- 1936-1952: King of the United Kingdom
- 1936-1947: Emporer of India
- George VI Albert Frederick Arthur
Biography
George VI of the United Kingdom, King of the United Kingdom, was born 14 December 1895 in York Cottage, Sandringham, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom to George V of the United Kingdom (1865-1936) and Victoria Mary of Teck (1867-1953) and died 6 February 1952 Sandringham, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom of lung cancer. He married Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002) 26 April 1923 in Westminster Abbey, London, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom.
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. He was the last Emperor of India (until 1947) and the last King of Ireland (until 1949).
He was born Albert Frederick Arthur George on December 14, 1895, in Sandringham, Norfolk, England. As the second son of father, he was not expected to inherit the throne and spent his early life in the shadow of his elder brother, Edward. He served in the Royal Navy during World War I, and after the war took on the usual round of public engagements. He married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923, and they had two daughters, Elizabeth (who succeeded him as Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret.
George was the second son of the future King George V and Queen Mary. He was not expected to become king, as his older brother Edward was the heir to the throne. However, when Edward abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, George became king.
George VI faced many challenges during his reign, including the Second World War, which he helped to lead the British people through with courage and determination. He was a popular monarch and was known for his steadfastness and sense of duty.
One of the most significant events of his reign was his visit to the United States in 1939, where he met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to discuss the possibility of American support for Britain in the coming war.
George VI was also known for his support of the arts and sciences. He was a patron of many organizations, including the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Academy of Arts.
In addition to his official duties, George VI was a devoted family man. He married Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923, and they had two daughters, Princess Elizabeth (who later became Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret.
George VI's health began to decline in the late 1940s, and he died on February 6, 1952, at the age of 56. His daughter Elizabeth succeeded him as queen.
Early Life
Albert was born at York Cottage, on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria.[1] His father was Prince George, Duke of York (later King George V), the second and only surviving son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra). His mother, the Duchess of York (later Queen Mary), was the eldest child and only daughter of Francis, Duke of Teck, and Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck.[2] His birthday, 14 December 1895, was the 34th anniversary of the death of his great-grandfather Albert, Prince Consort.[3] Uncertain of how the Prince Consort's widow, Queen Victoria, would take the news of the birth, the Prince of Wales wrote to the Duke of York that the Queen had been "rather distressed". Two days later, he wrote again: "I really think it would gratify her if you yourself proposed the name Albert to her."[4]
Marriage
In a time when royalty were expected to marry fellow royalty, it was unusual that Albert had a great deal of freedom in choosing a prospective wife. An infatuation with the already-married Australian socialite Lady Loughborough came to an end in April 1920 when the King, with the promise of the dukedom of York, persuaded Albert to stop seeing her.[5] That year, he met for the first time since childhood Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the youngest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. He became determined to marry her.[6] Elizabeth rejected his proposal twice, in 1921 and 1922, reportedly because she was reluctant to make the sacrifices necessary to become a member of the royal family.[7] In the words of Lady Strathmore, Albert would be "made or marred" by his choice of wife. After a protracted courtship, Elizabeth agreed to marry him.[8]
Albert and Elizabeth were married on 26 April 1923 in Westminster Abbey. Albert's marriage to someone not of royal birth was considered a modernising gesture.[9] The newly formed British Broadcasting Company wished to record and broadcast the event on radio, but the Abbey Chapter vetoed the idea (although the Dean, Herbert Edward Ryle, was in favour).[10]
Issue
- Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926-2022) - successor as Queen of the United Kingdom and eventually becoming the longest serving monarch in British history (70 years : 1952-2022).
- Margaret Rose of the United Kingdom (1930-2002) (AKA: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon) From the 1950s onwards, Margaret became one of the world's most celebrated socialites, famed for her glamorous lifestyle and reputed romances. Most famously, she fell in love in the early 1950s with Peter Townsend, a married RAF officer in the royal household. In 1952, her father died, her sister became queen, and Townsend divorced his wife
Children
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926-2022) | 21 April 1926 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, Greater London, England, United Kingdom | 8 September 2022 Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021) |
Margaret Rose of the United Kingdom (1930-2002) | 21 August 1930 Glamis, Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom | 9 February 2002 Marylebone, Greater London, England, United Kingdom | Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon (1930-2017) |
Siblings
See Also
Bibliography
- Bradford, Sarah (1989). King George VI. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 978-0-297-79667-1.
- Howarth, Patrick (1987). George VI. Hutchinson. ISBN 978-0-09-171000-2. https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780091710002.
- Judd, Denis (1982). King George VI. London: Michael Joseph. ISBN 978-0-7181-2184-6.
- Matthew, H. C. G. (2004). "George VI (1895–1952)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
- Rhodes James, Robert (1998). A Spirit Undaunted: The Political Role of George VI. London: Little, Brown and Co. ISBN 978-0-316-64765-6.
- Shawcross, William (2009). Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother: The Official Biography. Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4050-4859-0.
- Sinclair, David (1988). Two Georges: The Making of the Modern Monarchy. Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-33240-5.
- Townsend, Peter (1975). The Last Emperor. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 978-0-297-77031-2.
- Vickers, Hugo (2006). Elizabeth: The Queen Mother. Arrow Books/Random House. ISBN 978-0-09-947662-7.
