British history, heritage, Windsor : VisitBritain

House of Windsor (1910 - today)

George V (1865 – 1936)

George V was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor. He started out his career in the Navy but was withdrawn from service to prepare for his kingship. In 1914 World War I broke out, anti-German feelings led George to change royal family name to Windsor, after Windsor Castle (www.enjoyengland.com/productsearch/searchresults.aspx?dest=&destId=0&radius=8051&icId=2&name=Windsor+Castle&type=destination&ptIds=-1®ionIds=&agentId=&maxX=0&maxY=0&minX=0&minY=0&nX=0&nY=0&map=False&sr=133&nor=&cp=1&sort=®ionName=&availability=False&exl_enddate=&exl_startdate=&exl_adults1=0&exl_children1=0&exl_concessions=0).

George played a conciliatory role in the Irish civil war, which resulted in the setting up of the Irish Free State (later to become the Irish Republic), while the six Northern Ireland counties remained part of the UK. George died of pneumonia aged 71 at Sandringham (www.sandringham-estate.co.uk/Index.asp?p=1) (the preset Queen’s county home), and is buried at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.

Edward VIII (January to December 1936)

As Prince of Wales, Edward VIII reigned from January to December 1936. Official tours and engagements, together with his good war record and sympathy towards the deprived, had made him popular. He was also the first monarch to be a qualified pilot and he created The King's Flight, now known as 32 (The Royal) Squadron.

In 1930, Edward had fallen in love with a married American woman. In 1936 Mrs Simpson divorced her husband creating the possibility to marry Edward. As a twice-divorcee Mrs Simpson would never have been acceptable as Queen. Edward was forced to choose between love and kingship – he chose love. After just 325 as king, Edward abdicated. His brother Albert became King, using his last name George.

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II (1952 – today) was born in London in 1926. She spent her early years at her parent’s London home at 145 Piccadilly and White Lodge in Richmond Park (www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/richmond_park/). By her mid-teens her had already started to engage in official duties including tours of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. She married Prince Phillip in Westminster Abbey 1947 and ascended the throne in 1952.

Today, the Queen is not only Head of State, but also an important symbol of national unity as well as being an incredibly popular monarch. The Queen's title is 'Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith'

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