George VI

Background

Albert Frederick Arthur George was born to Prince George, Duke of York (later King George V), and Duchess of York (later Queen Mary) at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, United Kingdom. When he was of age, he enrolled as a naval cadet at the Royal Naval College, Osborne, in 1909, and even though he placed last in his class on the final exam in 1911, he continued on to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He spent six months in 1913 working on the training ship H.M.S. Cumberland off the coast of Canada and in the West Indies. He transferred from the Royal Navy to the Royal Air Force after the Royal Air Force was founded and Cranwell’s responsibilities were transferred from the Admiralty to the Air Ministry.

He was the Officer Commanding the Boys’ Wing’s Number Four Squadron at Cranwell until August 1918. He spent a year at Trinity College, Cambridge, studying history, economics, and civics under historian R. V. Laurence in October 1919. On June 4, 1920, his father gave him the titles of Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killarney. After Edward’s abdication on December 11, 1936, he reluctantly ascended to the throne under the reign name George VI in the hopes of restoring the monarchy’s legitimacy in the wake of the turbulent events that had occurred since his father’s passing. He made two overseas visits to France and North America to obtain a strategic advantage because the Second World War was about to start, casting a shadow on his early reign. He stayed with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his visit to America in the White House and at his house in Hyde Park, New York. He and Roosevelt became close friends during the trip. The royal couple was warmly welcomed by the general populace, and the tour was a major political success, which helped to forge the coalition for the impending war. In 1940, he opposed Churchill’s selection as prime minister, but they eventually became good friends and frequently had lunch together to discuss the war. He invited Churchill to appear with the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the public during the Victory in Europe Day festivities. When India eventually became a republic in 1950, he lost his monarchy there, but he continued to rule Pakistan until his death.

He proposed to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the object of his affections twice, in 1921 and 1922. She turned down his proposal both times because she didn’t want to make the necessary compromises to become a member of the royal family. On April 26, 1923, in Westminster Abbey, they were wed after she finally said yes to his third proposal. Princess Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, and Princess Margaret was born on August 21, 1930, to George VI and his wife Elizabeth. He was, sadly, discovered dead in bed at Sandringham House in Norfolk on February 6, 1952. He passed away in his sleep from coronary thrombosis.