- Wheeler-Bennett, Sir John (1958). King George VI: His Life and Reign. New York: St Martin's Press. https://archive.org/details/kinggeorgevihisl00whee.
- Weir, Alison (1996). Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy, Revised Edition. London: Random House. ISBN 978-0-7126-7448-5.
- Windsor, The Duke of (1951). A King's Story. London: Cassell & Co Ltd.
- Ziegler, Philip (1990). King Edward VIII: The Official Biography. London: Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-215741-4.
External Links
- wikipedia:en:George VI
- George VI Albert Frederick Arthur at thePeerage
- George VI, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/George-VI-King-of-the-United-Kingdom/6000000001217955606, retrieved 01 May 2023
- George VI at Find A Grave
- George VI at the website of the Royal Family
- George VI at the website of the Royal Collection Trust
- Footage of King George VI stammering in a 1938 speech on YouTube
- Soundtrack of King George VI Coronation speech in 1937 on YouTube
Ancestry Trees
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- Rurik Family Ancestry
- Rollo Family Ancestry
- Alfred the Great Family Ancestry
- House of Hanover
- Plantagenet Family Line
- Capetian dynasty
Original Citations
The New York Times: Childbirth
The New York Times, published on December 15, 1895, reporting on the birth of Prince Albert (later King George VI). This news report was published on the front page of the newspaper, indicating that the birth of a royal heir was considered significant international news at the time:
"London, Dec. 14. -- The Duchess of York was safely delivered of a son at Sandringham at 11:55 o'clock tonight. The child is a second son, and is third in succession to the throne. The news was telegraphed at once to the Queen and to the Prince of Wales, and was received with expressions of the greatest satisfaction. The members of the Royal Family are all at Sandringham, and a dispatch says that the scene there was one of great rejoicing when the birth of the young Prince was announced. Both the Duchess and the child are doing well."
The London Times: Coronation
The Times of London, published on May 13, 1937, reporting on the coronation of King George VI: This news report was also published on the front page of the newspaper, indicating that the coronation of a monarch was considered significant international news at the time.
"Yesterday was the day of King George VI's coronation. It was a day of intense excitement and pageantry, and one which will long be remembered by those who witnessed it. The weather was fine and the streets were thronged with people, who had come from all parts of the country to see their new King crowned. The procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey was a magnificent spectacle, with troops of cavalry and infantry lining the route and bands playing stirring music. The King, dressed in the robes of state, rode in the golden state coach, accompanied by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family.
"The ceremony at Westminster Abbey was solemn and impressive, with the Archbishop of Canterbury performing the coronation ritual and the choir singing anthems and hymns. The King took the oath of office and was anointed with holy oil, after which he was crowned with the St. Edward's Crown.
"After the ceremony, the King and Queen returned to Buckingham Palace, where they appeared on the balcony to acknowledge the cheers of the crowds below. In the evening, there was a gala dinner at the palace, attended by many foreign dignitaries and members of the aristocracy.
"The coronation of King George VI was a great success and was widely seen as a symbol of continuity and stability in a time of great uncertainty and change."
Royal Succession Charts
George VI of the United Kingdom (1895-1952) Born: 14 December 1895 Died: 6 February 1952
| ||
Regnal titles | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Edward VIII |
King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions 1936–1952 |
Succeeded by Elizabeth II |
Emperor of India1 1936–1947 |
Partition of India | |
Freemasonry offices | ||
Preceded by Iain Colquhoun |
Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland 1936–1937 |
Succeeded by Norman Orr-Ewing |
Honorary titles | ||
Preceded by Edward VIII |
Air commodore-in-chief of the Auxiliary Air Force 1936–1952 |
Succeeded by Elizabeth II |
New title | Head of the Commonwealth 1949–1952 | |
Air commodore-in-chief of the Air Training Corps 1941–1952 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Edinburgh | |
Notes & References | ||
1. Indian Empire dissolved 15 August 1947. Title abandoned 22 June 1948 ( You must specify issue= and startpage= when using {{London Gazette}}. Available parameters: Template:London Gazette/doc/parameterlist |
References
- ^ Rhodes James, p. 90; Weir, p. 329
- ^ Weir, pp. 322–323, 329
- ^ Judd, p. 3; Rhodes James, p. 90; Townsend, p. 15; Wheeler-Bennett, pp. 7–8
- ^ Judd, pp. 4–5; Wheeler-Bennett, pp. 7–8
- ^ Henderson, Gerard (31 January 2014), "Sheila: The Australian Ingenue Who Bewitched British Society – review", Daily Express, http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/457107/Sheila-The-Australian-Ingenue-Who-Bewitched-British-Society-review, retrieved 15 March 2015; Australian Associated Press (28 February 2014), A Sheila who captured London's heart, Special Broadcasting Service, http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/02/28/sheila-who-captured-londons-heart, retrieved 14 March 2015
- ^ Rhodes James, pp. 94–96; Vickers, pp. 31, 44
- ^ Bradford, p. 106
- ^ Bradford, p. 77; Judd, pp. 57–59
- ^ Roberts, Andrew (2000), Antonia Fraser, ed., The House of Windsor, London: Cassell & Co., pp. 57–58, ISBN 978-0-304-35406-1
- ^ Reith, John (1949), Into the Wind, London: Hodder and Stoughton, p. 94
Footnotes (including sources)
|