King of Great Britain and Ireland (from 1920, Northern Ireland) and dependencies overseas, Emperor of India (1910–36). The son of Edward VII, he insisted that a general election should precede any reform of the House of Lords (1911). He brought together party leaders at the Buckingham Palace Conference (1914) to discuss Irish Home Rule. His acceptance of Ramsay MacDonald as Prime Minister of a minority government in 1924, and of a National government in 1931, contained an element of personal choice. He was succeeded by Edward VIII.