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King George VIKing of the United Kingdom (1936a href="1952.html" title="1952">52), King of Ireland (1936a href="1949.html" title="1949">1949), Emperor of India (1936a href="1947.html" title="1947">1947) |
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor) (14 December 1895–6 February 1952) was the third British monarch of the House of Windsor, reigning from 11 December 1936 until his death. As well as being King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the British dominions beyond the seas, George VI was the last Emperor of India (until 1947) and the last King to reign over Ireland (until 1949).
George VI succeeded the throne unexpectedly after the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII. He was most famous for his role in World War II as a symbolic leader for the British Empire's fight against Nazi Germany.
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Birth and Family
George VI was born on 14 December 1895 at York Cottage, on the Sandringham Estate, Norfolk. His father was Prince George, Duke of York (later King George V), the second but eldest surviving son of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark. His mother was Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York (later Queen Mary), the eldest daughter of Prince Francis, Duke of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. He was baptised at St Mary Magdalene's Church near Sandringham and his godparents were Queen Victoria, Empress Frederick, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Princess Augusta Sophia, the Crown Prince of Denmark, the Duke of Connaught, Prince Adolphus of Teck, and the Duchess of Fife.
On 23 June 1894, the Duchess of York gave birth to her eldest son Edward, who was third in line to the throne. The future George VI was the second son of his parents, and was thus fourth in line for the throne at birth.
The future George VI, Prince Albert, had the misfortune to be born on 14 December 1895, the anniversary of the death of the Prince Consort. Uncertain of how the Queen would take this news, Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, wrote to his son, Prince George, Duke of York, that the Queen had been a little distressed and he said: 'I really think it would gratify her if you yourself proposed the name Albert to her. This mollified the baby's great-grandmother, who wrote to the baby's mother, the Duchess of York: 'I am all impatience to see the new one, born on such a sad day but rather more dear to me, especially as he will be called by that dear name which is a byword for all that is great and good.' However, his maternal grandmother Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge did not like the first name the baby had been given, and she prophetically wrote that she hoped the last name "may supplant the less favoured one".
Although George VI was the son and grandson of Kings of the UK, his accession was the result of a play of circumstances. His father, the future George V, was the younger of the two sons of the then Prince of Wales, and was not expected ever to become king. However, his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, who had been expected to eventually ascend the throne, died unexpectedly at a young age, on 14 January 1892, supposedly of pneumonia. It was this that resulted in the Duke of York later becoming king George V.
Again, George VI himself was the second son of his parents; and indeed, his elder brother was proclaimed king, as Edward VIII, upon the demise of their father George V. However, Edward VIII chose to abdicate his crown to marry a divorcee; it was by reason of this unforseeable abdication, almost unique in the annals of England, that George VI finally came to the throne.
Early life
As a child, Albert often suffered from ill health and he was described as 'easily frightened and somewhat prone to tears'. His parents, the Duke and Duchess of York, were generally removed from their children's upbringing, as was the norm in royal families of that era. Unfortunately this allowed the Royal nanny to have a dominating role in their young lives. The nanny doted over Albert's brother, Prince Edward, while neglecting Albert. Albert developed a severe stammer that lasted for many years as well as chronic stomach problems. He also suffered from knock knees, and to correct this he had to wear splints, which were extremely painful. He was also forced to write with his right hand although he was a natural left-hander. While it is not known if left-handedness is genetic, many members of the British Royal Family have been left-handed.
Growing up, he was completely outshone by his elder brother, whose dominance was one of the most important influences on his early life. Prince Edward had, according to almost everyone who ever knew him, had an extraordinary and magnetic charm. No one felt his charms more strongly than the younger members of his family. In the isolation of their lives, he was the most attractive person they ever knew. In childhood they followed his leadership, while as young men they ardently admired him.
As a great grandson of Queen Victoria and the deceased Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the male line, he was styled His Highness Prince Albert of York from his birth. In 1898, Queen Victoria passed letters patent which granted the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales the style Royal Highness. Thus Albert was then styled His Royal Highness Prince Albert of York.
Queen Victoria died on 22 January 1901. The Prince of Wales succeeded her as King Edward VII. The Duke of York became the new Prince of Wales. Prince Edward was then second in line for the throne, and Prince Albert was now third in line.
Military career
In 1909, Albert joined the Royal Navy and served as a naval cadet. Despite coming in at the bottom of the class, Albert moved to Dartmouth and served as a midshipman. He was still in the Navy when Edward VII died on 6 May 1910. His father became King George V. Prince Edward was created Prince of Wales on 2 June 1910. Albert was now second in line for the throne.
Albert served during World War I (1914 — 1918). He saw action aboard HMS Collingwood in the Battle of Jutland (31 May — 1 June 1916). The battle was a tactical victory for the German Empire but a strategic victory for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
In 1917, Albert joined the Royal Air Force but did not see any further action in the war.
In 1920, Prince Albert was created Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney. He then began to take on royal duties, representing his father, King George V.
Marriage
Albert had a great deal of freedom in choosing a prospective wife. In 1920 he met Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the youngest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and set his sights on marrying her. She rejected his proposal twice and hesitated for nearly two years because she was reluctant to make the sacrifices necessary to become a member of the royal family. He would be 'made or marred' by his choice of wife and after a long and determined courtship she agreed to marry him. He could not have chosen a more appropriate bride and they were married on 26 April 1923 in Westminster Abbey. The newly-formed BBC wished to record and broadcast the event on radio, but the Archbishop of Canterbury Randall Thomas Davidson, vetoed the idea because "men in public houses may listen to the ceremony with their hats on". Lady Elizabeth was styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York after their marriage.
