 May 1876, until her death...
still favoured Princess May as a suitable candidate to marry a future king, so she persuaded George to propose to May. George duly proposed and May accepted. The marriage of George and May took place on 6 July 1893 at the
Chapel RoyalA Chapel Royal is a department of the Ecclesiastical Household of the monarch in right of either Canada or the United Kingdom, formally known as the royal Free Chapel of the Household...
,
St. James's PalaceSt. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it is considered the most senior royal palace in the UK and gives its name to the Royal Court St. James's Palace is...
in London. The marriage was a success and throughout their lives the couple exchanged notes of endearment and loving letters.
Duke of York
On 24 May 1892, Queen Victoria created George,
Duke of YorkThe title Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch...
,
Earl of InvernessThe title of Earl of Inverness was first created in 1718 in the Jacobite Peerage of Scotland by James Francis Edward Stuart for the Honourable John Hay of Cromlix, third son of the 7th Earl of Kinnoull, but became extinct upon the death of the grantee in 1740.It has been created several times in ...
and Baron Killarney. After George's marriage to May, she was styled
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York.
The Duke and Duchess of York lived mainly at York Cottage, a relatively small house in
SandringhamSandringham is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some south of the village of Dersingham, north of the town of King's Lynn and north-west of the city of Norwich....
,
NorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast, including The Wash. The county town is Norwich...
where their way of life mirrored that of a comfortable middle-class family rather than royalty. George preferred the simple, almost quiet, life in marked contrast to his parents. Even his official biographer despaired of George's time as Duke of York, writing: "He may be all right as a young midshipman and a wise old king, but when he was Duke of York ... he did nothing at all but kill [
i.e. shoot] animals and stick in stamps."
George was a well-known stamp collector, and played a large role in building the
Royal Philatelic CollectionThe Royal Philatelic Collection is the postage stamp collection of the British Royal Family. It is the most comprehensive collection of items related to the philately of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth, with many unique pieces.- History :...
into the most comprehensive collection of United Kingdom and Commonwealth stamps in the world, in some cases setting record purchase prices for items. His enthusiasm for stamps was denigrated by the
intelligentsiaThe intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
.
Randolph ChurchillMajor Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer Churchill, MBE was the son of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Preston from 1940 to 1945....
claimed that George was a strict father, to the extent that his children were terrified of him, and that George had remarked to
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of DerbyEdward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
: "My father was frightened of his mother, I was frightened of my father, and I am damned well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me." In reality there is no direct source for the quotation and it is likely that George's parenting style was little different from that adopted by most people at the time. George and May had five sons and a daughter.
Prince of Wales
As Duke and Duchess of York, George and May carried out a wide variety of public duties. On the death of
Queen VictoriaVictoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India of the British Raj from 1 May 1876, until her death...
on 22 January 1901, George's father, Albert Edward, ascended the throne as King Edward VII. George inherited the titles of
Duke of CornwallThe Dukedom of Cornwall was the first dukedom created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...
and
Duke of RothesayThe title Duke of Rothesay was the official title possessed by the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland. A separate Scottish throne has not existed de facto since 1603 when James VI of Scotland acceded to the throne of England when the House of Tudor died out, creating a personal...
, and for much of the rest of that year, George was styled
His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall and York. In 1901, George and May toured the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
. Their tour included
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Colony of Newfoundland and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
, where
Cornwall ParkCornwall Park may refer to:*Cornwall Church in Bellingham, Washington *Cornwall Park *One Tree Hill, New Zealand...
in
AucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with a population approaching 1.4 million residents, percent of the country's population. Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest...
was named in their honour by its donor,
John Logan CampbellSir John Logan Campbell was a prominent New Zealand public figure. He was the son of Doctor John Campbell and his wife Catherine. He was described by his contemporaries as "the father of Auckland".- Early life:...
, then Mayor of Auckland. In
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
the Duke opened the first session of the
Australian ParliamentThe Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
upon the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia.
On 9 November 1901, George was created
Prince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland...
and
Earl of ChesterThe Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England. Since 1301 the title has generally been given to heirs-apparent to the English throne, and from the late 14th century it has been given only in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales.- Traditional power base...
.
King Edward VIIEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910...
wished his son to have more preparation and experience prior to his future role. In contrast to Edward himself, whom
Queen VictoriaVictoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India of the British Raj from 1 May 1876, until her death...
had excluded from state affairs, George was given wide access to state documents and papers by his father. George in turn allowed his wife access to his papers, as he valued her counsel and May often helped write her husband's speeches.
In 1906, he toured British India, where he was disgusted by racial discrimination and campaigned for greater involvement of Indians in the government of the country.
