Neither the present King's Great-Grandfather or Grandfather were ever expected to become King (George V and George VI respectively). Both had elder brothers who either died or abdicated. George V was the bridge between the Victorian/Edwardian worlds of Victoria and his playboy father Edward VII, and the modern age. His reign was typically regarded as boring - he and his wife, Mary of Teck, being ordinary people who happen to be thrust into the limelight. Jane Ridley's long (576 pages) biography in many ways backs this up. George was a simple man, poorly educated, destined for a life in the navy, who nevertheless steered the ship of monarchy through the choppy political waters of 1905-1936. He had to cope with the First World War, the Great Depression, his unsuitable son and heir, scandals, and all around the fall of the great European Royal Houses (Russia, Germany, Austria). That he did so well, and the that the monarchy came through the abdication crisis unscathed is a tribute. It was an interesting and well paced read (although the historical narrative moved about a bit). George as typical of his class and age was devoted to slaughtering birds - he was one of the top six "shots" in the country, and his wife was an avid collector - jewels, paintings, furniture. He was also beastly to his children, believing they should be scared of him, which in hindsight did not serve anyone very well. However he and his wife were devoted public servants, and without his perceptive and careful approach to the role of being a constitutional monarch the history of Great Britain in the early 20th century may have been very different.

My favourite quote... "George had steered the monarchy through the turmoil of the First World War, emerging stronger from a crisis which caused the fall of the three great empires of Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary. He played the role of mediator over Irish Home Rule, concerned above all to prevent civil war. He intervened to enable the appointment of prime ministers at times when, either through war or through political realignment, the party system was not functioning as it should to produce agreed candidates for the office. The King and his private secretary, Lord Stamfordham, would descend in their frock coats and set to work to fix the problem and find a new prime minister."

Published November 2021. Read on Kindle.