The Duke and Duchess of York had two children:
- Elizabeth II (born April 21, 1926)
- Princess Margaret (August 21, 1930 — February 9, 2002).
Reluctant king
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King George VI of the United Kingdom |
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The Duke and Duchess lived a relatively sheltered life at their London residence, 145 Piccadilly. On January 20, 1936, King George V died and Prince Edward ascended the throne as Edward VIII. As he had no children, Albert was now the heir presumptive to the throne until the unmarried Edward VIII had any legitimate children. However, Edward VIII abdicated the throne on December 11, 1936, in order to marry his love, Wallis Warfield Simpson. Thus Prince Albert, Duke of York, was now king, a position he was reluctant to accept, and due to his nervous disposition, there was some discussion to bypass him and have his brother Prince George, Duke of Kent succeed instead. The day before the abdication, he went to London to see his mother Queen Mary. He wrote in his diary 'When I told her what had happened, I broke down and sobbed like a child.'
Upon the abdication, on 11 December 1936, the Duke was proclaimed Sovereign, assuming the style and title King George VI to emphasize continuity with his father and restore confidence in the monarchy. His first act was to confer upon his brother the title HRH The Duke of Windsor. Three days after his accession he invested the Queen with the Order of the Garter.
George VI's coronation took place on 12 May 1937—the intended date of Edward's coronation. In a break with tradition, Queen Mary attended the coronation as a show of support for her son. There was no durbar held in Delhi for George VI, as had occurred for his father, as a prolonged absence from Britain in the tense period before World War II would have been unthinkable.
Reign
The beginning of George VI's reign was taken up by the questions surrounding the ex-King Edward VIII. George VI decided to create his brother, now reverted to his previous title of Prince Edward, as the Duke of Windsor. He also issued letters patent entitling Prince Edward to be styled His Royal Highness, but preventing any wife and children from being so. George VI was also forced to buy the royal homes of Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House from Prince Edward, as these were private properties and did not pass to George VI on his accession.
The growing likelihood of war erupting in Europe would dominate the reign of King George VI. Initially the King and Queen took an appeasement stance against Hitler, supporting the policy of Neville Chamberlain. The King and Queen greeted Chamberlain on his return from negotiating the Munich Agreement in 1938, and invited him to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with them, sparking anger among anti-appeasement MPs including Winston Churchill.
In 1939, the King and Queen visited Canada and the United States of America, the first reigning monarchs to do so. The aim of these visits was mainly political, to shore up Atlantic support for Britain in any upcoming war. The King and Queen were warmly received by the American people and stayed at the White House with President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
When war broke out in 1939, George VI with Queen Elizabeth resolved to stay in London and not flee to Canada, as had been suggested. The King and Queen officially stayed in Buckingham Palace throughout the war, although they often escaped to Windsor Castle to avoid bombing raids. George VI and Queen Elizabeth narrowly avoided death when a lone German bomber despatched to bomb Buckingham Palace attacked. The bomb exploded in the courtyard, shattering windows in the palace.
Throughout the war, the King and Queen provided morale-boosting visits throughout the UK, visiting bomb sites and munition factories. On VE Day, the Royal Family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to celebrate the end of the war in Europe.
Illness
The war had taken its toll on the King's health. This was exacerbated by his heavy smoking and subsequent development of lung cancer. Increasingly Princess Elizabeth, his daughter and heir presumptive to the Throne, would take on more of the royal duties as her father's health deteriorated.
On 6 February 1952, George VI died at Sandringham House in Norfolk. His funeral took place on February 15, and he was buried in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. In 2002, the body of his wife Elizabeth and his daughter Princess Margaret were interred in a tomb alongside him.
Empire to Commonwealth
A plaque on the Manchester Town Hall records George VI's titles before giving up being Emperor of India.George VI's reign saw the beginning of the decline of the British Empire, which greatly accelerated after the ending of World War II. Firstly, India became an independent dominion, leading George VI to relinquish the title of Emperor of India. He served as King of India until a republic was declared in 1950.
He was also the last King of Ireland, succeeding to that title by the adoption of the External Relations Act until its repeal in the Republic of Ireland Act in 1948.
The decision of India in 1950 to become a republic saw it recognise George VI as Head of the Commonwealth, a title now incorporated into the regal style, although it is not clear whether the title is herary.
Legacy
A statue of George VI adorns The Mall, near Admiralty Arch.
A biographical television series, Bertie and Elizabeth, was broadcast on BBC in 2003. The series was also broadcast on PBS as a part of the Masterpiece Theater series in March 2005.
Titles from birth to death
- 1895-1898: His Highness Prince Albert of York
- 1898-1901: His Royal Highness Prince Albert of York
- 1901: His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Cornwall and York
- 1901-1910: His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Wales
- 1910-1920: His Royal Highness The Prince Albert
- 1920-1936: His Royal Highness The Duke of York
- 1936-1947: His Majesty George VI, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland, and of the British dominions beyond the seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.
- 1947-1952: His Majesty George VI, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland, and of the British dominions beyond the seas, King, Defender of the Faith.
| Preceded by: Edward VIII |
King of the United Kingdom 1936–1952 |
Succeeded by: Elizabeth II |
| Emperor of India 1936–1947 |
Succeeded by: Title relinquished |
| Preceded by: New Creation |
Duke of York 1920–1936 |
Succeeded by: Merged in crown |
| Preceded by: Iain Colquhoun |
Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland 1936–1937 |
Succeeded by: Norman Orr-Ewing |