George V's Children

Van Der Kiste, John

Sutton Pub Ltd

At the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, almost every European nation was a monarchy, most linked by close family ties to her and Edward VII, the "uncle of Europe". Prior to the outbreak of World War I, the personal relationships of Edward, and of his successor and son, George V, flourished with the other royal families of Europe. The closeness of the European families was violently interrupted by the outbreak of war in 1914, and the armistice of 1918 brought three empires, namely Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia, crashing down. Some monarchies were strengthened, and others weakened beyond repair. In this well-researched study, John Van der Kiste has drawn upon previously unpublished material for the Royal Archives, Windsor, to show the realtionships between the crowned heads of Europe in the first part of the 20th century. His account sheds new light on foreign policy leading up to World War I.

Crowns in a Changing World: The British and European Monarchies 1901-36

History

Europe

When the Greeks deposed their unpopular, childless, German-born King Otho in 1862, their choice for the vacant throne eventually fell on William, a prince from Denmark. Despite the instability of Greece, William - who chose the regal name of King George - proved an effective and popular monarch, weathering the storms engendered by nationalist aspirations in the Balkans, and defeat by Turkey in the war of 1897. Part of the King's prestige was owing to family connections: in the year of his election to the throne his eldest sister, Alexandra, married the future King Edward VII of Britain; and four years later another sister, Dagmar, married the Tsarevich, later Tsar Alexander III of Russia. On his assassination in 1913 King George was succeeded by his eldest son, Constantine, a brother-in-law of William II, German Emperor. King Constantine endeavoured to remain neutral during the First World War, but pressure from both sides, and from his government, forced him to abdicate in favour of his second son, Alexander. The latter's death from a monkey bite three years later led to King Constantine's recall, but a disastrous war with Turkey in 1922 resulted in his second abdication and death in exile a few months later. This remarkable history of the Greek royal family between 1863 and 1974 (illustrated with a large selection of photographs), shows how they reigned over an often turbulent country, in an age when constitutional monarchy in Europe was still evolving; and how being related by blood or marriage to most of the other royal houses could be both an advantage and a hindrance.

Kings of the Hellenes: The Greek Kings, 1863-1974

The monarchs of modern Scandinavia have received scant attention from previous biographers, and yet they played an important role not only in the development of their countries into individual modern states but, through the network of family, in other European countries as well. In this book, John Van der Kiste describes the lives of the Kings of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, from the birth of Christian IX of Denmark in 1818, the so-called 'Grandfather of Europe' whose children included Queen Alexandra, George I of the Hellenes and Marie Feodorovna, Empress of Russia, to Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden - who was twice married, to a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter of Queen VictoriaKing Haakon VII of Norway, a son-in-law of Edward VII, and Olav V of Norway who died in 1991. Also among these 'Northern Crowns', as they were known, are Frederick VIII and Frederick IX of Denmark and Gustav V of Sweden. The author also deals with the political background to the monarchs' reigns. In particular the book sheds light on the impact of the two world wars on the countries; the suspected pro-German leanings of Gustav V, Haakon VII's period as 'King in Exile' in London during the Second World War, and the occupation of Denmark.

Northern Crowns: The Kings of Modern Scandinavia

Biographies & Memoirs

A biography of the British royal couple, who reigned for over 30 years, 1727-60, but have received little attention, probably because they left the business of government to the period's very able ministers, including Robert Walpole and William Pitt. Also explores the couple's relationship with their sons. Distributed by Books International. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

King George II and Queen Caroline

Leaders & Notable People

The Romanovs 1818-1959: Alexander II of Russia and His Family

Looks at the lives of the Romanovs through the eyes of Tsar Alexander II and his immediate family. Thus, the reign and fall of Tsar Nicholas II and the ascension of the Bolsheviks to state power are told from the perspectives of Alexander III, Grand Duchess Marie, Grand Duke Serge, Grand Duke Paul, Alexander II's mistress and second wife Catherine Dolgorouky, and the latter's children. Concentrating on the intrigues, personal lives, and politics of the royal family, the author includes 58 portraits, photos, and engravings depicting the lives of the Tsar and his kin. Distributed by Books International. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Historical

John Van der Kiste's book takes in the principal monarchies of Scandinavia going back to the beginning of the 19th century. He uses unpublished sources and photographs to show how they relate to modern European history. The book also considers the political backgrounds to the monarchs' reigns; as well as examining the suspected pro-German leanings of Gustav V, the author describes the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905, which eventually led to the election of Christian IX's grandson as Haakon VII.

This engaging book presents the lives of the Greek royal family between 1863 and 1974, during a period of turbulence, and shows both the benefits and disadvantages of the dynasty's close ties to the other royal houses of Europe.

Kings of the Hellenes: The Greek Kings 1863-1974

George III's Children

King George III and Queen Charlotte had 15 children, all but two surviving to maturity. This book describes the relationships between the siblings and chronologically recounts the life of the family; the intriguing characters who surrounded the royal court; and the princes' liaisons which resulted in the extraordinary situation that, when Princess Charlotte of Wales died unexpectedly in 1817, George III, at the age of 79, did not have a single legitimate grandchild. Three of his children then hurried to the altar.

George Iii's Children

While they may not be associated with Christmas to the same degree as Charles Dickens, Gilbert and Sullivan have become part of the Christmas season. The former began his career as a dramatist writing Christmas stories and children's plays, while the latter's prolific output as a composer included music for several carols. The two dominated English culture for much of the Victorian age.

Gilbert & Sullivan's Christmas

Arts & Photography

Music

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Van Der Kiste, John. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Van Der Kiste, John

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Van Der Kiste, John. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

George V's Children

Crowns in a Changing World: The British and European Monarchies 1901-36

Kings of the Hellenes: The Greek Kings, 1863-1974

Northern Crowns: The Kings of Modern Scandinavia

King George II and Queen Caroline

The Romanovs 1818-1959: Alexander II of Russia and His Family

Northern Crowns: The Kings of Modern Scandinavia

Kings of the Hellenes: The Greek Kings 1863-1974

George Iii's Children

Gilbert & Sullivan's Christmas