King and Emperor
On 6 May 1910,
King Edward VIIEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910...
died, and the Prince of Wales ascended to the throne, becoming King George V. George had never liked his wife's habit of signing official documents and letters as "Victoria Mary" and insisted she drop one of those names. Neither thought she should be called Queen Victoria, and so she became Queen Mary. Their
coronationA coronation is a ceremony marking the investiture of a monarch or their consort with regal power, specifically involving the placement of a crown upon his or her head, and the presentation of other items of regalia...
took place at
Westminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster...
on 22 June 1911. The coronation was celebrated by the
Festival of EmpireThe Festival of Empire was held at The Crystal Palace in London in 1911, to celebrate the coronation of King George V. It opened on 12 May.-Exhibition:...
in London.
Later in 1911, the King and Queen travelled to India for the
Delhi DurbarThe Delhi Durbar, meaning, "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India to commemorate the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times in 1877, 1903, and 1911 at the height of the British Empire...
, where they were presented to an assembled audience of Indian dignitaries and princes as the
Emperor and Empress of IndiaEmperor/Empress of India was used as a title by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II, and revived by the colonial British monarchs during the British Raj in India....
. George wore the newly-created
Imperial Crown of IndiaThe Imperial Crown of India was the crown of the Sovereign as Emperor of India during the time of the British Raj. The crown is housed with, but is not part of, the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.-History:...
at the ceremony. Then the Emperor and Empress travelled throughout India, visiting their new subjects. George took the opportunity to indulge in hunting
tigerThe tiger is a member of the Felidae family; the largest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera. Native to much of eastern and southern Asia, the tiger is an apex predator and an obligate carnivore...
s, shooting 21. He was a keen marksman. On 18 December 1913, he shot over a thousand
pheasantPheasants is subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have longer tails. Males play no part in...
s in six hours at the home of
Lord BurnhamBaron Burnham, of Hall Barn in the Parish of Beaconsfield in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1903 for the influential newspaper magnate Sir Edward Levy-Lawson, 1st Baronet, owner of the Daily Telegraph...
, although even he had to acknowledge that "we went a little too far" that day.
World War I
From 1914 to 1918 Britain was at
warWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
with
GermanyThe German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871 to 1918, when it became a German republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of Wilhelm II .The term Second Reich...
. The German Kaiser
Wilhelm IIWilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia , ruling both the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918....
, who for the British public came to symbolise all the horrors of the war, was the King's first cousin. Queen Mary, although British like her mother, was the daughter of the
Duke of TeckDuke of Teck was a title of nobility, referring to Teck castle, Germany, which gave its name to a former branch line of the Zähringen dynasty.- The Dukes of Teck from 1187 to 1439 :...
, a descendant of the German
Royal House of WürttembergThis is a list of the rulers of the German state of Württemberg, originally a county and eventually a kingdom until the ruling dynasty was overthrown in 1918.-Counts of Württemberg to 1495:*Konrad I 1089–1122...
.
The King's paternal grandfather was Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; the King and his children bore the titles Prince and Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duke and Duchess of Saxony. The King had brothers-in-law and cousins who were British subjects but who bore German titles such as Duke and Duchess of Teck, Prince and Princess of Battenberg, Prince and Princess of Hesse and by Rhine, and Prince and Princess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. When
H. G. WellsHerbert George Wells was an English author, best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many genres, including contemporary novels, history, and social commentary....
wrote about Britain's "alien and uninspiring court", George famously replied: "I may be uninspiring, but I'll be damned if I'm alien."
On 17 July 1917, George V issued an
Order-in-CouncilAn Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, typically those in the Commonwealth of Nations. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the Queen by the Privy Council , but in other countries the terminology may vary.-Assent:Although the Orders are...
that changed the name of the British
Royal HouseA royal house or royal dynasty is a familial designation, or family name of sorts, used by royalty. It generally represents the members of a family in various senior and junior or cadet branches, who are loosely related but not necessarily of the same immediate kin...
from the German-sounding
House of Saxe-Coburg and GothaThe House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is German noble family, a line of the Saxon House of Wettin that ruled the two duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. It is also the royal house of several European monarchies, and branches currently reign in Belgium through the descendants of Leopold I, and in the...
to the
House of WindsorThe House of Windsor is the current Royal House of the United Kingdom and each of the other Commonwealth realms. It is a branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , which adopted the name Windsor by a royal proclamation of George V in 1917...
, to appease British nationalist feelings. He specifically adopted Windsor as the surname for all descendants of Queen Victoria then living in the United Kingdom, excluding women who married into other families and their descendants.
Finally, he and his various relatives who were British subjects relinquished the use of all German titles and styles, and adopted British-sounding surnames. George compensated several of his male relatives by creating them British peers. Thus, overnight his cousin,
Prince Louis of BattenbergThis article is about the first marquess of Milford Haven. For his son, see Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma.Admiral of the Fleet Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, GCB, GCVO, KCMG, PC , formerly Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg, was a minor German...
