The Diary of Dorothy Priest, December 1st 1914

H.M. George Vth has gone to the front to see his troops.  As all the papers take care to point out, he is the first British King to do so since George II fought at Dettingen, which, by a strange chance, is somewhere about the same part of Europe.

But the King will not actually fight and lead his men as that German creature did.  But anyway it is one distinction less for George II, and one more for George Vth.  He has several now.  He is the first King since long ago (Richard III, I think) to travel outside Europe after his Coronation, and the first British Emperor to do so also to visit his troops on active service.  I rather wish he was called Emperor instead of just King of England; but it is a contrast to the Kaiser.  Each of them is King and the third Emperor of his line, but King George is known as King though he rules over much more than the Kaiser, who is known as Emperor not King of Prussia.  It would be rather remarkable if after the war he were reduced to just King of Prussia again, while the King took the title of Emperor, though I do not think this last is likely.  I am very glad the King has gone to the front for more reasons than that he has removed a distinction from that George II.

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