George V King of Great Britain 1910-36 Date of Birth: 03.06.1865 Country: Great Britain

Biography of George V

George V was the King of the United Kingdom from 1910 to 1936. He was born on June 3, 1865, at Marlborough House in London. He was the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, who would later become King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. George V was baptized with the name George Frederick Ernest Albert. His mother was the sister of Maria Feodorovna, the wife of Russian Tsar Alexander III and mother of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II. George V bore a striking resemblance to his cousin Nicholas II. German Emperor Wilhelm II was also George V's cousin. Despite not expecting to ascend to the throne, George V received a naval education and served in the fleet. In 1892, the premature death of his elder brother, the Duke of Clarence, made him second in line to the throne. In May 1892, Queen Victoria bestowed upon her grandson the title of Duke of York. In July 1893, he married Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, who had previously been engaged to his older brother. After his grandmother's death in January 1901, George inherited the Duchy of Cornwall in England and Rothesay in Scotland, and on November 9, 1901, he became the Prince of Wales following the coronation of his father, Edward VII. Upon Edward's death on May 6, 1910, George was proclaimed the new king and was crowned on June 22, 1911, at Westminster Abbey. As king, George V faced two challenging political situations in England. The House of Lords rejected the budget proposed by the House of Commons, and in response, the House of Commons introduced a bill that significantly limited the power of the House of Lords. At the request of Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, the king was forced to support the passage of the Parliament Bill. The second situation arose from the proposal to introduce Home Rule in Ireland. In 1914, facing the threat of rebellion, the king convened representatives from all parties, but a decision on the matter was never reached, and the Anglo-Irish Treaty was only signed in 1921.
During World War I, George V renounced all his personal and family German titles and changed the name of the royal house from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor. From 1923 to 1929, frequent changes in cabinets occurred due to the economic crisis in Britain. In 1924, with no clear majority among the three competing parties, the king replaced Conservative Prime Minister Baldwin with Labour leader MacDonald. During the 1926 miner's strike and general strike, the king made every effort to reconcile the opposing sides. During the economic crisis of 1931, he expedited the prolonged negotiations among party leaders and proposed MacDonald as the head of a coalition government. Under his reign, the Statute of Westminster in 1931 was passed, establishing the legal position of dominions and their relationship with Britain, creating the British Commonwealth, with George also becoming the king of all the dominions.
George V passed away on January 20, 1936, in Sandringham. In the image below, George V is pictured with Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and King Albert I of Belgium in 1914, showcasing the striking resemblance between George and Nicholas.

George V held numerous military titles and honors throughout his life. He was a British Field Marshal and Admiral of the Fleet, a Prussian Field Marshal, an Honorary Danish Admiral, a Russian Admiral, a German Admiral, a Swedish Admiral, an Honorary Siamese General, and a Marshal of Japan. George V was married to Queen Mary, formerly Victoria Mary of Teck. They had six children together:

- Edward VIII (June 23, 1894 - May 28, 1972), Duke of Windsor, who abdicated the throne due to a morganatic marriage with Wallis Simpson.
- George VI (December 14, 1895 - February 6, 1952), King of the United Kingdom from 1936 to 1952. In 1923, he married Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
- Princess Mary (April 25, 1897 - May 28, 1965), became the Princess Royal and married Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood.
- Prince Henry (March 31, 1900 - June 10, 1974), Duke of Gloucester. He was married to Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott.
- Prince George (December 20, 1902 - August 25, 1942), Duke of Kent. He was married to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.
- Prince John (July 12, 1905 - January 18, 1919), who died from epilepsy.