, became Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, while his brother-in-law, the
Duke of TeckAdolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, GCB, GCVO, CMG , born Prince Adolphus of Teck and later The Duke of Teck , was a member of the British Royal Family and a younger brother of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V...
, became Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge. Others, such as
Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-HolsteinPrincess Marie Louise was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.-Early life:...
and
Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-HolsteinPrincess Helena Victoria was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.-Early life:...
, simply stopped using their territorial designations. In Letters Patent gazetted on 11 December 1917, the King restricted the style "His (or Her) Royal Highness" and the titular dignity of "Prince (or Princess) of Great Britain and Ireland" to the children of the Sovereign, the children of the sons of the Sovereign and the eldest living son of the eldest living son of a Prince of Wales.
The Letters Patent also stated that "the titles of Royal Highness, Highness or Serene Highness, and the titular dignity of Prince and Princess shall cease except those titles already granted and remaining unrevoked." Relatives of the British Royal Family who fought on the German side, such as Prince Ernst August of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale (the senior male-line great grandson of George III) and
Prince Carl Eduard, Duke of Albany and the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the fourth and last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, two duchies in Germany , and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1900 until his death in 1954...
(a male-line grandson of Queen Victoria), were simply cut off; their British peerages were suspended by a 1919 Order-in-Council under the provisions of the
Titles Deprivation Act 1917The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom according to which enemies of the United Kingdom during the First World War could be deprived of their peerage and royal titles...
. George also removed their Garter flags from St George's Chapel at
Windsor CastleWindsor Castle, in Windsor in the English country of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation...
under pressure from his mother, Queen Alexandra.
When
Tsar Nicholas II of RussiaNicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Duke of Finland, and claimed the title of King of Poland...
, George's first cousin (their mothers were sisters), was overthrown in the
Russian Revolution of 1917The Russian Revolution is the collective term for the series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. In the first revolution of February 1917 the Czar was deposed and replaced by a Provisional government...
, the British Government offered asylum to the Tsar and his family, but worsening conditions for the British people, and fears that revolution might come to the British Isles, led George to think that the presence of the Romanovs might seem inappropriate under the circumstances. Despite the later claims of
Lord Mountbatten of BurmaAdmiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC was a British admiral and statesman and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
that
David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British statesman and the only Welsh Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; he is also the only one to have spoken English as a second language, Welsh having been his first.During a long tenure of office, mainly as Chancellor of the...
, the Prime Minister, was opposed to the rescue of the Romanovs, records of the King's private secretary,
Lord StamfordhamArthur John Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham GCB GCVO GCIE KCMG KCSI ISO PC was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria during the last few years of her reign and also to King George V during most of his reign...
, suggest that George V opposed the rescue against the advice of Lloyd George. Advanced planning for a rescue was undertaken by
MI1MI1 or British Military Intelligence, Section 1 was a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence, part of the War Office. It was set up during World War I...
, a branch of the British secret service, but because of the strengthening Bolshevik position and wider difficulties with the conduct of the war, the plan was never put into operation. The Tsar and his immediate family thus remained in Russia and were murdered by
BolshevikThe Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903...
revolutionaries in 1918. The following year, Nicholas's mother (George's aunt) Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark) and other members of the extended Russian imperial family were rescued from the Crimea by British ships.
Two months after the end of the war, the King's youngest son,
JohnThe Prince John was a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary. The Prince had epilepsy and consequently was largely hidden from the public eye....
, died aged 13 after a short lifetime of ill-health. George was informed of the death by the Queen who wrote, "[John] had been a great anxiety to us for many years…The first break in the family circle is hard to bear but people have been so kind & sympathetic & this has helped us much."
Later life
During and after World War I, many of the monarchies which had ruled most of Europe fell. In addition to Russia, the monarchies of Austria, Germany, Greece, and Spain also fell to revolution and war, although the Greek monarchy was restored again shortly before George's death. Most of these countries were ruled by relatives of George. In 1922, a
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
ship was sent to Greece to rescue his cousins,
Prince Andrew of Greece and DenmarkPrince Andrew of Greece and Denmark , of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was the seventh child and fourth son of King George I of Greece and Olga Constantinovna of Russia....
(a nephew of Queen Alexandra through her brother King
George I of GreeceGeorge I, King of the Hellenes was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected King by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former King Otto...
) and
Princess Alice of BattenbergPrincess Alice of Battenberg, later Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark , was the mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.Congenitally deaf, she grew up in Germany, England and the Mediterranean...
