Intrigue, abdication, disastrous fate, the British royal family has lived through more or less happy events. The King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions, following his union with Queen Mary, becomes the father of six children , of which 2 will ascend the throne. I invite you through this article to discover the life of the children of George V .
Edward VIII
The first of George V's children and heir to the kingdom is Edward, the future Edward VIII. The eldest of the siblings was born on June 23, 1894 in London, in a residence called White House. From birth, he received the title of His Highness Prince Edward of York. Baptized Édouard Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David , the future king of the United Kingdom and the dominions was nicknamed David by his family and friends. His royal line gave him a strict upbringing. Her father, King George V, is known to be a stern but equally loving father. The eldest child of George V and Queen Mary develops real skills as a future monarch , but reveals a strong character.
His education, as well as that of his brother the future George VI, was entrusted to Frederick Finch and Henry Hansell. When he reached the age to enter school, the first of the children of George V entered the naval college of Osborne, in 1907. Not joking in this establishment which he considered too strict, he finally joined the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.
On the death of his grandfather, King Edward VII, his father George became George V on May 6, 1910, King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions, making Edward Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay. In July 1910, when he was barely 16 years old, Edward became Prince of Wales. The path to sovereignty is gradually becoming a reality for this young prince. He officially became Prince of Wales on July 13, 1911 at a ceremony given at Caernarfon Castle.
An event will strike the whole world:the outbreak of the First World War. While the first of George V's children was barely 20 years old, he wanted to join the army and take part in the conflict. While he joined the Grenadier Guards in June 1914, he was unfortunately not authorized to fight the enemy on the front, as heir to the English crown. He still works as best as he can in this conflict, and in 1916 obtains the military cross. In the years following the First World War, Edouard represented his father in the provinces of the United Kingdom and abroad . But the heir to the throne is sorely lacking in charisma, his representations have little impact on the population. On the contrary, the awkward attitudes of the Prince earned him many criticisms. Associated with his reputation as a don Juan, the son of George V was not appreciated by the king's political circle. The final blow is given when he begins a relationship with Wallis Simpson . This woman, divorced for the first time, is in the process of her second divorce. This serious relationship worries King George V, with whom fraternal ties are gradually breaking.
On January 20, 1936, George V died, making Edward the new king of the United Kingdom and the dominions. Once again, the first of the children of George V will shock the assembly by presenting himself at the proclamation of his accession to the throne in the company of Wallis Simpson. In the months that followed, the king's intentions were clear, he wanted to marry his lover . This is too much for the government, which does not accept this decision. Less than a year after his accession to the throne, Edward VIII, son of George V, preferred to abdicate in order to be able to live his romantic idyll without creating a constitutional crisis, leaving his brother George VI to ascend the throne.
George VI
Second of the children of George V, the future king of the United Kingdom and the dominions was born on December 14, 1895 in Sandringham, in the secondary residence of the royal family. The young prince was born in mourning, because the day of his birth also marks the day of the death of his great-grandfather, Prince Consort Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. To honor the deceased,the child is baptized Albert Frederick Arthur George . From birth, he received the title of His Highness Prince Albert of York. Young Albert is a child with particularly fragile health. His worries make him a little tough boy who is scared of everything. He spent his education alongside his elder brother, the future Edward VII. As the second of the children of George V likely to ascend the throne, he must acquire all the skills to reign on the United Kingdom and the dominions.
He will also closely follow in the footsteps of his older brother. After joining the Royal Naval College of Osborne in 1909, Albert entered the Royal Naval College of Dartmouth. After his education, the prince embarked on a maritime career. He then boarded several ships, including HMS Cumberland and HMS Collingwood. As World War I rages on, the second of George V's children becomes a turret officer on HMS Collingwood. He then joined the Royal Air Force as an officer and obtained his pilot's license.
After his military career, the Crown Prince decided to vary his knowledge and went to study history, civics and economics at Cambridge. This same year is essential for him because he is made Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney, and royal missions are entrusted to him. Like his brother, he represents his royal father at important events. On April 26, 1923, he married in Westminster Abbey Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon . From this union, two children will be born:Elizabeth, the current Queen of England, and Margaret of England.
After the death of his father George V, his brother Edward ascended the throne and became King Edward VIII. But his brother's attitude is not to everyone's liking. Before dying, his father George V even hoped that his second acceded to the throne quickly, for the good of the people. His wish will soon be granted, since barely a year after being proclaimed king, Edward VIII abdicates. Albert, second of the children of George V, becomes king of the United Kingdom and the dominions and takes the name of George VI. But King George VI's health problems have not gone away. The stress of his reign, combined with his addiction to tobacco, will increase his already existing worries. The Sovereign will declare lung cancer. His daughter Elizabeth will then gradually take her marks as an heiress, and replaces her father in many events. On February 6, 1952, when he was only 56 years old, George VI died in his sleep, making his daughter Elizabeth Queen of England at only 25 years old.
