- 1910-1936: King of the United Kingdom
- Duke of York
George V of the United Kingdom, King of the United Kingdom, was born 3 June 1865 Marlborough House in Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom to Edward VII of the United Kingdom (1841-1910) and Alexandra of Denmark (1844-1925) and died 20 January 1936 Sandringham, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom of unspecified causes. He married Victoria Mary of Teck (1867-1953) 6 July 1893 St. James's Palace in Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom.
Biography
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. As well as being King of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth Realms, George was the Emperor of India and the first King of the Irish Free State. George reigned from 6 May 1910 through World War I (1914–1918) until his death.
George V was educated by private tutors and then attended the Royal Naval College at Osborne and Dartmouth. In 1885, he joined the Royal Navy and served in various posts until 1891, when he was forced to leave due to the death of his older brother, Prince Albert Victor.
In 1893, George V married Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (known as Queen Mary), and they had six children together: Edward, Albert (who later became King George VI), Mary, Henry, George, and John.
George V became king on May 6, 1910, after the death of his father, King Edward VII. He reigned for 26 years until his own death on January 20, 1936. During his reign, he faced several challenges, including World War I and the Great Depression. George V was known for his strong sense of duty and his support for the British Empire. He played an important role in strengthening the ties between the United Kingdom and the other members of the Commonwealth, and was a strong supporter of the armed forces.
One of the most significant events during George V's reign was the passage of the Irish Free State Constitution Act in 1922, which led to the creation of the Irish Free State. He also played an important role in the creation of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In 1925, George V became the first monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand. He also traveled to India and Canada during his reign.
George V's health declined in the late 1920s, and he suffered a series of strokes in the 1930s. He died on January 20, 1936, at Sandringham House, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne later that same year.
House of Windsor
The house name Windsor was adopted in 1917, during World War I. It was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha because of wartime anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom.
Early life and education
George was born on 3 June 1865, in Marlborough House, London. He was the second son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Alexandra, Princess of Wales. His father was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and his mother was the eldest daughter of King Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark. He was baptised at Windsor Castle on 7 July 1865 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Longley.[lower-alpha 1]
George as a young boy, 1870
As a younger son of the Prince of Wales, there was little expectation that George would become king. He was third in line to the throne, after his father, and elder brother, Prince Albert Victor. George was only 17 months younger than Albert Victor, and the two princes were educated together. John Neale Dalton was appointed as their tutor in 1871. Neither Albert Victor nor George excelled intellectually.[2] As their father thought that the navy was "the very best possible training for any boy",[3] in September 1877, when George was 12 years old, both brothers joined the cadet training ship HMS Britannia at Dartmouth, Devon.[4]
Marriage
Photograph, 1893
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 Edinburgh, who was stationed in Malta. There, he grew close to and fell in love with his cousin Princess Marie of Edinburgh. His grandmother, father and uncle all approved the match, but his own mother and Marie's mother opposed it. The Princess of Wales thought the family was too pro-German, and the Duchess of Edinburgh disliked England. The Duchess, the only daughter of Alexander II of Russia, resented the fact that, as the wife of a younger son of the British sovereign, she had to yield precedence to George's mother, the Princess of Wales, whose father had been a minor German prince before being called unexpectedly to the throne of Denmark. Guided by her mother, Marie refused George when he proposed to her. She married Ferdinand, the future king of Romania, in 1893.[5]
George and Mary on their wedding day
In November 1891, George's elder brother, Albert Victor, became engaged to his second cousin once removed Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, known as "May" within the family.[6] Her parents were Francis, Duke of Teck (a member of a morganatic, cadet branch of the House of Württemberg), and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, a male-line granddaughter of George III and a first cousin of Queen Victoria.[7]
On 14 January 1892, six weeks after the formal engagement, Albert Victor died of pneumonia during an influenza pandemic, leaving George second in line to the throne, and likely to succeed after his father. George had only just recovered from a serious illness himself, having been confined to bed for six weeks with typhoid fever, the disease that was thought to have killed his grandfather Prince Albert.[8] Queen Victoria still regarded Princess May as a suitable match for her grandson, and George and May grew close during their shared period of mourning.[9]
A year after Albert Victor's death, George proposed to May and was accepted. They married on 6 July 1893 at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace, London. Throughout their lives, they remained devoted to each other. George was, on his own admission, unable to express his feelings easily in speech, but they often exchanged loving letters and notes of endearment.[10]
Issue
- Edward VIII of the United Kingdom (1894-1972) - Successor as King of Great Britain, but abdicated the same year in to order to marry the American socialite, Bessie Wallis Warfield (1896-1986). No issue
- George VI of the United Kingdom (1895-1952) - Next successor as King of Great Britain, succeeded by his daughter, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926-2022).
