George V of the United Kingdom

George V
King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (more...)
Reign	30 January, 1913 - 5 January, 1923
Coronation	5 March, 1913
Predecessor	William V
Successor	Edward VII
Emperor of India
Reign	30 January, 1913 - 5 January, 1923
Imperial Durbar	8 August, 1913
Predecessor	William V
Successor	Edward VII
King of Hanover
Reign	30 January, 1913 - 5 January, 1923
Coronation	5 March, 1913
Predecessor	William V
Successor	Edward VII
Governor-General of Canada
In office	23 October, 1883 - 5 March, 1900
Monarch	William V
Preceded by	The Marquess of Lorne
Succeeded by	The Earl Grey
Prime Minister	John A. Macdonald John Abbot John Thompson Mackenzie Bowell Charles Tupper Wilfrid Laurier (Canadian) William Ewart Gladstone The Marquess of Salisbury The Earl of Rosebery (British)
Born	George Arthur Leopold Frederick (1862-01-03)3 January 1862 Buckingham Palace, London
Died	5 January 1923(1923-01-05) (aged 61) Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Canada
Burial	20 January 1923 George and Sophia Memorial, Ottawa, Canada
Spouse	Princess Viktoria of Prussia (1881 - 1886, engaged) Sophia of Prussia (m. 1887)
Issue Detail	Edward VII Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Östergötland Frederick, Duke of Clarence and Avondale Henrietta, Hereditary Princess of Denmark
Full name George Arthur Leopold Frederick
House	Hanover
Father	William V
Mother	Charlotte of Belgium
Religion	Protestant
Military service
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1882-1883 (active service)
Rank	Brigadier
Unit	The King's Abyssinian Regiment
Battles/wars	Mahdist War

George V (George Arthur Leopold Frederick; 3 January, 1862 - 5 January, 1923) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of Hanover and Emperor of India from 1913 until 1923. He was also Governor-General of Canada from 1883 until 1900, being the first and only British prince to do so, to which he was highly regarded by Canadians for his state-building efforts and his exceptionally liberal approach towards issues surrounding the country. The King George National Hockey Championships, an annual hockey tournament, alongside several educational institutions, parks, roads and a memorial all bore his name. In 1891, as Governor-General of Canada, George helped lay the foundation of the Canadian Red Cross, to which he was then chosen as its first secretary general where he notably oversaw its operations during the Second Boer War.

Known primarily for his feats during his almost half a century long tenure as Prince of Wales, his reign however which was among the shortest in British history was marked by little active involvement as monarch in contrast to his predecessor, aside from the First World War and the first few years of the Roaring Twenties until his death in 1923. Following his death, George was first briefly given the "Builder King" epithet for his part in developing Canada but this was promptly changed to an alternate one, renamed "Grand Prince of Canada" instead as to avoid associating him with the notorious King Leopold II of Belgium whom George himself personally resented for the latter's brutality in his administration of the Congo Free State.

Early Life

George was born on the 3rd of January 1862 as the second child of William V and Queen Charlotte. His birth, which succeeded that of his stillborn brother of the same name proved to be a great miracle and joy, in particular to his mother whom had been devastated by the loss of her previous son the year before. Almost immediately, he was made Prince of Wales as the first in line of succession to the throne and was honorably given the surnames "Leopold Frederick" in honour of his maternal grandfather Leopold I of Belgium, whom he greatly came to mirror in terms of appearance and the Prussian prince Frederick, later Kaiser Frederick III, whom had been a good and close friend of his father due to their shared views.

Despite initial suggestions concerning his preferred upbringing, a young George was fully left under the control of his loving, and liberal minded mother while his father William maintained nominal influence, going so far as to only educating the future king on war and the military. Eventually, though he was able to meet the expected standards of a "soldier king" as dreamed by his father, George however took more of a liking into liberal arts which resulted in promising success, mostly at the joy of his enthusiastic mother. At the same time, he also drew partial inspiration from his like minded aunt Alice, whose determined attitude in the cause of female empowerment proved revolutionary during the times of increasing liberalism in Britain.

As a result of his father's well established relations with the foreign royal houses of Europe, the young George became the private, albeit periodical tutee of the empresses of Austria and Russia, both of whom he was said to had took a particular filial liking for. Evidently, George himself was said to had often spend his personal times more with either empresses than with his own mother whenever either women were in attendance, and he was also said to had consistently wrote letters to both Elisabeth and Maria when they were away.

Prince of Wales

Upon reaching the age of majority, George was voluntarily sent to Germany to underwent military training, while being under the care of the then Crown Prince Frederick. During his stay in Germany, George did much to familiarise himself with the prevalent mitilaristic culture in the country, and was said to had been considerably close with the German princely family, due to his own relation to Frederick's wife Victoria whom was George's second cousin through a shared great-grandfather, King George III.

