Here are some facts about King George V.
- King George V was the King of Britain from May 1910 until his death in 1936. He was born in London and was the grandson of Queen Victoria and the first cousin of Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II.
- George joined the Royal Navy at the age of 12 and visited the Caribbean, Australia and South Africa. In 1893 he married Princess Victoria Mary, nicknamed May, after the month she was born in.
- Soon after he married, it was claimed that he had already married another woman earlier. The journalist who started the rumour was sent to prison for a year.
- King George V loved stamp collecting, helping to make the Royal Philatelic collection one of the world’s best. He has been featured on many stamps issued by several countries.
- King George V enjoyed shooting and once shot 21 tigers on a trip to Nepal. Another time, he and some friends shot over 1,000 pheasants in just a few hours.
- George made over 300 visits to hospitals during World War I, visiting injured soldiers. He also visited soldiers in the field over 450 times and insisted that German prisoners be treated properly.
- During one of these visits, the King fell from his horse. He spent several months recovering in Bognor which became known as Bognor Regis, regis being Latin for king.
- During the Great Depression of 1929, George persuaded the 3 main political parties to join together to form a government. He also helped create the British Commonwealth of Nations.
- He died on January 20, 1936 from complications from smoking. Immediately after his death, the composer Paul Hindemith wrote memorial music which was played live that same evening.
- He has been portrayed in over 20 television shows and films. There are many streets, statues and squares named after him in the UK, France, Hong Kong and Israel, as well as 2 battleships.
