Reading time: 8 minutes
George V became King in 1910 during a time of significant change in Britain. He guided the nation through war, political upheaval and the rise of the modern age.
Beyond the public image of a steady, dutiful monarch, his private diaries reveal a man of emotion and quiet reflection. Read on to explore his life in his own words, drawn directly from his diaries held by the Royal Archives.
Career in the Navy
As the second son of the future Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, George was originally destined for a career in the Royal Navy, in which he served for almost 15 years. His naval career and subsequent royal duties took him on extensive journeys across Europe and beyond.
In 1882, while serving as midshipmen aboard HMS Bacchante, George and his brother Prince Albert Victor – known to the family as Eddy – undertook a tour of the Middle East. In his diary, George recorded their visit to the renowned archaeological site at Jerash, Jordan, and their camp there:
The ruins here were built by the Romans, about the same time as the ones at Amman, but these here are much larger & much finer...a very fine theatre on the left as you go in...& the Sun temple..& some Roman baths..
He also recorded the more practical frustrations of travel:
We had something to eat in the lunch tent at about 7.30. The baggage never came till 8.30. they lost their way.
Marriage to Mary of Teck
In 1892 George’s elder brother, Albert Victor, tragically died of influenza, which ended George’s naval career and placed him second in the line of succession after his father.
Albert Victor had been engaged to Princess Mary of Teck for only six weeks when he unexpectedly died. His death shocked the royal family and left Mary grieving alongside them. In the months that followed, George and Mary became close as they shared their grief and by 1893 announced their own engagement.
George married Princess Mary of Teck in the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace on 6 July 1893 following a two-month engagement.
George wrote warmly of his new wife Mary – known fondly as ‘May’ by her family – in his diary:
At 12.30 darling May and I married in the Chapel Royal… I am indeed lucky to have got such a darling and charming wife
The ceremony was attended by family, including George’s grandmother, Queen Victoria, who appears dressed in black in Laurits Tuxen’s painting of the occasion. George recorded the day’s events with characteristic simplicity:
We two drove back to B.P. (Buckingham Palace) the first carriages, splendid reception. Signed the register. Lunched. Photographed we two alone and together with the Bridesmaids.
Passion for Horseracing
In addition to his love of the sea, George, like his father, was interested in horseracing. He attended the Epsom Derby on 3 June 1896 for his 31st birthday. The race was won by Persimmon, a horse bred at Sandringham by his father, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII). In his diary, George wrote:
…Papa won the Derby with “Persimmon”… Watts rode beautifully & it was a splendid victory & it was only won by a head. Papa led “Persimmon” in, he got a tremendous ovation, I never saw such cheering
His race card, noting a successful lottery draw, is still tucked inside the diary. That evening George attended the traditional Derby Day dinner at Marlborough House, hosted by his father, and he added the illustrated menu card – complete with horse and jockey – to his diary as well.
Death of Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria died on 22 January 1901 at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, aged 81. George described the day with deep emotion. He wrote of the family being summoned early in the morning:
We were all sent for to darling Grandmama’s room at 9.0, the Bishop of Winchester read some prayers and we all thought the end was coming but she rallied in a wonderful way and became better.
It was, he noted "a terribly anxious time".
Later in the afternoon, the family was called again to the Queen’s bedside:
We were all again sent for and remained with darling Grandmama almost the whole time, until 6:30. When our beloved Queen & Grandmama, one of the greatest women that ever lived passed peacefully away, surrounded by her children & grandchildren.
He expressed relief that his wife had reached Osborne in time:
Thank God darling May arrived in time at 5:30 to see her.
The final scene left an impression on him:
I shall never forget that scene in her room, with all of us sobbing & heartbroken round her bed.
Coronation of George V and Mary
George V’s diary records a profoundly moving Coronation Day, marked by cool, overcast weather that he felt was “better for the people.” He and Queen Mary travelled from Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach with eight cream-coloured horses, passing over 50,000 troops and vast crowds.
