George VI, British king from 1936 to 1952 who was a symbol of courage and strength for his people during World War II, partly by battling his stammer. King George VI was never supposed to be king, but he reigned over the later years of Britain as an imperial power and saw the nation through one of its most dangerous eras. How did George VI literally find his voice to speak to his people? King George VI's "great wartime partnership" with Churchill, who ironically was very much his second choice for prime minister, helped sustain England through its darkest hour. also, what is the most accurate book biography about him? The newly crowned King George VI worked tirelessly to overcome his stammer and lead and reassure a nation on the brink of World War II. "The children will not leave unless I do. 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Certainly he was a better father than his own father, George V, and probably better than his grandfather Edward VII. The King found that Churchill sometimes sent messages to the Nation that he felt should have come from him, while in 1942 Victor Cazalet noted “how Winston quite unconsciously has put [the King and Queen] in the background.”17. He declined on the grounds that there was a General Election pending. Of these occasions Churchill later wrote: “I valued as a signal honour the gracious intimacy with which I, as first Minister, was treated, for which I suppose there has been no precedent since the days of Queen Anne and Marlborough during his years of power.”14, Churchill with the Royal Family on V-E Day, 8 May 1945. He had married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923. Killing of King George V was secret until 1986 King George V and Queen Mary. He had become a popular king by cultivating good relationships … Sir Alec Hardinge, then the King’s Private Secretary, described Halifax as “always the court favourite,” noting, “It took me a long time to get the King and Queen to look on the new Prime Minister with favour, but in the end the King at any rate made great friends with him.”3, The Royal Family on Coronation Day L-R: Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth, Queen Mary, Princess Margaret, George VI. As king, the newly named George VI undertook a campaign to both unite and reassure his kingdom as World War II began. Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the Dominions from 1936 to 1952 as the wife of King George VI.She was the last empress of India.After her husband died, she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. Obituary book of King George VI Photo credit: Ronald I. Cohen, In September 1951, Churchill became deeply anxious about the King’s health and consulted his own doctor, Lord Moran, about the matter. On this podcast, Denis Judd explains the appeal of King George VI, who went from being a shy stutterer as portrayed in The King’s Speech (2010), to a monarch who kept morale high during the Second World War: Advertisement. Although he possessed sound political judgment, his lack of self-confidence caused him to rely heavily on his ministers, most notable of whom was Sir Robert Walpole. Martin Gilbert, Winston S. Churchill, volume VIII, Never Despair, 1945–1965 (London: Heinemann, 1988), p. 696. George VI was a modest, shy, and retiring man, who had been propelled unexpectedly onto the throne in December 1936. 23. But it was during the second World War that George's sense of solidarity was on full display. She gained sympathy as she ‘made’ her insecure husband George VI a good king, gave people hope in World War II and lost her husband half way her life. Menu. Reserved by nature, and of deep religious belief, he was helped in his work by his wife. For his first act as king, George wanted to grant his older brother the title of the Duke of Windsor. The new King only wanted to be a good constitutional monarch, and her support of him made this possible. He had been, as Wheeler-Bennett put it, “uninhibited by slavish loyalty to any one party, unencumbered by over-long devotion to outworn political shibboleths.”9 He had crossed the Chamber of the House of Commons. The King and Queen Elizabeth were aware of the combative stand that Churchill had taken in regard to Edward VIII, urging him to fight his corner in the Abdication crisis. He developed lung cancer, as well as arteriosclerosis and other diseases, and underwent multiple surgeries. Churchill commented in January 1941: “I have been greatly cheered by our weekly luncheons in poor old bomb-shattered Buckingham Palace & to feel that in Yr. Majesty and the Queen there flames the spirit that will never be daunted by peril, not wearied by unrelenting toil.”15 By February 1941, King George VI was confident enough to write: “I could not have a better Prime Minister.”16, And so the relationship developed in a generally positive way. For the most part, yes. George's story has been immortalized in movies like the Oscar-winning "The King's Speech" and Netflix's "The Crown," but you may not have the full picture of his history-making life. George VI and Elizabeth were appeasers by inclination. King George VI circa 1914. Uh, Tuesday would be good. