Card of the Day: The King at the Front

The sixth in the series of Wills Cigarette Cards commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary depicts a scene of King George V at the front in France. King George V led his nation through the First World War. Though the war took a great toll on his health, his unending guidance and care led to triumph.


The reverse of the card reads:

THE KING AT THE FRONT


The first week of December, 1914, the King spent with his army in France, thoroughly surveying the British poistion, visiting all Corps and Divisional headquarters and many field hospitals. Sir John French received the Order of Merit and among the Allied Generals given audience were Joffre and Foch. On the King of the Belgians, the King personally bestowed the Order of the Garter. The two monarchs met in a quiet country road, and crossing the Belgian frontier in King Albert’s car, and together reviewed detachments of Allied troops. This was the first journey of a British monarch to a seat of war in 171 years.