Today's Monarch of England is the penultimate monarch, a strong, quiet hero, and a little studied monarch. Many know his daughter, his wife, his brother and father, but how much do you really know about "that guy from 'The King's Speech?' " Let's find out!
Here we go with George VI!
- Born on December 14, 1895. (Hey, I'm writing this on his birthday!) This also happened to be the day his great grandfather, Albert, died. George, his father, was worried that this may upset the Queen, so to cheer her up, he named the baby boy Albert.... Albert Frederick Arthur George. The Queen was thankful for this kind action, and stated that she was sure the baby would grow to be wonderful, since he had a name that imparted such perfection and greatness. (Even in her old age, she was still hung up on her Albert.)
- His nickname growing up was "Bertie," the same as his grandfather. His mother, Mary of Teck, was no big fan of the Queen, and was upset that her husband chose to call him Albert. She hoped that as he grew older, he would choose to go by one of his "better" names.
- He grew into a very shy, uptight child. He was sickly, and often made mistakes. His father would not tolerate mistakes, however, and young Albert became so painfully shy that he developed a stammer. This only served to make him more of a disappointment, and he sank deeper into sadness, often bursting into tears. He was also left handed, which was still considered unacceptable. He was forced to write with his right hand.... thus his penmanship was not good at all.
- His health only grew worse. He had chronic stomach ailments, and was forced to wear corrective braces on his legs due to knock-knees. His older brother was handsome and charming, but Albert was plain. The whole world seemed stacked against him.
- He never really expected to become King, though it wasn't out of the question. Victoria died, then Edward VII. Albert was now second in line, after his older brother. Prince Edward, however, was charming, and seemed likely to have children. Albert entered the navy.
- He served with distinction as a ship's gunner in World War I. He even saw action in the largest naval battle of the war. However, his health continued to plague him, and he was discharged from frontline service in 1917 due to an ulcer.
- He was put in charge of training recruits in a brand new technology, the airplane. His work with the naval air command ensured that when the Royal Air Force was created, prince Albert was one of the first officers. He was the first royal to fly an airplane.
- In 1919, he attended Cambridge, where he studied the Social Sciences. (Mostly history, economics, and civics.) Afterwards, he served as a representative of the king in "less important" affairs such as factory openings, groundbreaking, and the like. He became known as the "Industrial Prince." However, he rarely spoke, humiliated and shy about his stammer. He was less handsome than his playboy brother, and didn't do anything that would have made him gain the attention of the press.
- However, his health was improving. Albert started becoming a dedicated tennis player, and encouraged children to exercise regularly for their health. He even paid to build a summer camp for boys that encouraged low and middle class children to learn and play sports. Soon, sport camps were opening all over Britain. Albert even played doubles at Wimbledon, though he lost in the first round.
- Love was a long time coming for the shy prince. He had fallen in love with an Australian woman, Sheila, who was both famous and infamous for her outspoken ways and her beauty. She had already dated and been thrown away by his older brother, and he was smitten. However, she was already married, and King George was already having enough problems with Edward. The King forbade Albert to marry Sheila, seeing that she was likely gold digging. (He was probably correct in this assumption.) Albert broke it off with Sheila in 1920, and slipped back into his shy cocoon... until he met the love of his life.
- Albert had met Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon when they were children, and now again in his 20s. He was infatuated with the young and pretty Elizabeth. She, on the other hand, was not quite as interested in him. Though she liked him, the idea of giving up her life to be a royal worried her. She rejected him for 2 years, but Albert never gave up. Then, there was the problem of her birth. She was not a royal, though she was a noble. King George was wary, but did not stand in the way. The people saw this as a "Modern Match" worthy of a new and exciting world, and in 1923, she finally agreed to marry Albert.
- For the next two years, the couple toured Africa, engaging in the "noble" past time of big game hunting. (Even Elizabeth hunted.) Though a bit awkward, the two learned to love each other, and returned to England renewed and ready to behave as a proper prince and princess.
- George was now forced the one thing he dreaded more than anything... giving a long, public speech. In October of 1925, he was sent to give a speech at the British Empire Exhibition. It didn't go well. His stammer made the speech an ordeal for everyone. His stammer was noticeable, and he was disheartened by his speech. It was clear that he needed some sort of treatment... he had worked hard to keep his stammer from becoming a stutter, but his speeches were very drawn out due to his pausing after every few words.
- Albert and his wife worked very hard to overcome his stammer. He saw speech therapists, and his wife pushed him hard, but also showed patience. Gradually, his speech improved, and with it, his confidence. Soon, the couple gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth. (Called "Lillibet" by the family.) Four years later, another daughter, Margaret, was born. The family lived a quiet, sheltered life, trying hard to stay out of the public eye.
- In 1927, Albert, while on a trip around Oceania, was paired up with a black man for doubles tennis. When the officials tried to "Correct the error," Albert refused the reassignment, stating that a black man was welcome to play tennis with him. This gesture, though small, caused a huge sensation in the sports world, and it was seen as a statement that blacks and whites could and should compete on the same field.
- And so, Albert and his family full of girls would have carried on, famous yet not a hot topic, loving and close, but out of the public scrutiny, if it hadn't been for his brother's abdication.
