King George V's War Museum

A collection displayed at Windsor Castle by George V following the First World War

War by land

      The First World War instigated the development of modern trench warfare. Daily life for soldiers in the trenches was monotonous, with endless trench and weapon maintenance interrupted only by the dangers of enemy shelling and gas attack. Conditions were poor; a lack of basic sanitation and wet weather led to disease and ailments such as trench foot, caused by prolonged exposure to damp and cold.

      A drawing depicting a soldier seated in a trench during a storm. The soldier, captured in profile facing left, smokes a pipe. He wears a great coat and a cap. The trench is beginning to fill up with water owing to the heavy rains.
      A soldier seated in trench during a stormCopyright: Royal Collection Enterprises Limited

      Princess Mary, the eldest daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, organised small individual Christmas gift boxes and the Belgian King and Queen sent fabric 'housewives' to their front lines as gestures of gratitude to those serving. The introduction of tanks to the battlefield in 1917 marked the beginning of the end of trench warfare.

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      Royal Collection Trust is a charity caring for the Royal Collection, one of the world’s great art collections. Income from your visit helps us to conserve and share the Collection so that it can be enjoyed by everyone, wherever they are.