A letter writer has challenged the view that King George V was euthanised, arguing that his death was in fact murder. Garrick Alder of London contends that Queen Mary and the future Edward VIII made it clear to the king's physician, Lord Dawson, that they did not want the monarch's life prolonged if his condition was fatal. This left Dawson to 'do the right thing', which he understood as a licence to kill.
According to Alder, Dawson telephoned his wife an hour before administering the fatal injection, instructing her to tell The Times to hold its front page for the formal announcement. This premeditation, combined with the fact that Edward VIII hated his father and stood to gain the throne, provides means, motive and opportunity. Alder notes that there is no legal concept of euthanasia, making Dawson's actions murder.
The letter also debunks the myth of George V's last words, 'Bugger Bognor!', which were supposedly said on being told he would recuperate there. In fact, his conscious last words to a nurse administering an injection were 'God damn you!', suggesting he may have suspected the true nature of his treatment.
