Facts About King George V
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King George V was born George Frederick Ernest Albert on June 3rd 1865 and was the King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 1910 until his death in 1936.
His father was the Prince of Wales – later King Edward V11 – the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
George served in the Royal Navy from the age of 12 but upon the unexpected death of his elder brother he became heir to the throne and married his brother’s fiancée, Mary of Teck.
The King was a well-known stamp collector and played a large role in building the Royal Philatelic Collection into one of the best in the world.
George and May had five sons and a daughter. Randolph Churchill claimed that he was a strict father to the extent that his children were terrified of him. It is alleged that George once remarked: 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.’
On May 6th 1910, King Edward V11 died and King George V ascended to the throne in a coronation at Westminster Abbey on June 22nd 1911.
It was during the First World War when Britain was at war with Germany that George issued an Order-in-Council that changed the name of the British Royal House from the German-sounding House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the House of Windsor to appease British nationalist feelings.
He specifically adopted Windsor as the surname for all decendants of Queen Victoria then living in the United Kingdom. The family relinquished the use of all German styles and titles. It was at this time that the King of Prussia pub in Brompton had its name changed to King George V after locals are said to have stoned the windows. During and after the war, many of the monarchies fell which had ruled most of Europe, and many of them had been ruled by relatives of George.
George took an interest in the politics of Ireland, expressing his horror at the government sanctioned killings and reprisals of Prime Minister Lloyd George. During the General Strike of 1926, the King took exception to suggestions that the strikers were revolutionaries. He said: ‘Try living on their wages before you judge them.’
In 1932, George agreed to deliver a Royal Christmas speech on the radio which has now become an annual event. He was not keen on the idea but was persuaded by the argument that it was what his people wanted.
He was concerned by the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany and warned the British ambassador in Berlin to be suspicious of the fascists.
The First World War took a heavy toll on George’s health and his heavy smoking made his breathing problems even worse. He suffered from emphysema, bronchitis, chronic obstructive lung disease and pleurisy.
In 1928 he fell seriously ill and his son Edward took over many of his duties for two years. On the evening of January 15th 1936, the King took to his bed at Sandringham House and never left his bedroom again.
A few days later his physician, Lord Dawson of Penn, issued a bulletin with the words which have become famous: ‘The King’s life is drawing peacefully to a close.’ He later admitted hastening the King’s end by giving him a lethal injection of cocaine and morphine to prevent further strain on his family and so that the news of his death could be announced in the morning edition of The Times. He died at 11.55pm on January 20th.
He is buried at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
