George V (1910 – 1936)

George was the second son of Edward when his father was Prince of Wales and was not expected to take the throne. Instead a career at sea was planned out for him and George spend fifteen years in the Navy, which instilled in him a love of order and an affection for nautical ways, which he retained throughout his life. When his elder brother Albert Victor died prematurely, however, George ascended to the throne.

In 1917, during the First World War, George replaced his German-sounding family name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha with that of Windsor. Interestingly, George’s first cousins included Tsar Nicholas II of Russia - who was executed with his family by Bolsheviks - and Kaiser Wilhelm II, his country’s main foe during World War One. After the war George’s health rapidly deteriorated, as did his relationship with his son and heir Edward. George eventually died of a lung infection and was buried at Windsor.