- In 1936, George V died, and Edward became king... less than a year later, Edward abdicated. George was suddenly thrust into the world stage, as king of the UK. When he heard the news, he went to his mother, broke down into tears, and told her that he did not want and was not prepared for this responsibility. On the same day, Ireland removed all mention of the monarch from their constitution and laws. Despite all of this, Albert did his duty, and stepped forward to be crowned.
- Trust in the monarchy was once again low, due to the actions of Edward VIII. Some suggested that George, the youngest brother, should be king, as he had a son. Albert swallowed his fear and shyness and stated clearly that he would take the name "George VI" in order to tie himself to his father, instead of anyone else. Georges 1 through 4 had followed each other directly, and since Edward VIII had bowed out, having George follow another George seemed right. The public agreed, and Albert was officially crowned King George VI in May of 1937.
- By all affairs, George's coronation was extremely modest. The great depression had hit the world, India was clamoring for independence behind the charismatic Mohandas Gandhi, and Germany was being led by an erratic Adolf Hitler. It would have been imprudent for a flashy, expensive coronation like Edward VII or the Hanoverians had had. This was agreeable to most in Parliament, and indeed most of England.
- George VI had little time to rest, because World War II was now beginning in earnest. Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister, was in full "Appeasement" mode, which angered many around the world. George was constitutionally obligated to back his prime minister, and he attempted to show solidarity by taking the unprecedented step of being seen on a balcony, waving to the crowd, with the prime minister beside him. This amazed the British people, who had come to consider the monarchy and the government to be more or less separate. (If only they knew that George V had taken over as absolute monarch, how that might have changed!) This also enraged members of Parliament, who worried that George VI may attempt to personally interfere in the matters of the war.
- In order to consolidate power and seek allies, George made a tour of the USA and Canada, where he was well received. Though the USA did not agree to back England in case of war, they firmly reassured the UK that trade and friendship would continue. Canada reaffirmed its loyalty to the commonwealth, pledging troops should any Commonwealth nation should come under attack. Though George was not able to convince the USA to fully commit, he and the queen became good friends with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, which would vastly improve relations with the two nations.
- In 1939, WWII broke out. Far from being a pampered king, George resolved to carry on in London, despite the constant bombing runs from Germany. George and family actively helped defend the city, helping to find safe places for people to hide, boarding up windows, and refusing again and again to leave the city or its people. The royal princesses were sent to Scotland, but did work there collecting wool and aiding the war effort. (Lillibet would go on to join the service as a mechanic and truck driver.)
- George and his wife narrowly avoided death when Buckingham palace was bombed. The next day, the King and Queen were seen in public, to the delight of the people. The royal family refused to eat well, instead living under rations, even when entertaining foreign dignitaries. Eleanor Roosevelt famously remarked about living in an unheated and boarded up Buckingham, while eating bare minimum meals. This did a lot to convince the Americans of the urgency of joining this war. The king's little brother, George, was killed in a plane crash while on active duty. This was a royal family that suffered alongside its people. The people of England loved the royals for that.
- King George, the quiet, polite man that he was, was initially very upset that the bombastic Winston Churchill was made prime minister. George even told people that he would have rather had Lord Halifax as PM. However, after having a sit down with Churchill, the two seemed to grow to admire each other very much. Churchill was a man who could get things done, and George was wise enough to let him do it, for the most part. The two met for lunch every day until the end of the war to discuss the war personally and frankly. (They also shared a love of smoking and drinking.)
- Throughout the war, the King and Queen made all efforts to encourage their people. They visited bomb sites, visited the troops in the field, and met with the generals often. George was able to have a sort of calming effect on many of his headstrong generals such as Montgomery.
- When the war ended, and victory day was in full swing, a mob descended on Buckingham palace, shouting and cheering. They screamed "WE WANT THE KING" over and over until the King appeared on a balcony with his wife and Churchill. The crowd went wild, showering their king with love and praise. A royal hadn't been this genuinely loved in quite a long time... and George, in true George style that would have made his grandfather proud, gave a humble speech noting that the real heroes of this war were not the royals, but all human beings that stood against tyranny and injustice.
- In 1946, he oversaw the opening of the United Nations in London. This was the first great assembly, and George opened it, saying that he respected "Faith in the equal rights of all men and women of nations great and small." Though the UN was essentially an American idea, George gave it a sense of legitimacy and fair play that helped it grow, whereas the League of Nations had been a failure.
- Now, George had to oversee a difficult process. Independence fever had gripped the empire, and the time had come for the British Empire to decide what to do about that. George, for his part, accepted the Commonwealth of Nations, and oversaw the dissolution of the empire. He relinquished his title of "Emperor of India," gave speeches on the equality of all people, and generally was a progressive leader. When Jan Smuts, the leader of South Africa, was trying for re-election, he brought the king in to help him. This backfired badly. George made it clear that he was disgusted by apartheid, and refused to follow Smuts's demand that he only shake hands with white people. He even went so far as to call his white bodyguards "The Gestapo." Smuts lost the re-election, though apartheid government remained.
