(King
George and Queen Mary. Image Credit: ©BBC)
Forming part of The Royal Season: By Royal Invitation, King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy premieres
on the BBC Knowledge (channel 184 on DStv) on June 2 at 15h25 and 16h20.
George V could not have been a more
unlikely moderniser. Born and raised in the Victorian age, he was a conservative
bully. His wife, Queen Mary, revered the monarchy and obeyed her husband in
everything – even on the length of her dresses – and always put service and
duty first.
Yet in the face of the unstoppable social
changes after World War I, King George actually turned out to be a remarkable
innovator. He created the House of Windsor, embraced democratic reform, and
reinvented many of the royal traditions we know today.
Furthermore, when the abdication crisis
threatened the House of Windsor, Queen Mary was the rock to which the nation
turned as a symbol of stability and continuity.
This two-part documentary examines the
impact of the remarkable couple and shows how their influence still persists
today.
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