King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy (2012– ) User Reviews

George and his cousins.

[gkeith_1 · 8/10 · 22 April 2014]

George and Kaiser Wilhelm, cousins, were grandchildren of Queen Victoria. These two men had to fight each other in war. Another cousin, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, also fought in World War One, but pulled out to concentrate on the Russian Revolutions that executed the Tsar and his immediate family.

George was in a quandary. He had to keep his head and his throne. He did not want to suffer the fate of removal. Other states had ceased to exist in the WW I era, such as Austria-Hungary and Bohemia. What to do? What to do? In the anti-German sentiment of the era, George had to remove his German surname and replace it with a new last name: Windsor. We see today that his progeny are known by that name.

In this documentary were vignettes of other royals, such as Queen Mary and their playboy son David who would become Edward VII. David/Edward was too much in love with the ways of the world, and found that Mrs. Simpson provided a way out, permanently.

8/10

George and Mary forge a bond between monarch and people

[barryrd · 8/10 · 29 December 2020]

This series of two programs presents interviews wth historians like Robert Lacey and Julian Fellowes, etc. We also see some excellent film footage. The historians give insights into the lives of the two royals who took on a pivotal role in the remaking of the British monarchy. As the twentieth century began, Royal Houses across Europe could sense the wave of popular opinion turning against them. It began during the reign of Queen Victoria and after the long and bloody war of 1914 to1918, Europe heard voices crying out for new leadership. Power and wealth resided in the hands of kings and nobles who had failed miserably. The industrial revolution had resulted in working classes feeling betrayed by the new economic order, giving rise to new leaders who sought to have wealth and power put into the hands of the people. It was a very frightening time with the German Kaiser banished and the Russian Tsar and his family executed. Only a few royal houses were left standing because the monarchs were seen as the guardians of the old order.

In Great Britain King George V and his consort Queen Mary were ruling a country that was tilting to the political left. The Labour Party was challenging the Liberal and Conservative parties for power in a country that was used to order and tradition. The King and Queen had seen their families affected by the political currents in Europe. The strategy adopted by the King and Queen, who were given very astute advice, was to go out among the people and cement the bond between the monarch and the public at large. The Order of the British Empire, for example, was set up to highlight achievements of citizens who were outstanding in their own right or in giving service to the country. The German name of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became the House of Windsor.

The approach taken by the Royal Family, particularly the monarch, was to support and encourage the people and to represent the public interest. This is very important in a country where the monarch is sovereign. It also draws a sharp contrast to the prevailing view in Europe at the time that the monarch and the government were separate from the body politic. In fact, the opposite should be true. It comes closer to the ideal of government by and for the people, which is what government should be about. This change in direction helped to ensure the political stability of the country.

After the death of the King in 1935, Queen Mary assumed a leadership role in the House of Windsor. The new king, Edward VIII, was the former Prince of Wales, a very popular royal and a key figure in remaking the monarchy. However, he was not focused on his role as King enough to sacrifice his love for a divorced woman, Wallis Warfield Simpson. Queen Mary made her opposition clear. It was known that the former King, George V was adamantly opposed. The match was not reported in the British press but when it did become known, it was clear that the Prince did not have the support of the public. The idea that the head of the Church of England could marry a divorcée was untenable. Queen Mary supported the second son Albert who assumed the throne as George VI and led the country through the Second World War from 1939-45. Queen Mary also became an effective mentor for her granddaughter who would succeed George VI in 1952. The old Queen died in 1953, shortly before the Coronation of Elizabeth II, but her work was complete.