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Read this biography after seeing The King's Speech. King George VI As parents, King George and Queen Mary left very much to be desired, Their children were raised by segregates and were by modern standards, abused in many ways. Menu. 1. Coronation Portrait of George VI by Sir Gerald Kelly. On that day Churchill’s Private Secretary, Jock Colville, found Churchill with tears in his eyes: “I had not realized how much the King meant to him.”23, The Prime Minister spoke eloquently to the Nation: “During these last months, the King walked with death, as if death were a companion, an acquaintance, whom he recognized and did not fear. A very detailed look at Albert 'Bertie', Prince of York who became King George VI - his childhood, early adulthood, married life, the abdication crisis, World War II, the loss of India and the building of the Commonwealth, and more. Bradford, Sarah. Quoted verbatim in the King’s diary, 2 June 1944, in Rhodes James, p. 259. 5. "George's challenge is to restore the monarchy to something like the stability that it had before his brother sat on the throne. Movies. 60% Upvoted. ", King George V was infamous for being a tough disciplinarian. Andrew Roberts, Churchill’s latest biographer, wrote that during the war the King and Churchill formed a bond “that was eventually to become as strong as any Churchill enjoyed in public life.”1 Sir John Wheeler-Bennett, George VI’s official biographer, cited Churchill as “the man with whom he was to work in later years in such close accord for the salvation of their country.”2, Churchill became the King’s Prime Minister in 1940. “The King’s Speech” is being sold as a feel-good tale of how a friendship between a royal and a commoner affected the course of history. When Bertie stepped up to take his brother's place, he chose the name King George VI in recognition of his father and to establish continuity between their reigns. The film tells the story of King George VI (Colin Firth) and his battle with a speech impediment. (The chapter 'The Year of Three Kings' was great, though.) I don't know much about King George VI apart from what I have seen in film ("The Kings Speech") and what I have seen in "The Crown" I must say I had a soft spot for Bertie in "The Crown" I'm a fan of Jared Harris (largely due to 'Mad Men') so I suppose that helped things, but he seemed to be well loved. Edward was created His Royal Highness The Duke of Windsor, and in 1937, married Mrs. Simpson. But he was cross, complaining to the King about the unnecessary curbs placed on what he called “my freedom of movement when I judge it necessary to acquaint myself with conditions in the various theatres of war.”18 The King’s conclusion was: “I asked him as a friend not to endanger his life & so put me & everybody else in a difficult position.”19. As early as 10 September 1940, these formal audiences had been replaced by informal Tuesday luncheons at which no staff were present, the King and his Prime Minister serving themselves from a side-table and able to talk freely about state business. Archived. The monarch is best known for the speech he gave at … At first the relationship was uneasy. The third offer was made on 26 July 1945 when Churchill submitted his resignation after the Socialists won power. King George VI. Abdication speech, 11 December 1936, quoted in HRH The Duke of Windsor, A King’s Story (London: Cassell, 1951), p. 413. ", "I think [George] felt the pressure of what was expected of him," says Mark Logue, the grandson of King George VI's speech therapist, Lionel Logue, in "The Windsors." 0 comments. By 1944, King George VI felt confident enough about his stammer to turn it into a verbal signature. King George VI and Elizabeth were crowned King and Queen of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions, and Emperor and Empress of India in Westminster Abbey on May 12, 1937. His father was Prince George, Duke of York (later King George V), the second and eldest surviving son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra). This thread is archived. The International Churchill Society (ICS), founded in 1968 shortly after Churchill's death, is the world’s preeminent member organisation dedicated to preserving the historic legacy of Sir Winston Churchill. “The demise of the sovereign seemed to him like a revulsion of nature. It is amazing to think that King George VI (1895 - 1952) was the chosen king under such unlikely circumstances - Edward's abdication and during such a difficult time - World War II and the dismantling of the British Empire. Moran considered the various bulletins—the use of a bronchoscope implying cancer and the lack of reassurances. When she became Queen, "she became the strength behind the throne, helping transform [George VI] from a stammering, insecure second son into a loved and respected monarch,". King George VI was a heavy smoker, and the stress of the war took a toll on his health. hide. He was in the Royal Navy when he was