(a daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg, one of the German princes granted a British peerage in 1917). Their children included
Prince PhilipThe Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Philip was originally a royal prince of Greece and Denmark, and thus a member of the Danish-German House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, but renounced these titles shortly before his marriage and adopted the...
, who would later marry George's granddaughter,
Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
.
George also took an interest in the political turmoil in Ireland, expressing his horror at government-sanctioned killings and reprisals to Prime Minister
Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British statesman and the only Welsh Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; he is also the only one to have spoken English as a second language, Welsh having been his first.During a long tenure of office, mainly as Chancellor of the...
. During the
General Strike of 1926The 1926 General Strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted ten days, from 3 May 1926 to 13 May 1926. It was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress in an unsuccessful attempt to force the government to act to prevent wage reduction and worsening conditions...
the King took exception to suggestions that the strikers were 'revolutionaries' saying, "Try living on their wages before you judge them." He also advised the Government against taking inflammatory action.
In 1932, George agreed to deliver a Royal Christmas speech on the radio, an event which became annual thereafter. He was not in favour of the innovation originally but was persuaded by the argument that it was what his people wanted. He was concerned by the rise of the Nazi Party in
GermanyNazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany between 1933 and 1945, while it was led by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Worker's Party . The name Third Reich refers to the state as the successor to the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages and the German...
, and warned the British ambassador in Berlin to be suspicious of the fascists. By the
silver jubilee-Silver Jubilees in the British Empire and Commonwealth Realms:In the Commonwealth Realms a Silver Jubilee is held in the 25th year of a monarch's reign ....
of his reign in 1935, he had become a well-loved king, saying in response to the crowd's adulation, "I cannot understand it, after all I am only a very ordinary sort of fellow."
George's relationship with his heir,
Prince EdwardEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the British dominions, and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December 1936, after which he was immediately succeeded by his younger brother, George VI...
deteriorated in these later years. George was disappointed in Edward's failure to settle down in life and appalled by his many affairs with married women. He was reluctant to see Edward inherit the crown. In contrast, he was fond of his second eldest son,
Prince AlbertGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death...
(later George VI) and doted on his eldest granddaughter,
Princess ElizabethElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
; he nicknamed her "Lilibet", and she affectionately called him "Grandpa England". George said of his son Edward: "After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself within 12 months," and of Albert and Lilibet: "I pray to God my eldest son will never marry and have children, and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne."
Death
World War I took a toll on George's health, and his heavy smoking exacerbated recurring breathing problems. He long suffered from
emphysemaEmphysema is a lung disease, characterized by an abnormal, permanent enlargement of air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles. The disease is coupled with the destruction of walls, but without obvious fibrosis...
,
bronchitisAcute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
, chronic obstructive lung disease and
pleurisyPleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
. In 1928, he fell seriously ill, and for the next two years his son Edward took over many of his duties. The King retired for a brief period to the seaside resort of
Bognor RegisBognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and southeast of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east northeast and Selsey to...
in
SussexWest Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. A myth later grew that his last words, upon being told that he would soon be well enough to revisit the town, were "Bugger Bognor!"
George never fully recovered. In his final year, he was occasionally administered oxygen. On the evening of 15 January 1936, the King took to his bedroom at
Sandringham HouseSandringham House is a country house on of land near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England. The house is privately owned by the British Royal Family and is located on the royal Sandringham Estate, which lies within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-History and current...
complaining of a cold; he would never again leave the room alive. He became gradually weaker, drifting in and out of consciousness. By 20 January, he was already comatose and close to death. His physician,
Lord Dawson of PennBertrand Edward Dawson, 1st Viscount Dawson of Penn GCVO KCB KCMG PC FRCP was a doctor to the British Royal Family.-Early years:Dawson was born in Croydon...
, issued a bulletin with words that have become famous: "The King's life is drawing peacefully to a close." Dawson's diary reveals that the King's last words, a mumbled "God damn you!", were addressed to his nurse when she gave him a sedative on the night of 20 January. Dawson admits hastening the King's end by giving him a lethal injection of
cocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant...
and
morphineMorphine is a highly potent opiate analgesic psychoactive drug, is the principal active ingredient in Papaver somniferum , is considered to be the prototypical opioid. Like other opioids, e.g...
, both to prevent further strain on the family and so that the news of his death could be announced in the morning edition of
The TimesThe Times is a daily national newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register....
newspaper. He died at 11:55 p.m.
At the procession to George's
Lying in StateLying in state is a term used to describe the tradition in which a coffin is placed on view to allow the public at large to pay their respects to the deceased. It traditionally takes place in the principal government building of a country or city...
in Westminster Hall, as the cortège turned into New Palace Yard, part of the
Imperial State CrownThe Imperial State Crown is one of the British Crown Jewels.The Crown is of a design similar to St Edward's Crown: it includes a base of four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. Inside is a velvet cap with an ermine border...
fell from on top of the coffin and landed in the gutter. The new king,
Edward VIIIEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the British dominions, and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December 1936, after which he was immediately succeeded by his younger brother, George VI...
