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Learn about the reigns and lives of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, Prince John, King Edward VIII, and King George VI in Britain's royal family. Discover the ups and downs of their rule and the events that shaped their reigns.
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Britain’s Royal Family Cindy Cullen February 2014
Queen Victoria: 1819-1901 (ruled from 1837-1901) - born Alexandrina Victoria Victoria was the only child of Edward, the Duke of Kent. Edward died when she was only one year old and her mother (also named Victoria) was highly controlling and over-protective and tried to keep her away from Edward’s two older brothers: George IV, the king from 1820-30 and William IV who succeeded him as king in 1930. Victoria was quite resentful of her isolated and restrictive upbringing.
When her uncle William died in 1930, Victoria was placed on the throne as neither of her king uncles had any children. She was only 18 years old but was intelligent and strong-willed and refused to be controlled by her mother, royal advisors or British prime ministers.
In 1840, Victoria married her cousin Prince Albert and they had a strong and loving marriage. Victoria gradually handed over many responsibilities to Albert and they ruled in partnership, although she was the undisputed monarch and had final authority. They had 9 children, many of whom married into royal families in many different European nations.
Victoria in her mourning clothes In 1861, Albert died of typhoid, which sent Victoria into a long period of intense grieving. She never re-married and wore black clothing the rest of her life, although some suspected her of having a relationship with John Brown, one of her servants. She ruled until her death in 1901, and her reign of 63 years is a record for any British monarch.
Edward VII (1941-1910) Ruled 1901-1910 -Born Albert Edward (nicknamed Bertie) When Victoria died in 1901, she was succeeded by her eldest son Edward. Edward had been a popular prince, but had a reputation as a playboy and had not been in good favour with his mother. He and his wife had six children, and Edward continued to have a number of affairs with well known British women. He died of pneumonia in 1910.
George V: Ruled from 1910-1936 Born George Frederick Ernest Albert King George with his granddaughter Elizabeth George was the younger brother of King Edward VII and had served in the British navy for 15 years before assuming the throne when his brother died. George and his wife Mary had 6 children, including eldest son Edward and second son Albert, both of who would one day become king. He also was a loving grandfather to Elizabeth, current queen of England.
George ruled in some turbulent times, including World War 1, the Great Depression and the lead-up to World War 2. Although he generally was well loved by his subjects, he was criticized by some for not rescuing the Romanov royal family after the Russian Revolution. One of George’s actions during WW 1 was to officially change the name of the British royal family from the German-sounding Saxe- Coburg to Windsor.
Prince John: “ The Little Prince” John with his older brother George King George’s sixth and youngest child was Prince John, who suffered from epilepsy and experienced violent seizures. He may also have had autism. In those times, children with disabilities were often kept out of the public eye and John led a sheltered childhood. He died at the young age of 13.
Edward VIII: Ruled from Jan - Dec 1936 Born Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David David in his WW1 uniform. He was not allowed to serve on the front lines as it was deemed too dangerous. • Edward, known as David to his family was considered one of the most • eligible bachelors in Europe before he came to the throne at the age of • He had a rocky relationship with his father the king, who felt David • didn’t take his royal duties seriously enough and spent too much time • socializing. Some also questioned his support of appeasement policies • in the years leading up to WW2 and he was labelled by some as a • Nazi supporter.
Edward’s Abdication: Dec. 1936 Edward was not enthusiastic about becoming king, not the least because he was in a relationship with Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee who was still legally married to her second husband at the time. Edward hoped to marry her but Parliament refused to approve her as queen so he gave up the throne and moved to France with Wallis. He met Hitler in 1937 and in an attempt to get him away from the Nazi influence, his brother, the new King George V1, sent him to the Bahamas to assume the role of governor.
George VI: Ruled from 1937-1952 Born Albert Frederick Arthur George (called Bertie by his family) Bertie was very reluctantly thrust into the position of king in 1937 when Edward abdicated and took the name of King George. He suffered from anxiety and had a serious stutter which made public speaking very stressful. George had fought with the Royal Navy in the WW1 Battle of Jutland and was also a pilot. George worked hard to overcome his stutter and became a popular king. He and his wife had two daughters:Elizabeth and Margaret. WW2 took its toll on George’s health and he died in 1952 at the age of 56.
Elizabeth II: Ruled from 1952-present Born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (known as Lilibet to family) Elizabeth came to the throne at the age of 25 after the early death of her father. She had married Philip Mountbatten at the age of 21 and the royal couple was visiting Kenya when they received the news to return to England.
Queen Elizabeth participated in the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics with Daniel Craig and her beloved corgis. Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and may replace Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest serving monarch if she remains healthy.
Prince Philip Mountbatten: married to Queen Elizabeth Philip and his mother Alice Philip, the great great grandchild of Queen Victoria was born in Corfu. His father was Prince Andrew of Greece and his mother was Princess Alice of Battenburg (German). After a 1922 coup to overthrow the Greek monarchy, King George V of England sent a naval ship to rescue the royal family. One year old Philip was smuggled out in an orange crate! After his parents separated, Philip was sent away to boarding school and eventually joined the Royal Navy. He became a British citizen in 1947, changed his name to Mountbatten (anglicized version of Battenburg) and converted to the Anglican church. In 1947, at the age of 25, he married Elizabeth and the couple moved to Malta.
Prince Charles: First in line to the throne (since 1948) Born Charles Philip Arthur George Charles has led a quiet but distinguished life as heir to the throne. He earned his BA in anthropology and archaeology and was a jet pilot in the RAF. He has also embraced environmental, architectural and aboriginal issues. In 1981 he married Diana Spencer in a fairy tale royal wedding and the couple had two sons: William and Harry. Charles and Diana divorced in 1996 and Diana died a year later in a car accident. Charles married his long-time girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.
Prince Charles’ Two Royal Weddings Charles and Diana Charles and Camilla
Princess Diana Spencer 1961-1996 Married to Charles; mother to William and Harry Diana Spencer was a nanny and kindergarten teaching assistant who first met Charles when he was dating her older sister Sara. She married Charles at the age of 21 in a wedding that captured world attention. Diana became heavily involved in a number of charities, including AIDS programs and helping victims of landmines. She was also a devoted mother to sons William and Harry. Diana suffered from depression and an eating disorder and struggled with the constant media attention. Both she and Charles were accused of having affairs during their marriage and the couple divorced in 1995. One year later, Diana died in a traffic accident while being pursued by the paparazzi.
Prince William: Second in line to the throne Born William Arthur Philip Louis William had a busy childhood and was often in the public eye, despite the best efforts of his parents to shield their sons from the media. He attended Eton College boarding school and later went to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland where he graduated with a degree in geography. He later joined the RAF and trained as a military pilot. William worked as a helicopter pilot with a search and rescue crew for several years but has stopped active service with the RAF to focus on his royal family responsibilities. He married Catherine Middleton in 2011 and they have a son George.
Prince Harry: Third in line to the throne Born Henry Charles Albert David Prince Harry also attended Eton College boarding school. He took a GAP year to work on a cattle ranch and volunteer in an orphanage in Lesotho, Africa. He is a lieutenant in the British armed forces but was not allowed to serve in Iraq because it was deemed too dangerous. He did, however, see active duty in Afghanistan and is a qualified Apache helicopter pilot. Harry is a high-spirited individual with a sense of adventure.
Prince Harry’s fun-loving nature is captured in photos taken during various royal visits
Prince George: Second in line to the throne Born George Alexander Louis Prince George was born July 22, 2013 to parents William and Catherine. He is the only grandchild of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana and will likely become king one day.