Following his return, as a consequence of his promising military education, coupled with a gradual decline in his father's involvement in military battles led to possible rumours of a continuation of the old king William's glorious military career through his successor. However, paradoxically, the young George detested military appointments. Despite this, under pressure from his military circles, the prince took a one-time command of the British forces in the Mahdist War in Sudan alongside esteemed commanders such as Garnet Wolseley. As one of the few commanders that encountered the Nubian religious leader Muhammad Ahmad whose military prowess triumphed over well armed Ottoman and European forces, the prince fought for an exact amount of three times against the latter, winning two out of the three engagements before an orderly retreat, and a hasty leave back to Britain. In all, he was made a Brigadier in the British Army and at war's end was offered the position of Governor-General of Sudan, which upon his refusal was instead granted to the 1st Earl Kitchener.

Anglo-German Rivalry

Despite being the brother-in-law of Wilhelm II, the new German Emperor, both men found themselves at odds over their contrasting policies and views. Ironically, while George inhibited some sense of Germanophile, the Kaiser however possessed a strong sense of Anglophobia, which was made evident in his rivalry against George's father William. Despite this, alongside his aunt Alice, the prince sought extensively to regulate relations between the two nations. As George's character, similar to those of his younger brother Alexander grew more in an opposing nature to their father's military conducts, George regularly sought refuge in neutral countries such as the Netherlands, the Scandinavian kingdoms and his mother's home country of Belgium where for a period of several months, he privately accommodated his sickly mother, resulting in an unyielding familial bond between the two.

Despite the growing hostility between the two empires, George himself remained partially sympathetic to the German Empire, with the former having allegedly travelled incognito to the country on several occasions as to personally inspect German army facilities, and at times engaging in conversations with several high-ranking officers of the Imperial German Army, with the German Chief of the General Staff Moltke the Elder in particular later writing of him as a "calm, sensible and courteous young prince and general".

Governor-General of Canada

Despite his reluctance, the Prince of Wales was offered once more an administrative position which came about in the light of retirement of the 9th Duke of Argyll from his office of Governor-General of Canada. Once more, George proved reluctant for an overseas commitment but with the considerably calm and peaceful landscape of Canada, added with the persuasion of his own mother Charlotte to relocate to the country, George finally accepted the offer and departed for Canada alongside his wife. In his twenty seven years long tenure as Governor-General, George sought and successfully introduced immense "liberalisation" of Canadian politics, economy and infrastructure which coincided with the declining influence of the Francophones in the British dominion. In addition, despite initial skepticism, the royal couple was well-received and welcomed for their outspoken generosity and liberal lifestyle, with Princess Sophia in particular being extremely fond of the game of hockey.

Despite the short term crisis of the North-West Rebellion, the royal couple's popularity remained consistently, and unprecendentedly high, made evident by a suggestion in 1900 when the Prince of Wales was recommended by a few Canadian officials to become the sovereign of an independent Canada following their opposition to the Second Boer War, though this brought him into opposition against the Prime Minister, Wilfrid Laurier whom was able to appease both anti-war and pro-war parties in the conflict. Having been told of the effectiveness of railways during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, George greatly pioneered the construction of railways throughout Canada and also spearheaded the establishment of several public and private institutions, with the Prince George and Princess Sophia universities respectively named in their honour. He also led the foundation of the very first national-level scholarships for eligible Canadian students. In 1884, he was granted a private audience with the Pope in Rome, Leo XIII, becoming the first British monarch to ever visit the Catholic holy city since England's breakaway in 1534 under King Henry VIII. He later wrote greatly of the Pope in his writings, having commended the Christian spiritual leader for "his acute sense of modernity and his ability to grasp onto the changing times". On the same year, with the permission of the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II, he visited Jerusalem.

Marriage

In line with his father's wishes, George's potential spouse was to be from the Hohenzollerns of Germany in order to strengthen the friendship between his father and Crown Prince Frederick of the German Empire. However, Charlotte had instead suggested a possible union between her son and with that of her niece Stéphanie in order to further Anglo-Belgian relations, but this was promptly rejected. Undeterred, the queen consort subsequently proposed a union with the 16 year old daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse, which received initial traction due to the renowned beauty of the young princess, but prospects of it were ultimately ended, due to William's adamant goal in maintaining relations with the new German Empire. A suggestion for the prince to marry one of his's English relatives was also proposed, namely by Gladstone, the newly appointed Prime Minister. Regardless, the king went ahead with his plans, informing Crown Prince Frederick of his plans in which he wrote, "Georgie would much prefer either one of your lovely daughters for the sake of our lasting friendship".