, saw it fall and wondered whether this was a bad omen for his new reign. He would abdicate before the year was out, leaving Albert, Duke of York, to ascend to the throne.
As a mark of respect to their father, George's four surviving sons,
EdwardEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the British dominions, and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December 1936, after which he was immediately succeeded by his younger brother, George VI...
,
AlbertGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death...
,
HenryThe Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester PC, KG, KT, KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, KStJ was a member of the British Royal Family, the third son of George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary, and thus uncle to Elizabeth II...
and
GeorgeThe Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck. He held the title of Duke of Kent from 1934 until his death in 1942....
, mounted the guard, known as the
Vigil of the PrincesThe Vigil of the Princes is the unofficial name given to two occasions when male members of the British Royal Family have stood guard during the lying in state of one of their relatives.-King George V:...
, at the
catafalqueA catafalque is a raised bier or platform, often movable, that is used to support the casket, coffin, or body of the deceased during a funeral or memorial service. Following a Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, a catafalque may be used to stand in place of the body at the Absolution of the dead.The term...
on the night of 28 January, the day before the funeral. He is buried at St George's Chapel,
Windsor CastleWindsor Castle, in Windsor in the English country of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation...
.
Tributes
The German composer
Paul HindemithPaul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, Germany, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
, who was in London preparing to perform the British premiere of his work
Der SchwanendreherPaul Hindemith's Der Schwanendreher is a concerto for viola and orchestra. Der Schwanendreher occupies a place at the core of the viola concerto repertoire, along with the concertos by Walton and Bartók. It was composed in 1935 and premiered by the composer himself at a performance in Amsterdam on...
, went to a BBC studio on the morning after the king's death and in six hours wrote
TrauermusikOn 19 January 1936, Paul Hindemith travelled to London, intending to play his viola concerto Der Schwanendreher, with Adrian Boult and the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Queen's Hall, on 22 January. This was to be the British premiere of the work....
(Mourning Music). It was performed that same evening in a live broadcast by the BBC, with
Adrian BoultSir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor.-Biography:Boult was born in Chester and educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. As a schoolboy, he attended Sir Henry Wood's Saturday afternoon and Sunday concert series, seeing Debussy and Arthur Nikisch conduct...
conducting the
BBC Symphony OrchestraThe BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
and the composer as soloist. The scheduled premiere was cancelled.
An equestrian statue of King George V was unveiled outside Brisbane City Hall in 1938 as a tribute to the King from the citizens of
BrisbaneBrisbane is the state capital of the Australian state of Queensland and is the largest city in that state. With an estimated population of approximately 2 million, it is also the third most populous city in Australia....
, Australia. The square in which the statue stands was originally called Albert Square, but was later renamed King George Square in honour of the King. In London, a statue by
William Reid DickSir William Reid Dick was a Scottish sculptor. Born in Glasgow, he became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1921, and a Royal Academician in 1928. Dick served as president of the Royal Society of British Sculptors from 1933 to 1938. He was knighted by King George V in 1935...
stands outside the east end of
Westminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster...
.
The
King George's FieldsA King George's Field is a public open space in the United Kingdom dedicated to the memory of King George V . Each such field is a Registered Charity in its own right....
in London were created as a memorial by a committee in 1936 chaired by the then Lord Mayor of the City of London. Today, they are each registered charities and are under the guidance of the
National Playing Fields AssociationThe National Playing Fields Association , also known from 2007 as Fields in Trust , was founded in 1925 and granted a Royal Charter in 1933...
. The
national stadiumA national stadium is a stadium, may serve to provide a strong national image to the world.
of
NewfoundlandThe Dominion of Newfoundland was a British dominion from 1907 to 1949. The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
in St. John's was named
King George V ParkKing George V Park is a soccer-specific stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland, located at the head of Quidi Vidi Lake in downtown St. John's. The stadium was built in 1925 as the National stadium of Newfoundland....
in 1925.