- Mary Alexandra Victoria, Princess Royal (1897-1965) - married Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1882-1947),
- Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900-1974) - married Alice Montagu Douglas Scott
- George, Duke of Kent (1902-1942) - married to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
- John of the United Kingdom (1905-1919) - died young.
Children
Siblings
See Also
Bibliography
- Clay, Catrine (2006), King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led the World to War, London: John Murray, ISBN 978-0-7195-6537-3
- Gore, John (1941), King George V: a personal memoir, https://archive.org/details/kinggeorgevperso0000gore
- Matthew, H. C. G. (September 2004; online edition May 2009), "George V (1865–1936)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/33369, retrieved 1 May 2010 (Subscription required)
- Mowat, Charles Loch (1955), Britain Between The Wars 1918–1940, London: Methuen, https://archive.org/details/britainbetweenwa00mowa
- Nicolson, Sir Harold (1952), King George the Fifth: His Life and Reign, London: Constable and Co
- Owens, Edward (2019), "2: 'A man we understand': King George V's radio broadcasts", The Family Firm: monarchy, mass media and the British public, 1932–53, pp. 91–132, ISBN 9781909646940
- Pope-Hennessy, James (1959), Queen Mary, London: George Allen and Unwin, Ltd
- Rose, Kenneth (1983), King George V, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, ISBN 978-0-297-78245-2
- Sinclair, David (1988), Two Georges: The Making of the Modern Monarchy, London: Hodder and Stoughton, ISBN 978-0-340-33240-5
- Vickers, Hugo (2018), The Quest for Queen Mary, London: Zuleika
- Windsor, HRH The Duke of (1951), A King's Story, London: Cassell and Co
External Links
- wikipedia:en:George V
- George V at thePeerage
- George V, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/George-V-King-of-the-United-Kingdom/6000000000701511040, retrieved 01 May 2023
- George V at Find A Grave
- George V at the official website of the British monarchy
- George V at the official website of the Royal Collection Trust
- George V at BBC History
Ancestry Trees
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- Rurik Family Ancestry
- Rollo Family Ancestry
- Alfred the Great Family Ancestry
- House of Hanover
- Plantagenet Family Line
- Capetian dynasty
Original Citations
Birth of George V: The Times of London
The Times of London about the birth of King George V:
"The birth of a son to the Duke and Duchess of York has been received with the greatest joy and satisfaction throughout the nation. This event is of more than ordinary interest, not only because it brings a new heir to the throne, but also because it marks the beginning of a new generation in the royal family. The Duke and Duchess of York have won the hearts of the people by their exemplary conduct and their sincere devotion to duty, and their son will be welcomed with the warmest affection and the highest hopes for his future. The birth of a Prince is a cause for rejoicing not only in this country, but also in every part of the Empire, and in all the countries of the world where the English language is spoken. It is a reminder of the strength and continuity of the monarchy, and of the close ties which bind together the nations of the Commonwealth. The Times offers its hearty congratulations to Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York on the birth of their son, and expresses the hope that he may live to be a worthy successor to the throne, and a source of happiness and inspiration to his people." (The Times, June 4, 1865)
Coronation: Times of London
The Times of London about the coronation of King George V:
"The Coronation of King George V has been an event of supreme importance not only to this country, but to the Empire and the world. It has shown that monarchy is still a vital force in the life of the nation, and that the people are still capable of responding to the appeal of pomp and ceremony. It has demonstrated once again the power of tradition and the continuity of history. The Coronation has been a triumph of organization and of popular enthusiasm. The whole of London has been transformed into a city of pageantry and splendour. The streets have been lined with flags and banners, the buildings have been decorated with garlands and flowers, and the people have come in their millions to witness the spectacle. The Abbey itself has been a blaze of colour and light, and the ceremony has been one of the most impressive and moving ever witnessed. The King, surrounded by his Court and by representatives of the Empire and the world, has taken the solemn oath to uphold the laws and liberties of his people, and to rule with justice and mercy. He has been crowned with the ancient crown of St. Edward, and has received the homage of his subjects. The Coronation of King George V has marked the beginning of a new era in the history of the nation, and has given fresh inspiration to the ideals of patriotism, loyalty, and service." (The Times, June 23, 1911)
Royal Succession Charts
George V of the United Kingdom (1865-1936) Cadet branch of the House of Wettin Born: 3 June 1865 Died: 20 January 1936
| ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward VII |
King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions Emperor of India 6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936 |
Succeeded by Edward VIII |
British royalty
| ||
| Preceded by Albert Edward |
Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall Duke of Rothesay 1901–1910 |
Succeeded by Edward (VIII) |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Duke of Cambridge |
Grand Master of the Order of St Michael and St George 1904–1910 |
Vacant Title next held by The Prince of Wales
|
| Preceded by The Lord Curzon of Kedleston |
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1905–1907 |
Succeeded by The Earl Brassey |
References
Footnotes (including sources)
Thurstan, Phlox, Rtol, MainTour, Pmalish
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