The Service in the Abbey was most beautiful & impressive…. It was grand, yet simple & most dignified & went without a hitch
The day stirred poignant memories of his father, Edward VII, whose coronation he had witnessed nine years earlier, and whose death on 6 May 1910 still weighed heavily on him:
It brought back to me many sad memories of 9 years ago when the beloved parents were crowned
His affection for Queen Mary shines through in his reflections:
Darling May looked lovely & it was indeed a comfort to me to have her by my side, as she has been ever to me during these last 18 years.
After balcony appearances, photographs, and hours answering telegrams, he ended the long, unforgettable day “rather tired,” amid “beautiful illuminations everywhere.”
Sign up to our enewsletter
Sign up to our emails for more stories from the Royal Collection.
We will look after your data in accordance with our Privacy Notice.
World War One
George V and Queen Mary were both active in the war effort. The King first visited the Western Front in November 1914, and he returned five further times during the war.
During his visit to France in July 1917, the King wrote in his diary:
There was a certain amount of shelling going on, but not very near us. We motored back through the all the ruined villages & towns, utterly destroyed by shellfire…the whole road lined by troops who cheered as I passed.......
Near Ficheux I paid a surprise visit to 50th Divisional Rest Camp & also stopped at Nos 20 & 43 Casualty Clearing Stations & talked to the Officers and Nurses..
The First World War took a toll on George's health. On 28 October 1915 when visiting the Royal Flying Corps close to Bethune in northern France, he suffered a serious riding accident.
my horse … took fright, reared straight up & fell back on top of me, giving me an infernal bad fall, which completely knocked the wind out of me. They picked me up and took me back to Aire in the motor car as quickly as possible. I suffered great agonies all the way.
Nicholas II
Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia, was a first cousin of George V, who fondly called him ‘Nicky’. He made his final visit to Britain in 1908 – a moment captured in a photograph that shows the striking resemblance between the two men.
A decade later, on 17 July 1918, Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, and their children were killed by the Bolsheviks following the October Revolution.
When news of Nicholas’s death reached Britain, George recorded his grief in his diary:
Mary & I attended a service at the Russian Church in Welbeck Street in memory of dear Nicky who I fear was shot last month… a foul murder.
Reflecting on their bond, he added:
I was devoted to Nicky, who was the kindest of men, a thorough gentleman, loved his family & his people.
Silver Jubilee of George V
George V and Queen Mary became the first British monarchs to mark a Silver Jubilee, celebrating 25 years on the throne on 6 May 1935. His diary captures the emotion and spectacle of the day:
It was a glorious summer’s day 75º. in the shade. The greatest number of people in the streets that I have ever seen in my life
Like previous Jubilees, the central event was a carriage procession through London to St Paul’s Cathedral where a Service of Thanksgiving was held. Vast crowds filled the decorated streets as he and Queen Mary rode in procession. A “very fine” thanksgiving service at St Paul’s gathered 4,406 attendees. Balcony appearances drew enormous cheering crowds. As he noted:
there must have been 100,000 people round the statue & down the Mall.
He ended the day by broadcasting a message of thanks to the Empire, deeply moved by the nation’s enthusiasm.
Declining health and death of George V
George spent most of his life as a heavy smoker and lived with chronic bronchitis. His health had been in decline for years as his lung issues intensified, a decline made worse by the effects of the riding accident.
On the evening of 15 January 1936, George took to his bedroom at Sandringham House, Norfolk, complaining of a cold and he remained in the room until his death. He noted:
I didn’t feel very grand, so I never left my room.
His final diary entry was written on Friday, 17 January, and by then his decline was unmistakable. The handwriting wavers and fades. He notes the arrival of his doctor, Bertrand Dawson:
A little snow [?and] wind, Dawson arrived this evening. I saw him & feel rather…
Queen Mary later recorded the moment of his passing:
My dearest husband…passed away on 20th January at 5 minutes before midnight
George V and Queen Mary’s Diaries
The Royal Archives preserves 27 volumes of George V’s bound diaries, written in his own hand, covering the years 1878 to 1936. Alongside them are 65 volumes of Queen Mary’s diaries, dating from 1879 to 1953, again all written in her own hand.
You can delve further into George V’s life and experiences, and those of Queen Mary, by exploring their diaries in more detail in the Royal Archives Online catalogue.
