The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-01-21
GEORGE V OF
ENGLAND, DEAD

w men ne succeeded 20 the
throne May 6, 1910, at the age of
A, the empire had a sovereign
unique for his first-hand acquaint-
ance with the world and the do
minions he was called to rule.
Stresses Imperial Sovereignty
If England knew less about the
new king than perhaps any be-
fore, and at first drew vivid con-
tracts between his general re-
serve and serious aspect and his
fathers winning personality and
gay removal of the isolation of
the throne which had grown up
in Queen Victoria's reign. George
V nevertheless was popular and
had stamped himself as capable
of independent thought.
The nation had had a sharp ex
fample of that in 1901 when he
returned from his colonial tour
and made a dramatic wake up
England" exhortation at the
Guilhall.
From the beginning, King
George contrived by democratic
participation in many public
events and by other means to
strengthen the crown as an uni
flying influence. divorced from do
mestic party strife, in the coun-
try and empire.
His stress on the principle of
imperial sovereignty came to the
fore in 1911 when. with Queen
Mary, he made a notable visit to
India.
Sets Personal Example In War
When the war cast its shadow
over Europe. King George made
every effort to prevent the out
break. addressing personal APP
peals to the emperors of Russia
and Germany.
When these failed and his own
country was plunged into the
conflict. he issued proclamation
mobilizing the British army and
announced an unwavering deter
mination to fight until victorious.
The ruler and his family set
themselves to lending the royal
influence and encouragement to
every form of national activity
in aid of the fighting forces.
Strict economy measures were put
in force in the royal household.
The king paid repeated visits to
his troops in Belgium and France;
in 1917 he stripped German titles
and names from the royal family
and changed the name of the
ruling house from that of SAKE
Coburg- to Windsor.
Postwar years brought home
rule to Ireland. a larger share in
self-government to India as well
as steps towards her independ-
ence, and the significant develop
ment of the British common
wealth of nations with the crown
as the chief link of the empire.
They also brought difficulties
in the domestic situation, culmin-
ating in the general strike of
1926 which paralyzed industry
and even threatened a social rev.
olution.
Illness Endangers Life
But the country as a whole
held firm to the respect it had
always shown to the king and the
political crisis passed to be sue
ceeded by a greater crisis, his Sc
rious illness.
This started in November, 1928,
when a chill believed to have been
caught on Armistice Sunday,
when he stood bareheaded in the
rain during the ceremony at the
Cenotaph, developed into fever
and some congestion of one
lung.
In December eounseHors of
state were appointed; an opera
ton was performed to drain the
right side of the kings chest.
Back on his feet again, he suffer
ed two relapses, an abscess hav-
ing formed under the site Of the
operation scar.
A second operation was subse-
quent'y performed and portions of
two ribs were removed to drain
hthe abseess. Recovery was rapid
but it was not until January,
1880, that he fulfilled his first
public engagement by opening the
London naval conference.
Gradually he extended the
range of his activities and his
health remained satisfactory ex-
| cept for attacks of rheumatism
| which kept him from attending
royal courts in 1880 and 1888.
Marries Brothers Fianeee
King George, whose full name
was George Frederick Ernest Al
bert. second son of King Edward
VII anil Queen Alexandra, then
Prince and Princess of Wales,
was born June 8. 1865, in MARI
borough House, London.
On July 6, 1898, he married
Princess Victoria May. who had
been betrothed to his elder broth
er. She was the daughter of
Frederick, Duke of Teek, and
! Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess
| of Teck.