We have now officially reached the Platinum Jubilee- Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for 70 years, the only British monarch to reach this milestone. However, while it marks The Queen’s accession, it also marks her father’s death. On 6 February 1952, King George VI died at Sandringham, after a tumultuous 16 year reign. Although he is often reduced to the “war-time king”, he was so much more than that. On the anniversary of his passing, let’s look at our February Monarch of the Month, King George VI!
Monarch of the Month: George VI Fast Facts
Birth Date: 14 December 1895
Death Date: 6 February 1952
Reign: 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952
Coronation Date: 12 May 1937
Predecessor: Edward VIII
Successor: Elizabeth II
House: Windsor
Father: George V
Mother: Mary of Teck
Spouse(s): Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Why Do We Know George VI?
Depending on how old you are, you may know him for a few different reasons. If you are older, you may know him as the king during the Second World War. The images of the King and Queen walking through bombed areas of London (including Buckingham Palace) really resonated with people.
However, if you are younger and were not alive during or relatively close to WWII, you may not have quite as strong a recollection of George VI. I have spoken with a lot of people who know him due to portrayals on screen, notably in The King’s Speech and The Crown.
King George VI’s Early Life
Born as Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George in 1895, Bertie was born to the Prince and Princess of Wales. Unfortunately, he was born on the anniversary of his great-grandfather’s death; his parents gave him the name Albert to help smooth over the bad news to his great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. (Anything connected to the death of Albert in any way crippled Victoria. She also wanted the name Albert used liberally, henceforth why you see Albert/Alberta commonly in the Royal Family.)
Bertie suffered from several health issues from an early age. He was a rather nervous child, had serious GI issues, was left-handed but forced to write with his right hand, and had a stammer for the first several decades of his life. He and his elder brother only saw their parents for an hour a day (common in aristocratic families in the period); their nanny would often pinch them so that they were crying when they went to them, and then their parents would send them away. As soon as George and Mary discovered what was happening, they dismissed the nanny but the damage was done.
Into the Navy
In 1909, Bertie began attending the Royal Naval College at Osbourne with his elder brother. Despite coming in at the bottom of his class, he was able to progress to the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. Starting in 1913, he spent time in the West Indies, the east coast of Canada, and the Mediterranean as a midshipman on several different ships. He suffered from seasickness throughout his entire naval career.
He continued to serve in the Navy throughout the First World War. Shortly after the outbreak, he had to take leave when he needed his appendix removed, but served in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. In 1917, he was forced to take leave again to deal with complications from an ulcer.
In 1918, he earned his pilot’s licence, the first member of the British Royal Family to do so.
The Third Time’s the Charm…
In 1919, Bertie had an affair with a married Australian socialite, Sheila, Lady Longborough. Married to the alcoholic Lord Longborough, she was Freda Dudley Ward’s best friend who happened to be the Prince of Wales’ mistress. The King was not having it, though, and in 1920 offered his son the title of Duke of York so long as his relationship with Sheila was over. However, he met another woman in 1920 who would change his life.
Bertie was immediately infatuated after meeting Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1920. The daughter of a minor Scottish aristocrat, Elizabeth was outgoing and adored. Bertie proposed to her in 1921, and Elizabeth refused him, knowing that she didn’t want to take on the weight of being a member of the Royal Family. He then proposed again in 1922, and she refused him again. When he proposed for a third time in 1923, she did agree to marry him.
The pair married at Westminster Abbey on 26 April 1923. It was seen as a particularly modern pairing, as Bertie chose to marry a British commoner (aristocrat technically, but she was not royal) instead of a foreign princess.
A Happy Family
It took the couple some time, but in 1926 Elizabeth gave birth to their elder daughter, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. The two wanted children badly, and so were thrilled with the birth of the daughter. Both Bertie and Elizabeth, as well as many other family members, assumed that because the baby was a girl, she wouldn’t have to deal with the pressures of the throne. (At this time, the Prince of Wales could have very easily married and had children.)
