Background
King George VI, born Albert Frederick Arthur George Saxe-Coburg-Gotha on December 14, 1895, in Norfolk, England, was the second son of King George V and Victoria May, the Duchess of York (Mary of Teck).
George VI in the uniform of a field marshal
1936
The Duke of York arriving at his home, 145 Piccadilly, London, 10th. The next day the Duke became King George VI following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII.
1937
Darlington Town Hall decorated for the coronation.
1937
British Royalty, London, England, 12th May 1937, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth pictured wearing their crowns and coronation robes as they stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with Princess Elizabeth (waving) and Princess Margaret
1937
A family group shows King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother)with their daughters Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret Rose.
1937
London, England
His Majesty King George VI, wearing his uniform as Admiral of the Fleet. He served as a gunner during World War I at the Battle of Jutland.
1937
'King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on their Coronation Day; with Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret'. From The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
1937
'Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon and the Duke of York upon the announcement of their engagement', 1923. From Our King & Queen and the Royal Princesses.
1937
'His Majesty Speaks to His Empire'. King George VI addresses the Empire on the day of his coronation. The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
1938
France
King George VI (1895 - 1952) and Queen Elizabeth (1900 - 2002) unveil the Villers' Bretonneux Australian National Memorial in the Somme, during their State Visit to France. The Queen is wearing a dress from the White Wardrobe designed for her by Norman Hartnell to mark the death of her mother, the Countess of Strathmore.
1938
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, UK
Portrait of King George VI (1895-1952) with his daughters, Princess Elizabeth (left) and Princess Margaret (1930-2002) and their pet corgi at Buckingham Palace.
1939
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, on the USS Potomac.
1939
New York, USA
American President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945) (right), his wife, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962) (left), and mother, Sara Roosevelt (1854 - 1941), host King George VI (1865 - 1936) (second left) and his wife, Queen Elizabeth (1900 - 2002), at their home in during a State Visit, Hyde Park.
1942
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) with King George VI (right) in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, London, during World War II.
1942
Royal Lodge, Windsor, UK
King George VI relaxes with his wife, the Queen Consort Elizabeth, and his children, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret (1930 - 2002).
1942
England
King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret in a doorway holding reading books at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Castle.
1944
Holland
George VI (left) with Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery (right).
1944
England
World War II, 6th July 1944, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II), King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) with Lieutenant General James Doolittle the 8th Air Force Commander after the official naming of a Flying Fortress 'Rose of York' at an aerodrome "somewhere in England".
1945
George VI and British prime minister Clement Attlee (left).
1945
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, UK
From left to right, Air Marshal Sir Charles Portal of the RAF, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965), King George VI, Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke of the British Army, and Admiral Sir John Cunningham of the Royal Navy, outside Buckingham Palace in London.
1945
Windsor, England, Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother), King George VI, and Princesses Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret at a Windsor tree planting ceremony.
1946
London, England
The two princesses, Elizabeth, left, and Margaret Rose, right, pose with Their Majesties, Queen Elizabeth and King George VI, before setting off on their daily canter around the grounds of Windsor Castle.
1946
Windsor, England
King George VI (1895-1952) with his daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret (1930 - 2002) in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
1946
Windsorc
Princess Margaret (1930 - 2002) with her father King George VI (1895-1952) in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
1947
London, UK
Princess Elizabeth and King George VI ride in the Irish State Coach past crowds of people through Admiralty Arch and on their way to Westminster Abbey for the wedding of the Princess and the Duke of Edinburgh.
1949
Royal cypher (monogram).
1949
The 7th Earl of Harewood (1923 - 2011) and pianist Marion Stein, now the Countess of Harewood (1926 - 2014) at St James' Palace in London during their wedding reception.
1950
British Royalty, King George VI, (1895-1952) of Great Britain who reigned from 1936-1952.
1897
The future King Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, later The Duke of Windsor; 1894 - 1972) and his brother, the future King George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 1895 - 1952, right). The photo was taken by Richard Speaight.
1908
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).
1919
Albert at an RAF dinner.
1920
Edward, Prince Of Wales (1894 - 1972), leaves for Australia. On deck are, from left to right, Duke of Gloucester, Prince of Wales, George Duke of York (1895 - 1952), and Lord Louis Mountbatten (1900 - 1979).
