Photograph of King George V of Hanover in a half length portrait. He faces three-quarters to the left and wears military uniform with a sash and the Order of the Garter.

King George V of Hanover was born in Berlin on 27 May 1819 to Ernst Augustus King of Hanover and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. King George lost his sight as a result of a childhood illness. As a result of her father's loss of sight, his daughter Princess Frederica (1848-1926), became a benefactress of the Royal Normal College and Academy of Music for the Blind, established in England. George ascended to the throne on the 18 November 1851, aged 32 and was deposed following the Austro-Prussian War when his troops surrendered to the Prussian forces and Hanover was formally annexed in September 1866.