Frequent bouts of ill health had dogged King George V for several years, but his illness reached grave proportions in late 1928 when a pleural abscess weakened his heart. An operation saved his life but his recovery was very slow. Not until February 1929 was he able to journey to a house near Craigwell on the outskirts of Bognor in Sussex for several weeks of convalescence. In the Spring of 1929 he returned to London and in July he was able to attend a National Service of Thanksgiving for his recovery. On July 6th 1929, the ILN issued a
‘Thanksgiving Number’
(Appendix List No. 93) which took the form of a photographic record of the King s gradual progress to recovery from the first intimation of illness on November 22nd 1928 when the Queen had to deputise for him at the opening of the new Spitalfields Market, through the thirteen weeks’ convalescence, to his return to Windsor, London and Buckingham Palace. The central part of the issue is devoted to the Service of Thanksgiving to be held in Westminster Abbey on July 7th.
The front cover is a coloured portrait of the King surrounded by a border of heraldic and royal devices based on medieval illuminated manuscript illustrations.
This is issue number 4707, vol. 175, pages 1-60, measuring 38 x 27 cm and priced at two shillings.
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