At first glance, it might seem that the lives of kings and queens are a distant past only known from history textbooks, but if you think about it, it’s not quite so. Royal families, including the British Royal Family, still exist. Their members hold offices and their most authentic history is being written in front of our eyes. The Windsor Documentary is a series that honestly tells the story of the royal family. Watch videos only from verified sources!
The beginnings of the Windsor Dynasty
A dynasty is a ruling house that exercises hereditary power in a monarchy, so it can be guessed that each dynasty’s origins or beginnings are distant and made up of various threads woven together. George V, or King George Frederick Ernest Albert, had a surname derived from German – Coburg. Because of the Germanic surname, which was associated with the hostile country, in 1910 King George V decided to adopt the surname Windsor. The currently reigning British royal family are representatives of the Windsor dynasty. Comprehensive but well-compiled information about the reigning royal family can be found in the film series – the Royal Family documentary.
A history of the last century that continues
During the reign of King George V, the Windsor Dynasty could boast of considerable achievements. In 1922, the British Empire reached an area of 36.6 million km², becoming the largest empire in history. This figure had a strong influence on the development of the economy and the political position of Great Britain in Europe and around the world. In this post, we take a closer look at the Windsor family tree to make it easier to understand and show the connections between members of the royal family.
Marriage of King George V and Mary of Teck
King George fell in love with the daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh, but he could not marry her, because both of their mothers did not approve of the relationship. Sometime later, at the urging of Queen Victoria, George V married Mary of Teck, whom he did not know personally. Their premarital correspondence was limited to the exchange of two letters. Fortunately, it turned out that King George and Queen Mary forged a successful relationship, of which five sons and a daughter were born. Among the sons was King George V’s successor – King George VI.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
It was pretty unusual that Prince Albert (i.e., the future king of England, George VI) was given a practically free hand in choosing his future wife. He, therefore, chose young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who was not a member of the ruling family by law. Until then, marriages had only been made between members of the royal ruling families. Prince Albert and Elizabeth got married in 1923, while Prince Albert assumed the throne in 1936 and took the name King George VI. Two daughters were born from this union – Elizabeth and Margaret. Elizabeth, as Elizabeth II, has been happily reigning queen since 1952.