Prince of Wales dies in Japan 1922

The Great Kantō earthquake of 1923 destroyed much of the Yokohama shipyard and many ships were damaged. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1923_Great_Kantō_earthquake

IOTL, April 1922, HMS Renown arrived at Yokohama, Japan carrying the Prince of Wales on a tour of Japan. ITTL, the earthquake starts 1 year, 5 months early. HMS Renown, tied alongside at Yokohama is damaged, but remains operational and afloat, with her crew volunteering to fight the fires ashore, including using the ship's hoses and pumps. Meanwhile, Edward, PoW is killed in a geisha house with some Japanese VIPs.

What is the reaction in Britain, Japan and the world?
 
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The death of Edward, Prince of Wales would be seen as a tragic and sad event by most of the subjects of George V as the Prince seemed quite popular. The new heir would then be Prince Albert, Duke of York (his title since 1920.). Still single and actually having just given up on a romance, at the insistence of George V, with Sheila, Lady Loughborough from Australia, and not yet romancing Lady Elizabeth Bowles-Lyons, the sudden elevation on being next in line to a throne that he never expected to inherit, I think might put a great amount of anxiety on the Duke who was yet to tackle his stuttering problem that only got worse when speaking in public. Now as the new heir, the expectancy of him to pick up the public duties his elder brother had shown a great talent for might create more health and emotional problems on him.

Add to that, I wonder if the relationship he had with his father, whom was often frustrated and angry with the late Prince of Wales, might not transfer to his second son and new heir now that the dynamics have changed. I do not expect that the Duke of York will be named Prince of Wales in deference to his late brother, at least not until a respectable amount of time passes.

Would his choice of a bride also change now that he is the heir apparent? As first in line, would he now be expected to marry above the British aristocracy and instead need to find a "royal" bride suitable to one day being Queen? ( A possible reason his late brother never really took looking for a bride serious.)

Also, I know that his grandfather took the name Edward VII even though his whole life he was known as Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. Would this Prince Albert keep his name as a regnal name having been known as Albert for the remaining 14 years of his fathers life before he would inherit the throne?

If he still marries Lady Bowles-Lyons, would his daughter Elizabeth now be deprived of her early childhood prior to her Uncles abdication in real time, elevated her to Heiress? Intriguing and interesting timeline here.
 
Is there any impact to the alliance and ongoing WNT negotiations, with the upcoming ratification in August 1923? That's the same date the Anglo-Japan alliance was formally canceled.

AIUI, the USA would not agree to the Treaty until the British alliance with Japan was canceled.
 
I don't know that it would affect the treaty. The Prince of Wales had no political clout that I know of at that time. I still see the same old same old with regards. to the negotiations. Japan will still be whining that the British and American Navies get 5 tons to their three, even though their's (US and British) will be spread around the world and the Japanese 3 tons will be in the western Pacific only.
 
I don't know that it would affect the treaty. The Prince of Wales had no political clout that I know of at that time.
IDK, both nations held their royal families in high regarded, the Japanese saw theirs as near gods, and would assume the Brits felt somewhat the same way. The ceremony to recover the PoW and the state funeral would have been a massive affair, with the Japanese more involved than most. IMO, this may strengthen the ties between Britain and Japan.

Now that I think of it, I seem to be killing off the pre-WW2 monarchs, https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/hms-vanguard-explodes-at-kiel-june-26-1914.397572/
 
The Great Kantō earthquake of 1923 destroyed much of the Yokohama shipyard and many ships were damaged. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1923_Great_Kantō_earthquake

IOTL, April 1922, HMS Renown arrived at Yokohama, Japan carrying the Prince of Wales on a tour of Japan. ITTL, the earthquake starts 1 year, 5 months early.

Geological events are ASB in this forum as far as I am aware. Can't change earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunami's, size of continents, island groups, etc.

Best, Joho ;)
 
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