JerusalemKing George Street is a street in central Jerusalem and named for King George V. The street was opnened on December 9, 1924....
and
Tel AvivKing George Street is a street in Tel Aviv. The street extends from Masarik Square in the north to Magen David Square in the south, where it meets with Allenby Street, the Carmel Market, Nahalat Binyamin Street, and Simta Plonit...
both have major thoroughfares named for King George V. Both date back to the period of the British Mandate for Palestine. In
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, a large avenue from the top of the
Champs-ElyséesThe Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world, and with rents as high as USD1.5 million per 1,000 square feet of...
down to the
SeineThe Seine is a slow-flowing major river and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie in France and famous as a romantic backdrop in photographs of Paris, France. It is also a tourist attraction, with excursion boats offering sightseeing tours of the Rive Droite...
river and an
underground stationGeorge V is a station on line 1 of the Paris Métro, under the Champs-Élysées.The station was opened on 13 August 1900, almost a month after trains began running on the original section of line 1 between Porte de Vincennes and Porte Maillot on 19 July 1900. It was originally called Alma, after a...
were named for George V; as are Avenue Georges, Shawinigan,
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada; King George V Avenue,
Sale, VictoriaSale is a cathedral city in the Australian state of Victoria, in the Shire of Wellington. It has a population of around 13,336, the population having decreased in recent decades.-History:...
, Australia;
King George V Secondary SchoolSMK King George V, Seremban is a day school in Malaysia.The enrollment of students is controlled by the state Education Department of Negeri Sembilan. SMK King George V is classified as a premier school....
,
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
; and
King George V SchoolKing George V School , often shortened to "KGV" is a co-educational international secondary school of the English Schools Foundation, located in the Ho Man Tin area of Hong Kong...
and King George V Memorial Park in
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
.
The
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
Royal Navy battleship
HMS King George VThe first HMS King George V was a King George V-class of 1911 dreadnought, with a displacement of 23,400 tonnes and an armament of ten 13.5 inch guns in twin gun turrets and a secondary armament of sixteen 4 inch guns and had a crew complement of 870, though this increased...
and the
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Royal Navy battleship
HMS King George VThe second HMS King George V was the lead ship of the King George V class of battleships of 1939.-Construction:...
were named in his honour. George V gave both his name and donations to many charities, including King George's Fund for Sailors (later known as
Seafarers UKSeafarers UK is a large national charity in the United Kingdom working to unite the maritime charity sector to address the specific needs of all seafarers and their families, from those just embarking on a career at sea to those facing distress through unemployment or homelessness and loss of...
).
Titles and styles
- 3 June 1865 – 24 May 1892: His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales
- 24 May 1892 – 22 January 1901: His Royal Highness The Duke of York
- 22 January 1901 – 9 November 1901: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall and York
- 9 November 1901 – 6 May 1910: His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
- in Scotland: His Royal Highness The Duke of Rothesay
- 6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936: His Majesty The King
- and, occasionally, outside of the United Kingdom, and with regard to India: His Majesty The King-Emperor
His full style as king was "
His Majesty George V, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India", until 1927, when it was changed to "
His Majesty George V, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India"
Honours
- KG: Knight of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms; it is the pinnacle of the honours system in the United Kingdom...
, 4 August 1884
- KT: Knight of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, 5 July 1893
- KP: Knight of St Patrick
The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a British order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by George III. The regular creation of knights of Saint Patrick lasted until 1921, when most of Ireland became independent as the Irish Free State...
, 20 August 1897
- GCSI: Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, 28 September 1905
- GCMG: Knight Grand Cross of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent whilst he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III. It is named in honour of two military saints, St. Michael and St...
, 9 March 1901
- GCIE: Knight Grand Commander of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
, 28 September 1905
- GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order
is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognizing distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms,
any members of her family, or any of her...
, 30 June 1897
- ISO: Imperial Service Order
The Imperial Service Order was established by King Edward VII in August 1902. It was awarded to the administration and clerical staff of the Civil Service throughout the British Empire for long and meritorious service. Normally a person must have served for 25 years to become eligible, but this...
, 31 March 1903
- Royal Victorian Chain
The Royal Victorian Chain is an award, instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII as a personal award of the Monarch...
, 1902
- PC: Privy Counsellor, 18 July 1894
- Privy Counsellor (Ireland), 20 August 1897
- FRS: Royal Fellow of the Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, or even the Royal, is a learned society for science that was founded in 1660 and is considered by most to be the oldest such society still in existence...
, 8 June 1893
- Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is a ceremonial official in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century but may be older. The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports was originally in charge of the Cinque Ports, a group of five port towns on the south coast of England. Today the...
& Constable of Dover Castle, 1905–1907
- President of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, 1893–1895
- President of the Royal Agricultural Society of England,1897–1903
Military
- Cdt, September 1877: Cadet, HMS Britannia
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860....
- Mid, 8 January 1880: Midshipman, HMS Bacchante
HMS Bacchante was a Bacchante-class ironclad screw-propelled corvette of the Royal Navy. She is particularly famous for being the ship on which the Princes George and Albert served as midshipmen....
and the corvette Canada
- SLt, 3 June 1884: Sub-Lieutenant, Royal Navy
- Lt, 8 October 1885: Lieutenant, HMS Thunderer
HMS Thunderer was a British Royal Navy Devastation-class battleship.Thunder was an ironclad turret ship designed by Edward James Reed with revolving turrets, launched in 1872...