In 1930, Elizabeth was joined by Margaret Rose. While Elizabeth was born at the couple’s London home, Margaret (known as Margot in the family) was born at her mother’s childhood home in Scotland, Glamis Castle.
Elizabeth was Bertie’s pride, while Margaret was his joy. The family of four would remain famously close, with the three women remaining incredibly close until The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret’s deaths in 2002.
The Abdication
King Edward VIII took the throne in January 1936, and was already entirely dedicated to the American Wallis Simpson. Already twice divorced, she was not a particularly favoured mistress in royal and government circles. While Edward and Mrs. Simpson continued to live a fast lifestyle, the steadfast Duke and Duchess of York (with their daughters) helped maintain a constancy in the monarchy.
The Church of England and the government would not consent to allow Edward to marry Wallis; a divorced head of the Church of England was unthinkable in 1936. He was given an ultimatum, and he chose her.
Being second in line to the throne, Bertie was forced onto the throne with his brother’s abdication. Despite their younger brother being named George, he took the regnal name of King George VI to emphasise continuity in the house of Windsor. As a quiet and introverted man, this role would take all of his energy and skill.
A War-time King
King George VI was forced to take an incredibly active role as monarch fairly early in his reign. In September 1939, Britain (and the Dominions, save for Ireland) decalred war on Nazi Germany. George and Elizabeth would quickly become a public symbol for British steadfastness throughout the war. While they sent their daughters to live at Windsor, the couple remained in London throughout the war.
Interestingly, George did not initially want Churchill to replace Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister. However, they formed a close and dedicated friendship throughout the war.
George and Elizabeth visited bomb sites throughout the UK, and made a point to be seen in the face of air raids and attacks. George also visited the troops regularly, something that only helped with his image of a dedicated monarch.
A Quickly Declining King
George started drinking and smoking at quite a young age. This wasn’t uncommon for the period but when the stresses of his reign and the war continued to weigh on him, he turned to smoking even more. From his smoking habit, he developed lung cancer, Buerger’s Disease, and arteriosclerosis. In September 1951, his entire left lung was removed- a malignant tumour had been found and it was thought the best course of action.
The King continued to decline steadily after his surgery. He had to record his Christmas broadcast in pieces, and he could not read his speech from the throne. Princess Elizabeth and her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh left for a royal tour to Australia on 31 January 1952, and the King waved them off at the airport. It would be his last public appearance.
The king died in his sleep overnight on 6 February 1952 at Sandringham, after a day of shooting. He had a coronary thrombosis, an expected outcome after all of his lung issues. The new Queen Elizabeth II returned from Kenya instead of continuing to Australia; Princess Margaret was distraught for days after her father’s death, but her sister remained stoic.
George VI: Interesting Facts
-George competed in the Men’s Doubles competition at Wimbledon in 1926; they lost in the first round.
-His mother, Queen Mary, broke with tradition and attended his coronation; British queens did not attend the coronation of any other following monarch, but Mary wished to show support for her second son.
-George was the last Emperor of India; the Indian independence movement lasted from 1857 until 1947 when India achieved independence.
-He barred his elder brother from passing on the title of Duke of Windsor to anyone, had he had children.
Further Readings on George VI
Bradford, Sarah. George VI. London: Penguin Books, 2011.
Ziegler, Philip. George VI: The Dutiful King. London, England: Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Books, 2014.
Weisbrode, Kenneth. Churchill and the King: The Wartime Alliance of Winston Churchill and George VI. London, UK: Penguin Books Australia, 2014.
Logue, Mark, and Peter Conradi. The King’s Speech. Toronto: Penguin Canada, 2010.
The Rex Factor podcast. George VI Part I episode and Part II episode.
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Looking for my earlier Monarch of the Month posts? Read about:
Mary I
Anne
Edward the Confessor
William IV
Edward IV
James I
George V
Mary, Queen of Scots
George IV
Henry VII
Mary II
James II
Edward VII
George III
George I
Louis XIV of France
Elizabeth I
Catherine the Great
Edward VIII
How do you feel about our Monarch of the Month: King George VI?
Cheers,
The Historian
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