Mary, Princess Royal
The only daughter of the children of George V and Queen Mary, Mary was born on April 25, 1897 in Sandringham at York Cottage. She was baptized on June 7, 1897 in Sandringham in the Church of Saint Mary Magdalena under the name of Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary. She spent her childhood alongside her brothers, surrounded by nannies. Her education will not be as strict as that of Edward VIII and George VI. She develops real skills in languages mastering in addition to English, French and German.
When World War I broke out, Mary decided to lend her support in her own way. Along with her mother Queen Mary, she supports the families of soldiers and sets up the “Princess Mary’s Christmas Gift Fund” project. The objective of this foundation is to send Christmas gifts to soldiers who have gone to war. Young Mary shows real social qualities , and decides to start learning the nursing profession. The third of the children of George V integrates the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
When she was 25, Mary married Viscount Henry Lascelles in Westminster Abbey. A year after their wedding, their first son George was born. In 1924, Mary gave birth to their second son, Gerald.
On January 1, 1932, Mary received the title of Princess Royal granted by her father King George V . She put aside her prestigious title during the Second World War, and became commander of the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
While accompanied by her grandchildren, the Royal Princess Mary has a heart attack. She died at the age of 68,
Henry, Duke of Gloucester
Fourth of the children of George V, Henry Henry William Frederick Albert of the United Kingdom, Duke of Gloucester, was born on March 31, 1900 at York Cottage. Like his brothers and his sister, Henry was educated away from his parents , but does not lack attention.
Henry is moving towards a political career. From 1945 to 1947, Henry served as the 12th Governor General of Australia. After this stage of his life, he received the title of field marshal in 1955, and 3 years later that of marshal of the Royal Air Force.
Outside of his career, Henry, fourth of George V's children, married Alice Christabel Montagu-Douglas-Scott, daughter of the Duke of Buccleuch, Scotland's first landowner. His wife is known to hold the longevity score in the British royal family , because she died in 2004 when she was 102 years old. Henry meanwhile died at the age of 74 at his home in Northamptonshire.
George, Duke of Kent
The fifth child of George V, George Edward Alexander Edmund was born on December 20, 1902 at Sandringham House. At birth, young George received the title of His Royal Highness Prince George of Great Britain. First following in the footsteps of his older brother Henry, George attended St. Peter's Court Preparatory School in Broadstairs. But very quickly, he decided to pursue a maritime career , like his brothers who became King of the United Kingdom, Edward VIII and George VI. At only 13, he entered naval college in Osborne and Dartmouth, then joined the Royal Navy. After this experience, the fifth of George V's children became a civil servant working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then at the Ministry of the Interior.
He returned to military service during the Second World War, as Vice-Admiral of the Admiralty Intelligence Division, and joined the Royal Air Force in April 1940 .
In 1934, negotiations were launched for his marriage to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. For the occasion, he is named Duke of Kent. The following year, the wedding was celebrated in Westminster Abbey . From this union, 3 children will be born, including the current Duke of Kent.
The Duke of Kent, fifth of the children of George V, meets a disastrous fate. When his wife gave birth to their third child 7 weeks earlier, George takes a seaplane to go to Newfoundland. Due to bad weather, the seaplane crashed on a mountain in Scotland.
John from UK
The last and sixth of George V's children met a much more tragic fate than his brothers and sister. Born July 12, 1905 at York Cottage, the young prince was christened John Charles Francis at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in August 1905.
When he was only 4 years old, his family members realized that the youngest of the siblings was prone to epileptic seizures . His problems being recurrent, little John missed many important events of the royal family, such as the coronation of his father on June 22, 1911. Illness little known at that time, the young boy was even estranged from his family , and in particular his brothers and sister, for fear of possible contagion. He was only 12 years old then. An old stable located about 4km from the family home is transformed to accommodate the last of the children of George V. Little John is therefore surrounded by a nurse and governess who take care of him. His mother Queen Mary visits him every day.
A new epileptic fit occurred on January 18, 1919, which John would not survive.He died at only 13 . He is buried in Sandringham in the greatest privacy.
If you wish to discover other articles on the History of England and its sovereigns, I invite you to read Alfred the Great, the King of England who repelled the Danes or even The wives of Henry VIII, in the privacy of the King of England.