twelve; he left the Navy to become king. A few days later at the funeral, Churchill’s wreath bore the simple words: “For Valour.” By the time of his death, the King had earned the highest respect and admiration from his Prime Minister. Andrew Roberts, Churchill: Walking with Destiny (London: Allen Lane, 2018), p. 467. The King even asked for seconds. I shall not leave unless their father does, and the King will not leave the country in any circumstances, whatsoever,". The lunches continued for four and a half years, when both men were in London. When George VI became King of England in 1936, he struggled with a stutter he'd had all his life. George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.. Born during the reign of his grandmother Queen Victoria, George was third in the line of succession behind his father, Prince Albert Edward, and his own elder brother, Prince Albert Victor. He was a good king; more important than that, he was a good man. On this the historians agree. The two Georges were more Victorian than Victoria and made mid-20th-century Britain into a nation that was prudish, dingy and insular. George VI soon realised that Churchill was a man of stature as well as a certain charm, and such was the gravity of danger to Britain and the Commonwealth that the two were soon thrown together in … "George is a believer in the principle of the monarchy; he feels that [it] is really important to Britain's national identity," historian Jane Ridley says in CNN Original Series "The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty." On one occasion she wrote out in her own hand a poem written in Napoleonic times and had it delivered to Downing Street, one line of which read, “the bad have finally earned a victory o’er the weak, the vacillating, inconsistent good.” This boosted Churchill’s morale. That was the job of his older brother, who became King Edward VIII after their father died in 1936. George became king in 1820. I don't have a "hubby," we don't "pop," and nor do we ever talk about our private lives. After the early death of George VI in 1952 she started her role as Queen Mother, the matriarch of the Royal Family, and lead the British monarchy through many serious crises. Buckingham Palace was bombed twice within three days in September 1940, and altogether in the war some nine times. "My grandfather realized that confidence is key," Logue's grandson Mark says. Updated 7:30 AM ET, Sun February 23, 2020. Though she would have strenuously denied being the power behind the throne, that is what she was. And in the run-up to the coronation, my grandfather made frequent trips to Buckingham Palace to help the king prepare for reciting the oath.". Well does he deserve the farewell salute of all his governments and peoples. He was so keen to bestow this on Churchill that he offered it to him three times. I don't have a "hubby," we don't "pop," and nor do we ever talk about our private lives. George VI soon realised that Churchill was a man of stature as well as a certain charm, and such was the gravity of danger to Britain and the Commonwealth that the two were soon thrown together in mutual collaboration. Share with your friends. He was known to his family as "Bertie. He and the Queen paid innumerable visits to different parts of Britain and so he was able to give Churchill first-hand accounts of the mood in the country. On this they were able to build. The King held the Order of the Garter in the highest esteem and had negotiated with the Government that this would be in his personal gift, rather than a political appointment. Join to automatically receive a subscription to BOTH. All Rights Reserved. None of this warmed them towards this rumbustious figure who took over the reins of power in wartime. The King was prepared to go down to Portsmouth to command Churchill in person not to sail. (CNN)Sixty-eight years ago this month, King George VI died and left behind a legacy as a ruler who upheld the crown through scandal and war — despite never wanting to ascend to the throne. Here are six things to know about King George VI: Albert Frederick Arthur George was born in December 1895, the second son of King George V. Known to the family as Bertie, George was shy and perfectly content to not be the heir apparent to the throne. George VI had felt comfortable with Neville Chamberlain. report. Occasionally the Queen joined them. Uh, Tuesday would be good. Wheeler-Bennett suggested that it was not surprising if the King felt “somewhat overwhelmed by the very magnitude of Mr. Churchill’s personality.”10, To Canadian Prime Minister W. L. Mackenzie King, George VI said that “He would never wish to appoint Churchill to any office unless it was absolutely necessary in time of war.”11 By the time that Churchill entered the cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty in September 1939, he was invariably referring to George VI as “our noble King.”12 Nevertheless, His Majesty did not find Churchill easy to work with at first, noting: “Winston is difficult to talk to, but in time I shall get the right technique I hope.”13.