Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 53:23-56:52

A royal marriage preserves Anglo-Japanese ties

The future George VI's hypothetical marriage to a Japanese princess preserves naval ties and raises the prospect of an informal alliance.

Anglo-Japanese AllianceBritish EmpireImperial Japanese NavyInterwar PeriodNaval DiplomacyRoyal Navy
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Question

Could the future George VI marrying a Japanese princess in 1923 preserve close Royal Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy ties?

Short answer

A direct family link could substitute informally for the ended alliance, deepen technical and diplomatic ties, and alarm the United States.

Notes

A 1923 marriage between the Duke of York and a Japanese princess would connect the royal families after the formal Anglo-Japanese Alliance ended. In this scenario the Duke later becomes George VI, making the relationship a bond between reigning families. Close naval ties are expected to survive, with deeper technical cooperation and Japanese influences on British fabrics also suggested. The United States could regard the marriage as an alliance maintained by another means. A personal bond with the emperor could also make a later war harder to begin, although the precise consequences are left open.