; HMS DreadnoughtThe fifth HMS Dreadnought of the British Royal Navy was a turret ironclad battleship built at Pembroke Dockyard, Wales.-Construction:Begun as Fury in 1870, the original design was recast and the renamed ship was laid down in 1872, launched in March 1875 and finally completed in 1879...
; HMS AlexandraHMS Alexandra was a broadside ironclad of the Victorian Royal Navy. She was the most successful battleship of her type, but, because of the development of turret-mounted naval artillery, was obsolete by the time of her completion.-Background:...
; HMS NorthumberlandHMS Northumberland was a long-hulled broadside ironclad warship of the Victorian era, and was the third and final ship of the Minotaur class to be commissioned....
- I/C Torpedo Boat 79; the gunboat HMS Thrush
HMS Thrush was a Redbreast-class composite gunboat, the third ship of the name to serve in the Royal Navy.-Design:The Redbreast-class were designed by Sir William Henry White, the Royal Navy Director of Naval Construction in 1888....
- Cdr, 24 August 1891: Commander, I/C the Melampus
- Capt, 2 January 1893: Captain
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
, Royal Navy
- RAdm, 1 January 1901: Rear-Admiral, Royal Navy
- VAdm, 26 June 1903: Vice-Admiral, Royal Navy
- Adm, 1907: Admiral
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet. Royal Navy officers holding the ranks of Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral and Admiral of the Fleet are sometimes considered generically to be Admirals....
, Royal Navy
- 1910: Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet is a rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10.The rank evolved from the ancient sailing days of the Royal Navy. The fleet was divided into three divisions and each designated a colour, that of Red, White, or Blue...
, Royal Navy
- MRAF, Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff, and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff, who were promoted to it on their last day of service. Promotions to the rank have ceased...
- 1918: Field Marshal, IJA
Arms
As Duke of York, George's arms were the royal arms, with an inescutcheon for Saxony, all differenced with a label argent of three points, the centre bearing an anchor azure. As Prince of Wales the centre label lost its anchor. As King, George V's arms were
those of the KingdomThe Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
. In 1917, he removed, by warrant, the Saxony inescutcheon from the arms of all descendants of the Prince Consort (although the royal arms themselves had never borne the shield).
In popular culture
On screen, George has been portrayed by:
- Henry Warwick in the silent film Why America Will Win (1918)
- William Gaffney in the silent film The Great Victory, Wilson or the Kaiser? The Fall of the Hohenzollerns (1919)
- Derek Erskine in the silent film The Scarlet Woman: An Ecclesiastical Melodrama (1925)
- Carleton Hobbs
Carleton Hobbs was an English actor with many film, radio and television appearances. He portrayed Sherlock Holmes in 80 radio adaptations between 1952 and 1969, and also starred in the radio adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Sword of Honour.Hobbs was born in Farnborough, Hampshire, into a military...
in A King's StoryA King's Story is a 1965 documentary film directed by Harry Booth. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature....
(1965), the story of Edward VIII
- Michael Osborne in the ATV
Associated TeleVision, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licenses to broadcast on the ITV network from September 24, 1955 until December 31, 1981.-Formation:...
drama series Edward the Seventh (1975)
- Marius Goring
Marius Goring CBE was an English stage and cinema actor. He is most often remembered for the four films he did with Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in A Matter of Life and Death and as Julian Craster in The Red Shoes...
in the Thames TelevisionThames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992. It was both a broadcaster and a producer of television programmes, making shows both for the local region it covered...
series Edward & Mrs. Simpson (1978)
- Keith Varnier in the LWT drama series Lillie
Lillie is a British television serial made by London Weekend Television for ITV and broadcast in 1978.This period serial starred Francesca Annis in the title role of Lillie Langtry...
(1978), telling the story of Lillie LangtryLillie Langtry , born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton, was a highly successful British actress born on the island of Jersey. A renowned beauty, she was nicknamed the "Jersey Lily" and had a number of prominent lovers, including the future King Edward VII.- From Jersey to London :Emilie was the only...
- Rene Aranda in The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu is a 1980 comedy film, notable as the final film to star Peter Sellers and David Tomlinson. The pre-production began with Richard Quine as the director. By the time production began Piers Haggard was the director, but directing was later taken over by Sellers...
(1980)
- Andrew Gilmour
Andrew Gilmour was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1917 to 1921.-Political career:...
in the Australian miniseries A Thousand Skies (1985), the story of Charles Kingsford SmithSir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC, AFC , often called Charles Kingsford Smith, or by his nickname Smithy, was a well-known early Australian aviator. In 1928, he made the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia...