1923
The wedding of the Duke of York (1895 - 1952), later George VI, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon (1900 - 2002).
1923
The Duke and Duchess of York on their marriage day, later becoming King George VI (1895 - 1952) and Queen Elizabeth (1900 - 2002).
1925
The Duke of York, later King George VI of Great Britain on a slide at the Wembley exhibition.
1926
The Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) pictured with their daughter (later, Queen Elizabeth II) as she sleeps in a precious christening robe, which has been used in the Royal Family for generations.
1927
Brisbane, Australia
The Duke and Duchess (center, reading programs) at Eagle Farm Racecourse.
1933
Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of York with their children Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret.
1935
British Royalty, HRH, Edward, The Prince of Wales, with his brother the Duke of York and the Duke's children, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret,The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII (1894-1972) was King in only 1936, (never crowned) and abdicated due to his romance with Mrs, Wallis Simpson.
1935
The Duke of York and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret at the pantomime, 6 February 1935. From The Royal Jubilee Book 1910-1935.
1936
The Duke of York arriving at his home, 145 Piccadilly, London, 10th. The next day the Duke became King George VI following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII.
1937
Darlington Town Hall decorated for the coronation.
1937
British Royalty, London, England, 12th May 1937, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth pictured wearing their crowns and coronation robes as they stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with Princess Elizabeth (waving) and Princess Margaret
1937
A family group shows King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother)with their daughters Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret Rose.
1937
London, England
His Majesty King George VI, wearing his uniform as Admiral of the Fleet. He served as a gunner during World War I at the Battle of Jutland.
1937
'King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on their Coronation Day; with Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret'. From The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
1937
'Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon and the Duke of York upon the announcement of their engagement', 1923. From Our King & Queen and the Royal Princesses.
1937
'His Majesty Speaks to His Empire'. King George VI addresses the Empire on the day of his coronation. The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
1938
France
King George VI (1895 - 1952) and Queen Elizabeth (1900 - 2002) unveil the Villers' Bretonneux Australian National Memorial in the Somme, during their State Visit to France. The Queen is wearing a dress from the White Wardrobe designed for her by Norman Hartnell to mark the death of her mother, the Countess of Strathmore.
1938
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, UK
Portrait of King George VI (1895-1952) with his daughters, Princess Elizabeth (left) and Princess Margaret (1930-2002) and their pet corgi at Buckingham Palace.
1939
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, on the USS Potomac.
1939
New York, USA
American President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945) (right), his wife, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962) (left), and mother, Sara Roosevelt (1854 - 1941), host King George VI (1865 - 1936) (second left) and his wife, Queen Elizabeth (1900 - 2002), at their home in during a State Visit, Hyde Park.
1942
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) with King George VI (right) in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, London, during World War II.
1942
Royal Lodge, Windsor, UK
King George VI relaxes with his wife, the Queen Consort Elizabeth, and his children, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret (1930 - 2002).
1942
England
King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret in a doorway holding reading books at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Castle.
1944
Holland
George VI (left) with Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery (right).
1944
England
World War II, 6th July 1944, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II), King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) with Lieutenant General James Doolittle the 8th Air Force Commander after the official naming of a Flying Fortress 'Rose of York' at an aerodrome "somewhere in England".
1945
George VI and British prime minister Clement Attlee (left).
1945
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, UK
From left to right, Air Marshal Sir Charles Portal of the RAF, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965), King George VI, Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke of the British Army, and Admiral Sir John Cunningham of the Royal Navy, outside Buckingham Palace in London.
1945
Windsor, England, Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother), King George VI, and Princesses Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret at a Windsor tree planting ceremony.
1946
London, England
The two princesses, Elizabeth, left, and Margaret Rose, right, pose with Their Majesties, Queen Elizabeth and King George VI, before setting off on their daily canter around the grounds of Windsor Castle.
1946
Windsor, England
King George VI (1895-1952) with his daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret (1930 - 2002) in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
1946
Windsorc
Princess Margaret (1930 - 2002) with her father King George VI (1895-1952) in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
1947
London, UK
Princess Elizabeth and King George VI ride in the Irish State Coach past crowds of people through Admiralty Arch and on their way to Westminster Abbey for the wedding of the Princess and the Duke of Edinburgh.
