The Two First Cousins, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and King George V of Great Britain, Pose for Various Photos Together

Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and King George V of Great Britain were first cousins and bore a striking resemblance to each other. Their close familial relationship was a product of the interconnected royal houses of Europe at the turn of the 20th century. Nicholas II (1868–1918) became Emperor of Russia in 1894, while his cousin George V (1865–1936) ascended the British throne in 1910.

They were related through their mothers: George V’s mother was Princess Alexandra of Wales, the wife of Queen Victoria’s eldest son, Edward VII, and the sister of Nicholas’ mother, Marie of Denmark (later Empress Maria Feodorovna). This connection meant they were not only close relatives but also had a close personal relationship. They often wrote to each other, using nicknames like “Nicky” and “Georgie.”

The two cousins were often mistaken for one another due to their remarkable physical similarities.  They shared the same blue eyes, similar beards, and an overall likeness that led many to joke they could have been twins. Photos of them together, particularly in military uniforms, highlight this uncanny resemblance.

Their bond, however, was tested by the geopolitical turmoil of the early 20th century. During World War I, Russia and Great Britain found themselves on the same side against the Central Powers, which included Germany, led by their other first cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II. Nicholas II, Wilhelm II, and George V were all first cousins through their shared grandmother, Queen Victoria, who was a key figure in the web of European royal relationships.

When the Russian Revolution began in 1917, Nicholas II and his family were overthrown and placed under house arrest. The British government offered the Romanovs asylum, but King George V withdrew the offer due to fears that public opinion in Britain would turn against him if he sheltered a controversial, autocratic monarch. He was concerned that it could incite a similar revolution in his own country. Ultimately, the Romanov family was executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.