The name George, chosen by Prince William and Kate for their first son, has a rich tradition in the British royal family with six former sovereigns sharing the name.
George, a fourth century Christian martyr, is also the patron saint of England and represents honour, bravery and gallantry. According to legend, he rescued a virgin from the claws of a dragon.
It is the third most popular name for a British sovereign, after Henry and Edward. Both of those names were shared by eight kings.
George, which was the 12th most popular name for baby boys in England and Wales in 2011, derives from the ancient Greek word for farmer and was widely predicted.
Here are the six kings named George who have ruled over Britain:
- George I (1714-1727): First king of the House of Hanover, he acceded to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland in 1714 despite only being 52nd in line. He claimed the throne as he was Queen Anne's closest living Protestant relative, Britain having passed the 1701 Act of Settlement which prohibited Catholics from inheriting the British throne.
Despite being born in Germany and having little command of English, he oversaw a period of great stability for Britain.
- George II (1727-1760): Son of George I, he is the last king of Britain to have entered battle alongside his troops, fighting against the French in the 1743 battle of Dettingen in Germany.
- George III (1760-1820): Grandson of George II, he is the third monarch from the House of Hanover and the first to be born in England and speak the language fluently. During his reign, Britain lost the United States, which declared its independence in 1776. George III holds the record for the longest life and reign of any British male sovereign, but had to cede de facto control of the throne to his son in 1811 due to recurrent, and eventually permanent, madness. His problems became the subject of the 1994 film "The Madness of King George".
- George IV (1820-1830): Son of George III, this art collector and bon viveur commissioned the extravagant Indian-themed royal pavillion in Brighton, southern England. He enjoyed a colourful private life, secretly and illegally marrying a Catholic woman before wedding a Protestant, whom he tried in vain to divorce.
- George V (1910-1936): During World War I, the emperor-king visited his troops on more than 450 occasions. Due to anti-German sentiment, he abandoned the historic family name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and adopted Windsor, the name of the castle to the west of London and the current name of the royal family. During his reign, Ireland became independent. George V began the tradition of addressing the nation at Christmas, via radio.
- George VI (1936-1952): The beloved father of the current monarch Queen Elizabeth II. He came to the throne in 1936, after his brother Edward VIII abdicated in order to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson. His real name was Albert, but he chose the name George VI on becoming king in honour of his father and to send a signal of stability following the chaos sparked by his brother. He suffered from a severe stutter. Actor Colin Firth portrayed George VI in the multi-Oscar-winning 2010 film "The King's Speech".
AFP
Wed Jul 24 2013
AWANI Ringkas: Kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini | Skandal LCS
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, kenapa tak umum tahun lepas? - MP Kampar
Chong Zhemin, tindakan tersebut seolah-olah satu penghinaan paling besar kepada Parlimen yang telah meluluskan pindaan Perlembagaan Persekutuan berkait Akta Antilompat Parti.
Masuk Pas untuk sama-sama susah dengan rakyat - ADUN Rembia
Muhamad Jailani berkata, sebelum ini beliau pernah menghantar surat kepada Lembaga Disiplin UMNO memohon untuk memecat keahliannya daripada parti Melayu itu.
[TERKINI] Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi Olimpik Paris 2024
Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi bagi Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024 bermula hujung bulan ini.
[TERKINI] Speaker DUN Melaka tunggu surat rasmi Muhammad Jailani
DUN Melaka masih menunggu surat rasmi daripada Pas berhubung tindakan ADUN Rembia, Datuk Muhamad Jailani Khamis yang menyertai Pas.
Sasar sumbang RM500 bilion kepada kdnk tempoh tiga tahun
Selangor perlu merancakkan semula kapasiti pembuatan untuk tidak hanya memenuhi keperluan tempatan, tetapi menjadikan negeri itu sebagai asas kepada pelan peluasan ke rantau Asia Tenggara dan Asia.
Wanita dihempap kayu balak mula sedarkan diri
Wanita yang nyaris maut akibat dihempap kayu balak dalam kejadian di lampu isyarat di Persimpangan Bendahara, Jalan Gua Musang-Kuala Krai di sini 9 Julai lepas, kini dilaporkan mula sedarkan diri.
Sah suspek anggota polis
Ketua Polis Selangor, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan mengesahkan suspek bunuh Nur Farah Kartini, ialah anggota polis.
Suspek juga yang dipercayai teman lelaki mangsa dan bertugas di Perak.
Suspek juga yang dipercayai teman lelaki mangsa dan bertugas di Perak.
Suspek dibawa ke lokasi kejadian di ladang kelapa sawit
Suspek kes pembunuhan bekas penuntut UPSI Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah dibawa ke lokasi kejadian di ladang kelapa sawit di Kampung Sri Keledang, Hulu Bernam, Selangor.
Ringgit susut berbanding dolar US pada penutup
Pada 6 petang, ringgit susut lagi kepada 4.6745/6790 berbanding dolar AS daripada 4.6725/6745 semasa ditutup semalam.