Reign: 1910–36
Spouse: Princess Mary of Teck, m1893
Children: Edward VIII; George VI; Mary, Princess Royal; Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; Prince George, Duke of Kent; Prince John of the United Kingdom
Grandchildren: Nine, including Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret
At the beginning of 1892, Eddy had been looking forward to getting married and settling down. It was hoped that his bride, Princess Mary of Teck (also known as ‘May’), would ‘knock him into shape’ and get him ready for the throne. But a flu epidemic was sweeping the globe, and after attending a funeral in London, the family adjourned to Sandringham to celebrate Eddy’s birthday – taking the illness with them. He was dead within a week. The nation was in shock and George, who had barely survived his own battle with typhoid, was looking at an entirely different future, for which he was completely unprepared.