, based on the novel by Tasmin Beattie
- David Ravenswood in Australian TV miniseries The Great Air Race (1990)
- John Warner in the RTE
-Organisations:* Raidió Teilifís Éireann , the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland* Réseau de transport d'électricité, the French Transmission System Operator -Computing:* Real Time Enterprise...
TV drama The TreatyThe Treaty is a 1991 Irish historical television film directed by Jonathan Lewis.The film is about the Anglo-Irish Treaty that Michael Collins bargained for with the British government in 1921....
(1991)
- David Troughton
David Troughton is an English actor, best known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage.- Biography :David Troughton was born in Hampstead, North London. He comes from a theatrical family: he is the son of Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton, elder brother of Michael Troughton, and father...
in the BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
drama All the King's MenAll the King's Men is a feature-length World War I drama by the BBC starring David Jason, first broadcast on Remembrance Sunday, 14 November 1999. The film is based on a book by the film's co-producer, Nigel McCrery...
(1999)
- Rupert Frazer in the TV miniseries Shackleton (2002), telling the story of Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton CVO OBE, was an Anglo-Irish explorer who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. His first experience of the polar regions was as third officer on Captain Scott’s Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, from which...
- Alan Bates
Sir Alan Arthur Bates CBE was a British actor of stage, screen and television.-Early life:Bates was born in Allestree, Derby, England on 17 February 1934, the eldest of three sons of Florence Mary , a homemaker and a pianist, and Harold Arthur Bates, an insurance broker and a cellist...
in the Carlton TelevisionCarlton Television was the ITV franchisee for London and parts of the surrounding counties from 9:25am every Monday to 5:15pm every Friday . The company is now managed with London Weekend Television as a single entity , but the two companies are still separately licensed...
drama Bertie and ElizabethBertie & Elizabeth is a 2002 television film produced by Carlton Television. The film explores the relationship between King George VI and his wife Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon from their very first meeting to the King's death in the winter of 1952...
(2002)
- Tom Hollander
Thomas Anthony "Tom" Hollander is an English actor who has appeared in productions such as Enigma, Gosford Park, Cambridge Spies, Pride and Prejudice and Pirates of the Caribbean.-Early life:...
in the BBC miniseries The Lost PrinceThe Lost Prince is an acclaimed British television drama, produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC and originally broadcast in two episodes on BBC One in January 2003...
(2003)
- Clifford Rose
Clifford Rose is a British classical actor .He was educated at the King's School, Worcester and King's College London, before appearing in repertory theatre and with the Royal Shakespeare Company....
in the TV drama Wallis & Edward (2005)
- Andrew Pritchard in the British TV drama documentary The First Black Britons (2005)
- Julian Wadham
Julian Wadham is a British actor of stage, film and television.-Career:He has appeared on television as both Charles II and George V...
in the TV drama My Boy Jack (2007), based on the play by David HaigDavid Haig is an Olivier Award-winning English actor and FIPA Award-winning writer. He is known for his versatility, having been successfully cast in dramatic, serio-comic and comedic roles, playing characters of varied social classes...
Ancestors
Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|
Edward, Prince of WalesEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the British dominions, and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December 1936, after which he was immediately succeeded by his younger brother, George VI...
Later Edward VIII |
23 June 1894 |
28 May 1972 |
later the Duke of Windsor; married Wallis Simpson; no issue |
Prince Albert, Duke of YorkGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death...
Later George VI |
14 December 1895 |
6 February 1952 |
married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-LyonElizabeth Bowes-Lyon was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 1936 until 1952 as the wife of King George VI. After her husband's death, she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
; had issue (including Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
) |
Mary, Princess RoyalThe Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
Later Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood |
25 April 1897 |
28 March 1965 |
married Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of HarewoodHenry George Charles Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood KG GCVO DSO TD , styled The Hon. Henry Lascelles before 1892 and Viscount Lascelles between 1892 and 1929, was the son of the 5th Earl of Harewood and Lady Florence Bridgeman.Lascelles was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards and commanded the...
; and had issue |
Prince Henry, Duke of GloucesterThe Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester PC, KG, KT, KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, KStJ was a member of the British Royal Family, the third son of George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary, and thus uncle to Elizabeth II...
|
31 March 1900 |
10 June 1974 |
married Lady Alice Montagu Douglas ScottPrincess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was the wife and then widow of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary...
; had issue |
Prince George, Duke of KentThe Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck. He held the title of Duke of Kent from 1934 until his death in 1942....
|
20 December 1902 |
25 August 1942 |
married Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark; had issue |
Prince JohnThe Prince John was a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary. The Prince had epilepsy and consequently was largely hidden from the public eye....
|
12 July 1905 |
18 January 1919 |
Died from seizures |
External links
|-
|-
|-