1949
Royal cypher (monogram).
1949
The 7th Earl of Harewood (1923 - 2011) and pianist Marion Stein, now the Countess of Harewood (1926 - 2014) at St James' Palace in London during their wedding reception.
1950
British Royalty, King George VI, (1895-1952) of Great Britain who reigned from 1936-1952.
George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and Princess Elizabeth standing with a group of RAF personnel.
Carlton Gardens, London, UK
Statue of George VI
Princess Elizabeth holding Princess Anne with Queen Mary (left) whilst Queen Elizabeth (1900 - 2002) holds Prince Charles (right). King George VI and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh stand behind them after Princess Anne's christening.
Britain's King George VI standing in Land Rover as a group capt. & royal family aide, Peter Townsend (R), sits nearby & looks admiringly at the king, during the review of British Legion in Hyde Park.
King George VI
The official Coronation Group picture of the British family is shown, with emphasis on the main family. The photo was taken at Buckingham Palace by Hay Wrightson. Left to right are Princess Royal, The Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Gloucester, Queen Mary, King George, Queen Elizabeth, The Duke of Kent, The Duchess of Kent and Her Majesty Queen of Norway. In front is princess Margaret Rose, (L), and Princess Elizabeth, heir to the throne.
King George VI
King George VI
A portrait of the British royal family in the state apartments at Buckingham Palace to mark the engagement of Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Philip Mountbatten (later Duke of Edinburgh), July 1947. Left to right: Princess Elizabeth, Philip Mountbatten, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (1900 - 2002), King George VI (1895 - 1952) and Princess Margaret (1930 - 2002).
Albert and Elizabeth, Duke and Duchess of York, relax after a round of golf during their honeymoon. They are the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England.
King George VI
Princess Elizabeth holding Princess Anne with Queen Mary (left) whilst Queen Elizabeth (1900 - 2002) holds Prince Charles (right). King George VI and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh stand behind them after Princess Anne's christening.
The official Coronation Group picture of the British family is shown, with emphasis on the main family. The photo was taken at Buckingham Palace by Hay Wrightson. Left to right are Princess Royal, The Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Gloucester, Queen Mary, King George, Queen Elizabeth, The Duke of Kent, The Duchess of Kent and Her Majesty Queen of Norway. In front is princess Margaret Rose, (L), and Princess Elizabeth, heir to the throne.
King George VI
King George VI
Castle Spouse Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, George's spouse.
Elizabeth II
King George VI, born Albert Frederick Arthur George Saxe-Coburg-Gotha on December 14, 1895, in Norfolk, England, was the second son of King George V and Victoria May, the Duchess of York (Mary of Teck).
His youth was not easy. Though affectionate with his mother, affection was not always returned, and his father was harsh and critical. His tutors forced him to write with his right hand, though he was naturally left handed. He developed a stammer around age 8, and suffered the indignity of wearing leg braces to correct his knock knees. Often ill and easily frightened, George VI was somewhat prone to tears and tantrums—traits that he carried throughout much of his adult life.
Though formally known as "His Highness Prince Albert of York," within the family the future king was called "Bertie," and as a young man, "Albert." In 1909, he graduated from the Royal Naval Academy at Osborne, but finished at the bottom of his class in the final exam. Despite this, Albert progressed to the Royal Navy Academy at Dartmouth and then joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman. During World War I, he served on the HMS Collingwood, and saw action at the inconclusive Battle of Juteland in May 1916. In 1919, he joined the Royal Air Force and was certified as a pilot.
fter the war, Prince Albert went to Trinity College (University of Cambridge) and studied history, economics and civics. He only stayed there for one year, however, and in 1920, he was made the Duke of York and began to carry out public duties for his father. At this time, he became reacquainted with Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, whom he had met as a child through their families' close relationship. Upon seeing her again as a startlingly attractive 18 year old, Albert was smitten, but shy and awkward.
Though Albert was often berated by his father, King George V had reservations about his first son, Prince Edward (Duke of Windsor), taking the throne. He once said, "I pray God that my eldest son will never marry and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet [Albert’s daughter] and the throne." On January 20, 1936, King George V died, and Edward ascended to the throne as King Edward VIII. In less than a year, he abdicated the throne so that he could marry his mistress, Wallis Simpson, an American socialite. Albert was crowned on May 12, 1937, and took on the name George VI to emphasize continuity with his father and restore confidence in the monarchy.
