View source for George VI of the United Kingdom (1895-1952)

{{Showfacts person
|given_name=George
|surname=Windsor
|sex=M
|father=George V of the United Kingdom (1865-1936)
|mother=Victoria Mary of Teck (1867-1953)
|familysearch_afn=9GBV-F4
|joined_with=Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002)
|image=King George VI of England, formal photo portrait, circa 1940-1946.jpg
|short_name=George VI of the United Kingdom
|long_name=George VI of the United Kingdom
|titles=King of the United Kingdom
|description=King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, Emperor of India, King of Ireland.
|birth_year=1895
|birth_month=12
|birth_day=14
|birth_address=York Cottage
|birth_locality=Sandringham, Norfolk
|birth_county=Norfolk
|birth_nation-subdiv1=England
|birth_nation=United Kingdom
|death_year=1952
|death_month=2
|death_day=6
|death_causes=lung cancer
|death_locality=Sandringham, Norfolk
|death_county=Norfolk
|death_nation-subdiv1=England
|death_nation=United Kingdom
|ifmarried-g1=true
|wedding1_year=1923
|wedding1_month=4
|wedding1_day=26
|wedding1_address=Westminster Abbey
|wedding1_locality=London
|wedding1_county=Middlesex
|wedding1_nation-subdiv1=England
|wedding1_nation=United Kingdom
|baptism_year=1896
|baptism_month=2
|baptism_day=17
|baptism_places-other=Sandringham, Norfolk+Norfolk+ England
|globals={{get globals}}
}}
* '''1936-1952: [[List of British monarchs| King of the United Kingdom]]'''
* '''1936-1947: [[Emporer of India]]'''
* '''George VI Albert Frederick Arthur'''
==Biography==
{{showfacts biography}}

'''George VI''' (Albert Frederick Arthur George; [[14 December]] [[1895]] – [[6 February]] [[1952]]) was [[British monarchy|King of the United Kingdom]] and the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Dominion]]s 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 VIII of the United Kingdom|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 Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002)|Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon]] in 1923, and they had two daughters, [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926)|Elizabeth]] (who succeeded him as Queen Elizabeth II) and [[Margaret Rose Windsor (1930-2002)|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 ===
[[File:Edward VII UK and successors.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1|Four kings: [[Edward VII]] (far right); his son George, Prince of Wales, later [[George V]] (far left); and grandsons Edward, later [[Edward VIII]] (rear); and Albert, later George VI (foreground), {{circa}} 1908]]

Albert was born at [[York Cottage]], on the [[Sandringham House|Sandringham Estate]] in Norfolk, during the reign of his great-grandmother [[Queen Victoria]].<ref>Rhodes James, p. 90; Weir, p. 329</ref> 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 [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]]), was the eldest child and only daughter of [[Francis, Duke of Teck]], and [[Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck|Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck]].<ref>Weir, pp. 322–323, 329</ref> His birthday, 14 December 1895, was the 34th anniversary of the death of his great-grandfather [[Albert, Prince Consort]].<ref>Judd, p. 3; Rhodes James, p. 90; Townsend, p. 15; Wheeler-Bennett, pp. 7–8</ref> 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."<ref>Judd, pp. 4–5; Wheeler-Bennett, pp. 7–8</ref>

=== Marriage ===
[[File:StateLibQld 1 110084 Duke and Duchess of York at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane, 1927.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Duke and Duchess of York (centre, reading programmes) at [[Eagle Farm Racecourse]], [[Brisbane]], Queensland, 1927]]
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 [[Sheila Chisholm|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.<ref>{{Citation |last=Henderson |first=Gerard |title=Sheila: The Australian Ingenue Who Bewitched British Society – review |date=31 January 2014 |url=http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/457107/Sheila-The-Australian-Ingenue-Who-Bewitched-British-Society-review |work=Daily Express |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123341/http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/457107/Sheila-The-Australian-Ingenue-Who-Bewitched-British-Society-review |access-date=15 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=live}}; {{Citation |last=Australian Associated Press |title=A Sheila who captured London's heart |date=28 February 2014 |url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/02/28/sheila-who-captured-londons-heart |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171106071743/http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/02/28/sheila-who-captured-londons-heart |publisher=Special Broadcasting Service |access-date=14 March 2015 |archive-date=6 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> That year, he met for the first time since childhood [[Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon]], the youngest daughter of the [[Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne|Earl]] and [[Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne|Countess of Strathmore]]. He became determined to marry her.<ref>Rhodes James, pp. 94–96; Vickers, pp. 31, 44</ref> 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.<ref>Bradford, p. 106</ref> 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.<ref>Bradford, p. 77; Judd, pp. 57–59</ref>

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.<ref>{{Citation |last=Roberts |first=Andrew |title=The House of Windsor |pages=57–58 |year=2000 |editor-last=Antonia Fraser |place=London |publisher=Cassell & Co. |isbn=978-0-304-35406-1 |editor-link=Antonia Fraser}}</ref> The newly formed [[British Broadcasting Company]] wished to record and broadcast the event on radio, but the Abbey [[Dean and Chapter of Westminster|Chapter]] vetoed the idea (although the [[Dean of Westminster|Dean]], [[Herbert Edward Ryle]], was in favour).<ref>{{Citation |last=Reith |first=John |title=Into the Wind |page=94 |year=1949 |place=London |publisher=Hodder and Stoughton |author-link=John Reith, 1st Baron Reith}}</ref>

