George V's Doctor Scheduled Death

On January 20, 1936, dying British King George V asked his secretary, "How is the Empire?" and smiled after hearing that all was well. His final recorded words came later when he muttered, "God damn you!" at a nurse administering a sedative. After George lost consciousness, royal physician Lord Dawson injected fatal doses of morphine and cocaine into his jugular vein, claiming he wanted to preserve the king's dignity and spare his family a prolonged death. Dawson's journal revealed that he also timed the death for 11:55 p.m. so The Times could announce it in its morning edition instead of leaving the story to the evening newspapers.

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