 King George V – the ‘Sailor King’ – had been patron since 1892 and made regular donations.When he died in 1936, King Edward VIII and, on his abdication, King George VI, continued the Royal Family's connection and annual subscription to the Society.The liner SS Athenia was the first British ship torpedoed during World War II on 3 September 1939 and resulted in the loss of nearly 120 people.