George V and the Great War

Discover the role played by King George V during and after the First World War in this online talk with Alexandra Churchill.

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Throughout the first decade of his reign, George V transformed the way the Monarchy worked, establishing a blueprint that the House of Windsor still follows today. He became the most visible and accessible sovereign in British history at a time when Britain was at war and monarchies across Europe were being toppled. 

Alexandra Churchill will look at George’s wartime work, challenging assumptions about his capability as sovereign. She will explore his actions on the Home Front during the First World War and discuss his role in the establishment of the culture of remembrance that emerged in the wake of the conflict. As Mourner in Chief, George unveiled the Cenotaph, was present at the burial of the Unknown Warrior and pioneered battlefield visits. 

Alexandra Churchill is a historian of the First World War who has published five books on the subject. These include ‘Blood and Thunder: The Boys of Eton College and the First World War’, ‘Passchendaele: 103 Days in Hell’, and the book on which this talk is based, ‘In the Eye of the Storm: George V and the Great War’. 

This talk is part of our events programme for the ‘Buried Among Kings’ exhibition.