=== Issue ===
# '''[[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926-2022)]]''' - successor as [[List of British monarchs| 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

{{showfacts children
|children-g1=Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926-2022)+Margaret Rose of the United Kingdom (1930-2002)
}}
{{Siblings}}

== See Also ==
=== Bibliography ===
* {{Cite book |last=Bradford |first=Sarah |year=1989 |title=King George VI |location=London |publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson |isbn=978-0-297-79667-1}}
* {{Cite book |last=Howarth |first=Patrick |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780091710002 |title=George VI |publisher=Hutchinson |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-09-171000-2 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |first=Denis |last=Judd |year=1982 |title=King George VI |location=London |publisher=Michael Joseph |isbn=978-0-7181-2184-6}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Matthew |first=H. C. G. |author-link=Colin Matthew |year=2004 |title=George VI (1895–1952) |journal=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography}}
* {{Cite book |last=Rhodes James |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Rhodes James |year=1998 |title=A Spirit Undaunted: The Political Role of George VI |location=London |publisher=Little, Brown and Co |isbn=978-0-316-64765-6}}
* {{Cite book |last=Shawcross |first=William |author-link=William Shawcross |year=2009 |title=Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother: The Official Biography |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-1-4050-4859-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Sinclair |first=David |year=1988 |title=Two Georges: The Making of the Modern Monarchy |publisher=Hodder and Stoughton |isbn=978-0-340-33240-5}}
* {{Cite book |last=Townsend |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Townsend (RAF officer) |year=1975 |title=The Last Emperor |location=London |publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson |isbn=978-0-297-77031-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Vickers |first=Hugo |title=Elizabeth: The Queen Mother |year=2006 |publisher=Arrow Books/Random House |isbn=978-0-09-947662-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Wheeler-Bennett |first=Sir John |author-link=John Wheeler-Bennett |year=1958 |title=King George VI: His Life and Reign |publisher=St Martin's Press |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/details/kinggeorgevihisl00whee}}
* {{Cite book |last=Weir |first=Alison |author-link=Alison Weir (historian) |year=1996 |title=Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy, Revised Edition |location=London |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-0-7126-7448-5}}
* {{Cite book |last=Windsor |first=The Duke of |author-link=Edward VIII |title=A King's Story |location=London |publisher=Cassell & Co Ltd |year=1951}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ziegler |first=Philip |author-link=Philip Ziegler |year=1990 |title=King Edward VIII: The Official Biography |location=London |publisher=Collins |isbn=978-0-00-215741-4}}

=== External Links ===
* {{PersonWP|format=link|lang=en|George VI}}
* {{thepeerage|id=100679|name=George VI Albert Frederick Arthur|primary=y}}
* {{citation |title=George VI|type=biography |publisher=Geni.com|access-date=01 May 2023 |url=https://www.geni.com/people/George-VI-King-of-the-United-Kingdom/6000000001217955606}}
* {{FAG|1446|George VI}}
* [https://www.royal.uk/george-vi George VI] at the website of the Royal Family
* [https://www.rct.uk/collection/people/king-george-vi-king-of-the-united-kingdom-1895-1952#/type/subject George VI] at the website of the [[Royal Collection Trust]]
* {{youTube|id=p1TubkzxPFY|title=Footage of King George VI stammering in a 1938 speech}}
* {{youTube|id=m-vlrXBqGw8|title=Soundtrack of King George VI Coronation speech in 1937}}

=== 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:
<blockquote>"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."</blockquote>

==== ''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 ===
{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Windsor]]|14 December|1895|6 February|1952|}}
{{S-reg}}
{{S-bef|rows=2|before=[[Edward VIII]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|King of the United Kingdom]] and the British [[Dominion]]s|years=1936–1952}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Elizabeth II]]}}
|-
{{S-ttl|title=[[Emperor of India]]<sup>1</sup>|years=1936–1947}}
{{S-non|reason=[[Partition of India]]}}
{{S-npo|mason}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Iain Colquhoun]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[List of Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Scotland|Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland]]|years=1936–1937}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Norman Orr-Ewing]]}}
{{S-hon}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Edward VIII]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Air commodore-in-chief]] of the [[Royal Auxiliary Air Force|Auxiliary Air Force]]|years=1936–1952}}
{{S-aft|rows=2|after=[[Elizabeth II]]}}
{{S-new|rows=2}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Head of the Commonwealth]]|years=1949–1952}}
|-
{{S-ttl|title=[[Air commodore-in-chief]] of the [[Air Training Corps]]|years=1941–1952}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|The Duke of Edinburgh]]}}
{{S-ref|[[Indian Empire]] dissolved 15 August 1947. Title abandoned 22 June 1948 ({{London Gazette|issue=38330|page=3647|date=22 June 1948}})}}


== References ==
<references/>

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