In the 1930s, King George VI, a strong supporter of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, hoped that Chamberlain would be able to stave off a war with Nazi Germany. In 1938, Chamberlain met with German Fuehrer Adolph Hitler and signed the Munich Agreement. Though Chamberlain's efforts were criticized as a "policy of appeasement" by the opposition party in Parliament, King George supported his prime minister. He and Chamberlain appeared together on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the crowds after the agreement’s announcement, a tradition normally restricted to royal family members.
Hitler ignored the agreement and continued his aggressive actions in Europe. Feeling war was a possibility, King George and Queen Elizabeth visited the United States in June 1939, and forged a strong friendship with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The royals were also well received by the American public. In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, violating the Munich Agreement, and war was declared. With the help of his speech therapist and his wife, King George successfully made one of the most important speeches of his life, announcing to the citizens of Britain that the country was at war—an event depicted in the 2010 film The King’s Speech.
The royal couple were resolved to stay in London at Buckingham Palace, despite intense German bombing raids. King George and Queen Elizabeth then undertook many morale-boosting visits to Britain’s bombed-out cities, touring hospitals and visiting with wounded troops. In 1943, the king visited British troops in North Africa. He later visited troops at Malta, bestowing on the entire island the honor of the George Cross, instituted by King George VI to honor exceptional acts of bravery by civilians. In June 1944, 10 days after the D-Day invasion, the king visited the troops in Normandy. He also suffered personal tragedy during the war when both his wife’s nephew and his youngest brother were killed.
King George VI was not enamored with the selection of Winston Churchill as prime minister after Neville Chamberlain’s resignation. Nevertheless, focused on a common goal, the two men quickly developed a strong working relationship and deep respect for each other. During the victory celebration at the end of the war in Europe, the king invited Prime Minister Churchill to appear with him on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, just as he had done with Neville Chamberlain.
During the post-war years, the stress of war began to catch up with King George VI and his health began to deteriorate rapidly. Around this time, his daughter, Princess Elizabeth, the presumptive heir, began to take on some of his royal duties. A planned tour of Australia and New Zealand was postponed after the king suffered an arterial blockage in 1949. In 1951, following years of heavy smoking, King George was diagnosed with lung cancer and arteriosclerosis. On September 23, 1951, his left lung was removed.
On the morning of February 6, 1952, at the age of 56, George VI was discovered dead in bed. It was later determined that he had died of a coronary thrombosis. After his death, George VI's daughter, Princess Elizabeth, took the throne, becoming Queen Elizabeth II; the king's wife, Queen Elizabeth, so as not to be confused with her daughter, took on the name "Queen Mother."
Despite his reluctance to be king, George VI was a conscientious and dedicated sovereign who assumed the throne at a time when public faith in the monarchy was at an all-time low. Armed with strong determination and the help of his wife, he became a modern monarch of the 20th century. During his reign, George VI endured the hardships of war and the transition from an empire to a commonwealth of nations, and restored the popularity of the British monarchy.
Physical Characteristics: The stress of the war had taken its toll on the King's health, made worse by his heavy smoking and subsequent development of lung cancer among other ailments, including arteriosclerosis and Buerger's disease. A planned tour of Australia and New Zealand was postponed after the King suffered an arterial blockage in his right leg, which threatened the loss of the leg and was treated with a right lumbar sympathectomy in March 1949.
After twice rejecting Albert's marriage proposal, Elizabeth finally accepted, and they were married on April 26, 1923, at Westminster Abbey. They had two children: Elizabeth, born in 1926, and Margaret, born in 1930.
Prince Albert and Princess Elizabeth were able to solidify their relationship during the first several years of marriage. Recognizing that his stammer was an ordeal for her husband and his audiences, Elizabeth sought the help of Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist living in London. At first reluctant, Prince Albert began seeing Logue and partaking in his unorthodox exercises. His wife often accompanied him and participated in the sessions. Prince Albert and Logue cultivated a strong relationship and, gradually, his speech improved.
