King George VI (1936 - 1952)
Name: King George VI
Full Name: Albert Frederick Arthur George
Born: December 14, 1895 at Sandringham, Norfolk
Parents: George V and Mary of Teck
Relation to Charles III: Grandfather
House of: Windsor
Ascended to the throne: Dec 11, 1936 aged 40 years
Crowned: May 12, 1937 at Westminster Abbey
Married: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Children: Two daughters Elizabeth and Margaret
Died: February 6, 1952 at Sandringham, Norfolk, aged 56 years, 1 month, and 22 days
Buried at: Windsor
Reigned for: 15 years, 1 month, 25 days
Succeeded by: his daughter Elizabeth II
Second son of George V he was named Albert after his great grandfather Prince Albert. As The Duke of York he had never expected or wished to succeed to the throne. He was naturally diffident and anxious, and suffered from a speech impediment. But he never lacked bravery or enterprise, and had a strong sense of Duty. He had fought as a young naval officer at the Battle of Jutland in World War I, and was the first member of the Royal Family to learn to fly. In 1923 he married Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. They had two daughters Elizabeth, know as ‘Lilibet’ who later became Queen Elizabeth II, and Margaret Rose ‘Princess Margaret’.
He became King George VI in December 1936 following the death of his father George V and the abdication of his brother. Fortified by the influence of his Queen, who swiftly acquired immense popularity in her own right, George VI coped with the aftermath of the abdication in a way that quickly restored confidence in the monarchy.
When the horrors of World War II descended shortly afterwards on Britain, and on London in particular, the royal couple rose superbly to the occasion. Initially sceptical of Winston Churchill, the King and his Prime Minister soon developed a close personal working relationship and they met regularly to discuss the progress of the War. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth stayed at what they and their subjects saw as their posts all through the Blitz, and showed love and care for their people in gestures that stilled the meanest critics. They narrowly escaped death when bombs exploded beside Buckingham Palace. Their daughters served in uniform, and the identification of the Royal Family with the national will was complete.
Following the War Britain entered a time of economic austerity and the British Empire began to be replaced by the Commonwealth of Nations as former colonies including India became independent. The war effort had been crushing and the King’s health was permanently affected. He had been a heavy smoker and in 1951 had his left lung removed. He died suddenly in the winter of 1952.
King George VI's Signature
Quotes:
‘The highest of distinctions is service to others’ - King George VI
Timeline for King George VI
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1936 | George VI accedes to the throne upon the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII |
| 1937 | Frank Whittle invents the jet engine |
| 1938 | Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signs agreement with Adolf Hitler at Munich in an attempt to stop outbreak of war in Europe |
| 1938 | Nazi Germany annexes Austria |
| 1939 | Germany invades Poland. Outbreak of World War II. |
| 1940 | Retreating British troops evacuated from beaches of Dunkirk as Germans advance. |
| 1940 | Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister. |
| 1940 | Battle of Britain fought in the skies over England between the RAF and German Luftwaffe. |
| 1940 | German bombers blitz London, Coventry and other major cities |
| 1941 | Hitler invades the Soviet Union |
| 1941 | America enters the War after Japanese air raid on US fleet at Pearl Harbour. |
| 1942 | Fall of Singapore to the Japanese |
| 1942 | British victory at El Alamein. |
| 1944 | D-Day landings in Normandy as the Allies begin to push the German forces back across Europe. |
| 1944 | Battle of Arnhem airborne landings |
| 1945 | The defeat of Germany marks the end of World War II in Europe. |
| 1945 | Japan surrenders, after US drops atomic bombs on two cities. |
| 1946 | Start of the 'Cold War'. Churchill speaks of the 'Iron Curtain' separating Western Europe from the Communist Eastern block |
| 1947 | India granted independence. Pakistan declared a separate nation. |
| 1947 | Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) marries Philip Mountbatten |
| 1948 | National Health Service establishes free medical treatment. |
| 1948 | Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated. |
| 1949 | Berlin Airlift relieves the Soviet blockade of Berlin |
| 1950 | -1953 Korean War |
| 1951 | Winston Churchill becomes British Prime Minister again. |
| 1952 | George VI dies. |