King George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert) is the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom in the 1920s, husband of Queen Mary, and the father of Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII and, after his abdication, the Duke of Windsor), Albert, Duke of York, later King George VI, and Mary, Princess Royal. He is also the future grandfather of Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.
Background[]
King George was born during the reign of his grandmother, Queen Victoria. He was the second son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, who succeeded Victoria as King Edward VII. He was first cousin to two foreign future monarchs: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.
George entered the Royal Navy at age twelve alongside his elder brother Albert, Duke of Clarence, but George continued to serve whilst his brother left to enter Trinity College, Cambridge.
George fell in love with his cousin Marie of Edinburgh, but she refused his proposal. His elder brother became engaged to Mary of Teck, but six weeks after the engagement was announced his brother died from pneumonia. George, after recovering from typhoid fever, grew closer to her during the mourning period. A year later, with his grandmother's approval, George proposed to Mary and they married in 1893.
George eventually became Duke of York, and then in 1901 Prince of Wales when his father was crowned Edward VII. Following the death of his father, George was crowned George V in 1910.
In 1917, in response to widespread national hatred for Germany, George changed the royal family's name from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor.
Considered to be one of the best shots in the country, he was an avid game shooter and stamp collector.
In Downton Abbey[]
2013 Christmas Special[]
The king, his wife, and two oldest sons are present at the debutante ball of Rose MacClare and her friend Madeleine Allsopp in 1923.
Series 5[]
The king's voice is heard in 1924 over the new radio installed by the Crawley family. Rose telling Robert that the king was going to broadcast over the wireless is what convinced Lord Grantham to allow a wireless to be installed in the house. The family and the servants were so impressed to hear the King they raised from their seats out of respect in front of the contraption.
Film[]
In 1927, the King and Queen plan to stay at Downton Abbey during their tour of Yorkshire. Accompanying them are the queen's lady-in-waiting, Maud Bagshaw, and her maid, Lucy Smith. The royal servants arrive ahead of the royal party in order to serve luncheon and dinner during their stay.
King George helps Violet Crawley up when she curtsies, and later speaks to members of the family during luncheon. He participates in a parade, where he is targeted by assassin Major Chetwode. However, Tom Branson foils the assassination and it is quickly covered up.
The King approaches Lord Hexham to accompany the Prince of Wales on an extended tour as he feels he would be a good influence on the Prince. Lord Hexham accepts. However, when he tells the king that Lady Hexham is expecting, the king congratulates him. But when Bertie explains that his wife will give birth when the tour begins, the king fails to see that Lord Hexham is trying to decline the tour, instead suggesting that Lord Hexham could use his child's birth as an example to show the Prince what it means to have a proper family life.
At dinner, the king notes the meal is different than what was planned and compliments his chef, Monsieur Courbet. However Joseph Molesley speaks out of turn and states Downton's cook Beryl Patmore cooked the meal. The Crawley family is embarrassed, but the Queen forgives Molesley, citing that she and the King are used to people acting strangely around them.
During a ball at Harewood House, Princess Mary informs her parents that she will be staying with her husband, Henry Lascelles, despite the strains their relationship has endured. The King questions what changed her mind, and she says it was something Tom Branson said about "deciding what matters" when he was talking to her after the parade. The king immediately refers to Tom as "the Irish Republican" but Princess Mary asks him to say something nice to Tom when she sees him. So the King goes over to Tom and expresses his regret that they didn't speak more at Downton as he feels he has "more than one" reason to be grateful. Later he express to Lord and Lady Hexham his regrets that the former won't be going on the Prince's tour, to their surprise. Lady Grantham later tells them she spoke to the Queen, who explained to the King why Lord Hexham wouldn't be able to go.
Notes[]
- In Series 6 - episode 6, George V appears in a picture on the wall of a Downton School classroom.
Appearances[]
| Appearances and Mentions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 3 | Episode 1 Mentioned |
Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 Mentioned |
Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Christmas Special |
| Series 4 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 Mentioned |
Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Christmas Special Appears |
| Series 5 | Episode 1 Mentioned |
Episode 2 Mentioned |
Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Christmas Special |
| Series 6 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 Appears |
Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Christmas Special |
| The film | The film Appears |
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