Upon his arrival in Germany in 1880, George was quick to familiarise himself with the foreign German court. As the second cousin of Crown Princess Victoria, the young George was quick to bond with the latter and her family, consisting that of Crown Prince Frederick whom George greatly admired as a father-like figure and their six surviving children. In line with his designated purpose, George became rather quickly acquainted with Frederick's daughters and was initially recommended with the eldest of them all, Charlotte whose illness however nullified any prospects of a marriage. Undeterred, George began expressing a degree of consideration in marrying the second eldest daughter of the German Crown Prince, Princess Viktoria but this soon changed upon his acquaintance with Sophia, the third eldest of the group. Though Sophia was evidently much younger compared to her peers, she was spared from the problems faced by her elder sisters that had rendered them unsuitable for George. With the encouragement of both of their parents, George and Sophia were quick to familiarise themselves. However, as Sophia herself was reasonably too young for marriage, George was encouraged to reluctantly wait for seven more years when the princess was to reach the adult age.

Upon his return, George found solace in a brief, three months long relationship with British socialite Lillie Langtry, whom the prince reputedly visited on several occasions. However, the affair was cut short by the intervention of the King who subsequently paid Langtry a sum of £3,500 to buy her silence, following allegations of a pregnancy, which the latter herself then denied of George being the actual father. Following the debacle, George was promptly commissioned to Sudan where he remarkably excelled in his encounters against the Sudanese religious leader, Muhammad Ahmad. Soon after, he was summoned to Berlin where he was hastily betrothed to Princess Viktoria, the decision which was made in order to "occupy" George from any potential scandals in his wait for Sophia to reach adulthood. While this was not fully accepted by George due to the suddenness of the decision, it was rather welcomed by Viktoria who had then unsuccessfully attempted to marry the Bulgarian prince Alexander. Rather unexpectedly, the decision began to gradually deviate from its original intent when the two began to closely bond with each other, prompting suggestions for their betrothal to be converted to an official marriage instead, with either one of George's brothers replacing him as Sophia's suitor. Regardless, their betrothal was formally disbanded, albeit reluctantly in the months prior to the younger princess's 17th birthday, and as a conciliatory compromise, Viktoria was to marry George's youngest brother of the same name. The two sisters would later marry their respective suitors on the same day at St James's Palace, in what was known as the first royal double wedding event, popularly coined as "The Two George's Prussian Weddings".

Soon after, with no options left in sight, George began to emphasise his efforts in bonding with the younger German princess, which was remarkably successful after only two months. Due to the occasional leaves of Sophia's parents, she was at times left under the care of her British relatives, further tightening their pre-existing bond. On one occasion, the young prince successfully sought permission from Sophia's mother to bring the young princess to Canada, which he privately disclosed as being the venue for him to then ask for Sophia's hand in marriage. However, rather unexpectedly, the proposal occured prematurely aboard their en route ship to Canada, with Sophia instead asking the prince's hand in marriage. The couple then hastily returned to German Empire for a brief audience with the German royal family before finally arriving in Britain.

For a subsequent period of two months, despite initial reluctance by the Crown Princess of Germany in being apart from her beloved daughter, Sophia resided with her British cousins in Buckingham Palace. As a result of her mother's Anglo-centric upbringing, the princess quickly left a positive impression of observers, with the then King William having remarked positively on his future daughter-in-law in a letter written to Sophie's parents back home, "The young Sophie's presence here has been quite a remarkable blessing for us all, and if possible, I would wish for her to stay here for much longer". In August 1887, the couple were officially married at the Royal Chapel in St James's Palace. Encouraged by his father, the couple spent their two months long honeymoon first in Egypt, where they resided for three weeks before finally journeying to Canada. According to George himself, the young Sophie became extremely fond of the Canadian scenery which prompted the couple to designate the country as their unofficial "residence" during their subsequent and later years.

Throughout their marriage, despite their contrasting Germanophile and Anglophile preferences, the two came quick to bond over the hostility shown by Sophia's brother Wilhelm whom unlike the two greatly detested Britain and almost anything English. Coupled with the relatively "hostile" environment in England, stemming from a tense disagreement between George and his father over the latter's military conducts, the couple chose first to reside at the Edinburgh Palace before subsequently relocating further west to the Rideau Hall in Canada where they became well-known and loved for their outspoken liberal lifestyle. George and Sophia's were in much similar terms to that of his own parents, loving and compassionate. In particular, during his lengthy years as heir apparent to his father, the couple actively indulged themselves in philanthropic activities and were notably credited for the rapid modernisation of Canada's infrastructure, ranging from railways to public universities, with one such institution that is based in the capital city of Ottawa named after the princely couple.

Titles & Honours

• 3 January 1862 - 30 January 1913 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
• 30 January 1913 - 5 January 1923 His Majesty The King

Ancestry

Ancestors of George V of the United Kingdom

8. George III of the United Kingdom 4. William IV of the United Kingdom 9. Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 2. William V of the United Kingdom 10. George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen 5. Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen 11. Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg 1. George V of the United Kingdom 12. Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld 6. Leopold I of Belgium 13. Countess Augusta Reuss-Ebersdorf 3. Charlotte of Belgium 14. Louis Philippe I of France 7. Louise of Orléans 15. Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily