George V
- Episode aired Mar 19, 2002
- 1h 15m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
6
YOUR RATING
The life of King George V, one of the lesser profiled monarchs of the twentieth century, and how he introduced a sense of stability to the monarchy during turbulent times.The life of King George V, one of the lesser profiled monarchs of the twentieth century, and how he introduced a sense of stability to the monarchy during turbulent times.The life of King George V, one of the lesser profiled monarchs of the twentieth century, and how he introduced a sense of stability to the monarchy during turbulent times.
Photos
Penelope Aitken
- Self
- (as Lady Aitken)
Duke of Windsor
- Self
- (archive footage)
King Edward VII
- Self
- (archive footage)
King George V
- Self
- (archive footage)
King George VI
- Self
- (archive footage)
Queen Alexandra
- Self
- (archive footage)
Queen Elizabeth II
- Self
- (archive footage)
Storyline
Featured review
Routine Biography of a King who Cultivated a Profile of Ordinariness
King George V has seldom been one of the most popular biographical subjects, especially on television or radio. Compared to his colorful father (the serial philanderer King Edward VII), or his equally celebrated son (Edward VIII, subsequently the Duke of Windsor), he led an uneventful existence, even though his subjects loved him - as witnessed in his Silver Jubilee of 1935 when the crowds turned out in force to welcome him as he drove through London's streets.
While Neil Crombie's documentary told us more about the King's personality, it did not manage to unearth anything particularly scandalous. Together with his elder brother Albert, they joined the Royal Navy at an early age, and by all accounts thoroughly enjoyed their time there. Albert was due to be married to Mary, but he died prematurely of influenza, leaving George as heir to the throne. In a typical piece of royal machination, George married Mary instead - and Mary became Mary of Teck.
King Edward died after a riotous life in 1910, leaving George as the new King. In public he came across as a sober-minded, paternal monarch concerned to ensure the stability of the dynasty through turbulent times. In response to a wave of anti-German feeling consequent on the outbreak of World War I, George renamed his family; once known as Saxe- Coburg-Gotha, they took the name of Windsor instead. He also showed himself ruthlessly in control of circumstances: faced with the dilemma of offering asylum to his cousin Tsar Nicholas II, or allowing the Tsar to die as a result of the Russian Revolution, George took the second option, realizing that politically this was the only course he could pursue.
In private George was a tyrannical father, keeping his two children David (the future Edward VIII) and Bertie (the future George VI) under a tight leash. David ended up by rebelling against his father's hegemony; this was perhaps one of the reasons why he pursued such a louche existence during his adolescence and early adulthood. Bertie grew up shy and retiring with a permanent stammer (memorably explored in THE KING'S SPEECH (2010)). This documentary attributed George's behavior to his experiences growing up: under no circumstances would he become a relaxed personality like his own father.
King George died in 1935 aged seventy-one, a victim of a smoking- related disease. For all his faults as a father, he had secured the future of the monarchy through selfless devotion to duty, a trait shared by his granddaughter, the present Queen Elizabeth II.
While Neil Crombie's documentary told us more about the King's personality, it did not manage to unearth anything particularly scandalous. Together with his elder brother Albert, they joined the Royal Navy at an early age, and by all accounts thoroughly enjoyed their time there. Albert was due to be married to Mary, but he died prematurely of influenza, leaving George as heir to the throne. In a typical piece of royal machination, George married Mary instead - and Mary became Mary of Teck.
King Edward died after a riotous life in 1910, leaving George as the new King. In public he came across as a sober-minded, paternal monarch concerned to ensure the stability of the dynasty through turbulent times. In response to a wave of anti-German feeling consequent on the outbreak of World War I, George renamed his family; once known as Saxe- Coburg-Gotha, they took the name of Windsor instead. He also showed himself ruthlessly in control of circumstances: faced with the dilemma of offering asylum to his cousin Tsar Nicholas II, or allowing the Tsar to die as a result of the Russian Revolution, George took the second option, realizing that politically this was the only course he could pursue.
In private George was a tyrannical father, keeping his two children David (the future Edward VIII) and Bertie (the future George VI) under a tight leash. David ended up by rebelling against his father's hegemony; this was perhaps one of the reasons why he pursued such a louche existence during his adolescence and early adulthood. Bertie grew up shy and retiring with a permanent stammer (memorably explored in THE KING'S SPEECH (2010)). This documentary attributed George's behavior to his experiences growing up: under no circumstances would he become a relaxed personality like his own father.
King George died in 1935 aged seventy-one, a victim of a smoking- related disease. For all his faults as a father, he had secured the future of the monarchy through selfless devotion to duty, a trait shared by his granddaughter, the present Queen Elizabeth II.
- l_rawjalaurence
- Aug 12, 2016
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime1 hour 15 minutes
- Color
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