English kings of the 20-th century

During the year 1909 the political situation in England was developing into an acute constitutional crisis, which seemed like­ly to involve the Crown in serious difficulties. King Edward, although certainly not prejudiced against a Liberal ministry, was seriously disturbed in mind and health by the progress of events. The king became weak in health, and in the early spring he had to take change and rest at Biaritz, and then he had a bronchial attack which caused some anxiety, although the public heard nothing of it. When he returned to England there is no doubt that he was acutely affected of being forcibly dragged into the political con­flict. There was considerable opinion that the king's tact and experience would help to bring order out of chaos; but this was not to be. Within two days the public heard that Edward was ill. On the 5-th of May it was announced that the king had bronchitis; and he died at 11.45 P.M. on the 6-th, of the heart failure. On May 20 the burial took place at Windsor, after a great funeral procession through London, the coffin being followed by the new king, George V, and by eight foreign sovereigns, and a number of special ambassadors, including Mr. Roosevelt as representative of the United States.

After Edward VII's death his eldest son George V was made his heir to the throne. George V was born on the 3-rd of June 1865, and he ruled the country from 1910 till 1936, when, after his death, his eldest son Edward became the English King as Edward VIII. But he did not rule a whole year when in December 11, 1936 he abdicated in favour of happy private life with the good simple woman whom he loved, so he did not want to marry any offspring of a royal family, which was obligatary for the king. So he abdicted and had many years of happy life with his wife, Mrs. Simpson, and all his family. His younger brother took his place on the English throne as George VI. George VI was born on the 14-th of December 1895, and he was the English king since Decem­ber 1936 till the 6-th of February 1952, when he died, while his brother Edward lived till May 1972. After George VI's death his niece, Edward VIII's daughter, was placed on the English throne under the name of Elizabeth II, and she is the English Queen since 1952 till today.

There were many important changes in the country, as well as in the whole world, after the Second World War, and it stopped to be a great Empire with many colonies, her colonies are independent stales now, but it is quite a different story, and we must end our narration here.

The end

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