King George V

George Frederick Ernest Albert was born on the 3rd June 1865, the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Albert Edward and Alexandra, and a grandson of Queen Victoria. As the second son, George did not expect to become King, but the future held more in store for him than he thought. In November 1891, George’s elder brother Albert Victor became engaged to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck. Sadly, six weeks later Albert Victor died of pneumonia, leaving George second in line to the throne after his father, the Prince of Wales

A year after Albert Victor’s untimely death, George proposed to Princess Victoria May of Teck. His proposal was accepted, and the couple were married on 6th July 1893. He became King George V on the death of his father King Edward VII, on the 6th May 1910.

The Great War took its toll on George’s health, and thereafter it steadily deteriorated, no doubt exacerbated by his heavy smoking. On 20th January 1936 his doctors issued a Bulletin which included the haunting words
‘The King’s life is moving peacefully towards its close’.

The King died at 11:55 pm that night, in time to be announced in ‘The Times’ the next day.

King George V was known affectionately as the ‘Stamp Collector’ King, and played a major role in building the Royal Philatelic Collection into the most comprehensive collection of United Kingdom and Commonwealth stamps in the world.