Funeral of King George V, 1936

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The Funeral of King George V of Great Britain and the British Dominions, Emperor of India on this day in 1936 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, following the traditional lying-in-state at Westminster Hall that culminated the night before with the famous Vigil of the Princes, when the King’s four sons took guard around his coffin. The Funeral Procession through the streets of London was led by the King’s four sons: King Edward VIII (later Duke of Windsor), the Duke of York (later King George VI), the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent, before traveling by train to Windsor. Other Royal attendees included Queen Mary, Queen Maud of Norway (sister), Princess Mary (daughter), the Duchesses of York, Kent, and Gloucester (daughters-in-law), King Haakon of Norway (cousin and brother-in-law), the King Christian X of Denmark (cousin), King Carol of Rumania, King Leopold of Belgium, Tsar Boris of Bulgaria, Crown Prince Umberto of Italy, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (cousin-in-law), Prince Regent Paul of Yugoslavia, Queen Marie of Romania (cousin), and Queen Elisabeth of Greece. The King, who was beloved throughout his empire, died at the age of 70, at the start of the ‘Year of the Three Kings’.

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2 thoughts on “Funeral of King George V, 1936

  1. When Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother died, her four grandsons emulated their four great-uncles and did a “Vigil of the Princes” for her as well. Even though technically the 2nd Earl of Snowdon is not a prince, it’s probably as close as it gets. She was their beloved grandmother- and I think as well as the nation’s. King George V was very prescient when he predicted about his son Edward: “This boy will ruin himself before the year is out.” How right he was.

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