George V ascended to the throne to become king-emperor in 1910 following the death of his father, Edward VII. George V would rule through many of the key events of the early twentieth century, including the sinking of the Titanic, the rise of communism, the First World War, the rise of fascism and the rise of the Labour party in the United Kingdom.

Through the events of the First World War, George saw his cousins Wilhelm II of Germany and Nicholas II of Russia lose their power and their monarchies abolished. In contrast, due to the war, George V saw the British Empire expand to its ultimate size.