GEORGE V, King of Great Britain and Ireland, Emperor of India: b. Marlborough House, London, 3 June 1865. George Frederick Ernest Albert is the second son of the late King Edward VII and the Dowager Queen Alexandra, daughter of the late King Chris tian IX of Denmark. He married, as Duke of York, 6 July 1893, Her Serene Highness, Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, his second cousin once removed. Their Majesties have six children: (1) Prince Edward Albert, Prince of Wales, heir apparant to the crown, b. 23 June 1894; (2) Prince Albert Frederick, b. 14 Dec. 1895; (3) Princess Victoria Alex andra, b. 25 April 1897; (4) Prince Henry William, b. 31 March 1900; (5) Prince George Edward, b. 20 Dec. 1902; (6) Prince John Charles, b. 12 July 1905. The king has three sisters living: Princess Louise (Princess Royal), widow of the late Duke of Fife; Princess Maud, wife of Haakon VII, King of Norway, and the Princess Victoria, who is un married. The late Queen Victoria, grand mother of the king, was a descendant of the House of Hanover, the 6th sovereign in suc cession of that dynasty.. By her marriage in 1840 to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the House of Hanover came to an end and the dynasty became the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, with the family surname of Wettin. The European War of 1914 produced a strong revulsion of sentiment throughout the British Empiie against German names. Reflecting public sentiment, King George issued a proclamation on 17 July 1917, declaring that "We, having taken into consider ation the Name and Title of Our Royal House and Family, have determined that henceforth Our House and Family shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor," and to •relinquish and discontinue the use of all German Titles and Dignities?' The name was happily chosen, for Windsor has been as sociated longer than any other royal residence with the lives and fortunes of the kings and queens of England. Windsor Castle dates back to William the Conqueror (1066), the founder of the House of Normandy; for nearly 1,000 years it has been the home of British sovereigns.
As already mentioned, King George is the second son of King Edward. The eldest son, the Duke of Clarence, was 17 months older and, consequently heir presumptive to the throne, the father being then Prince of Wales and heir apparent. The two boys entered the navy
together as cadets in 1877 and spent two years on the Britannia. They were then transferred to the Bacchante and made a voyage round the world. Prince .George was promoted midship man in 1880, sub-lieutenant in 1884 and, after passing the necessary examinations, rose to lieutenant in 1885. After serving on various ships he received his first command, a torpedo boat, for the naval manceuvres in 1889. In 1890 he commissioned a first-class gunboat. and served a year on the North American station. Returning in 1891, he was promoted commander and took part in manceuvres in command of a cruiser. He was definitely committed to a sea faring career when the death of his brother in 1892 placed him in direct line of succession. For a tune he continued in the navy, became captain in 1893 and commanded H. M. S. Cres cent as late as 1898. By that time he was an Elder Brother and Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, a bencher of Lincoln's Inn, LL.D. of Cambridge and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He later became an admiral of the fleet, a field-marshal in the army and colonel of numerous regiments. Shortly after the death of Queen Victoria he made a tour of the British Empire and opened the first Parliament of the Commonwealth. of Australia. After the death of King Edward (6 May 1910) he was crowned in Westminster Abbey, 22 June 1911 and in the same year went to Delhi with the queen and was crowned emperor of India. No British monarch every came to the throne with a wider knowledge of the world in gen eral and of the empire in particular than George V; he was also the first king of Eng land since 1743 to join his troops in the field. During the European War he crossed over to France on several occasions; from one trip he was brought home on a stretcher, having been injured by his horse falling on him. Both he and the queen have devotedly applied them selves to the special calls of the hour, inspiring people and fighting men, and comforting the wounded. His connection with army and navy is close and personal, not limited by mere titular ties.