The prequel to The Crown: the first truly candid portrait of George V and Mary the Queen's
grandparents and creators of the modern monarchy Shortlisted for the Elizabeth Longford
Historical Biography prize and the History Reclaimed Book of the Year prize The lasting
reputation of George V is for dullness. However throughout his reign the monarch navigated a
constitutional crisis the First World War the fall of thirteen European monarchies and the
rise of Bolshevism. The suffragette Emily Davison threw herself under his horse at the Derby
he refused asylum to his cousin the Tsar Nicholas II and he facilitated the first Labour
government. How this supposedly limited man steered the Crown through so many perils is a
gripping tale. With unprecedented access to the Royal archives Jane Ridley has been able to
reassess the many myths associated with this dramatic period for the first time. 'Wonderful...
Never a dull paragraph' Ysenda Maxtone Graham The Times 'Magnificent... An evocative and
touching portrait of a surprisingly impressive man' Philip Hensher Spectator 'A big beautiful
beast of a book. Fair thorough and unexpectedly funny' Lucy Worsley