- George now had a reputation as being calm, cool, progressive, and kind hearted. His people loved him, minorities loved him, he had a loving family, (except for maybe his brother, of course,) and life was good. But that's when the bottom usually drops out... and that's what happened to good king George.
- The king had been a lifelong smoker. He developed cancer in his lungs. He also suffered from heart problems brought on by smoking. In 1949, his daughter, Elizabeth, began to be groomed for the throne, attending more functions and staying in the public eye. The king tried to stay positive, but in 1951, he had a lung removed... by then the cancer had spread. There was little that could be done to save him.
- Now very weak, he refused to stop working. Against all suggestions, he went to the airport to see off his daughter in late January, 1952. One week later, he suffered a major thrombosis in his sleep. He died at the young age of 56.
- The nation went into deep grieving for this king who had willingly suffered alongside his people, stood aside in the face of growing republicanism, and had oversaw the dismantling of his own empire. Though he technically had no real power, it was clear to the British people that he served a very important role, that of being a sort of "Father" to the nation... a symbol of everything British. This would pass on to his daughter, Elizabeth, who took the throne in 1952, and who still holds it today.
- He had taken, in his own words, "A rocking throne, which I made steady again." The same could be said of his country. George VI saw his country through one of their darkest chapters, and he will forever be remembered for that... not his stammer, or his shyness. In that, he has gone down as one of the most beloved of England's monarchs.
Here we go with George VI!
- Born on December 14, 1895. (Hey, I'm writing this on his birthday!) This also happened to be the day his great grandfather, Albert, died. George, his father, was worried that this may upset the Queen, so to cheer her up, he named the baby boy Albert.... Albert Frederick Arthur George. The Queen was thankful for this kind action, and stated that she was sure the baby would grow to be wonderful, since he had a name that imparted such perfection and greatness. (Even in her old age, she was still hung up on her Albert.)
- His nickname growing up was "Bertie," the same as his grandfather. His mother, Mary of Teck, was no big fan of the Queen, and was upset that her husband chose to call him Albert. She hoped that as he grew older, he would choose to go by one of his "better" names.
- He grew into a very shy, uptight child. He was sickly, and often made mistakes. His father would not tolerate mistakes, however, and young Albert became so painfully shy that he developed a stammer. This only served to make him more of a disappointment, and he sank deeper into sadness, often bursting into tears. He was also left handed, which was still considered unacceptable. He was forced to write with his right hand.... thus his penmanship was not good at all.
- His health only grew worse. He had chronic stomach ailments, and was forced to wear corrective braces on his legs due to knock-knees. His older brother was handsome and charming, but Albert was plain. The whole world seemed stacked against him.
- He never really expected to become King, though it wasn't out of the question. Victoria died, then Edward VII. Albert was now second in line, after his older brother. Prince Edward, however, was charming, and seemed likely to have children. Albert entered the navy.
- He served with distinction as a ship's gunner in World War I. He even saw action in the largest naval battle of the war. However, his health continued to plague him, and he was discharged from frontline service in 1917 due to an ulcer.
- He was put in charge of training recruits in a brand new technology, the airplane. His work with the naval air command ensured that when the Royal Air Force was created, prince Albert was one of the first officers. He was the first royal to fly an airplane.
- In 1919, he attended Cambridge, where he studied the Social Sciences. (Mostly history, economics, and civics.) Afterwards, he served as a representative of the king in "less important" affairs such as factory openings, groundbreaking, and the like. He became known as the "Industrial Prince." However, he rarely spoke, humiliated and shy about his stammer. He was less handsome than his playboy brother, and didn't do anything that would have made him gain the attention of the press.
- However, his health was improving. Albert started becoming a dedicated tennis player, and encouraged children to exercise regularly for their health. He even paid to build a summer camp for boys that encouraged low and middle class children to learn and play sports. Soon, sport camps were opening all over Britain. Albert even played doubles at Wimbledon, though he lost in the first round.
- Love was a long time coming for the shy prince. He had fallen in love with an Australian woman, Sheila, who was both famous and infamous for her outspoken ways and her beauty. She had already dated and been thrown away by his older brother, and he was smitten. However, she was already married, and King George was already having enough problems with Edward. The King forbade Albert to marry Sheila, seeing that she was likely gold digging. (He was probably correct in this assumption.) Albert broke it off with Sheila in 1920, and slipped back into his shy cocoon... until he met the love of his life.
- Albert had met Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon when they were children, and now again in his 20s. He was infatuated with the young and pretty Elizabeth. She, on the other hand, was not quite as interested in him. Though she liked him, the idea of giving up her life to be a royal worried her. She rejected him for 2 years, but Albert never gave up. Then, there was the problem of her birth. She was not a royal, though she was a noble. King George was wary, but did not stand in the way. The people saw this as a "Modern Match" worthy of a new and exciting world, and in 1923, she finally agreed to marry Albert.
- For the next two years, the couple toured Africa, engaging in the "noble" past time of big game hunting. (Even Elizabeth hunted.) Though a bit awkward, the two learned to love each other, and returned to England renewed and ready to behave as a proper prince and princess.
- George was now forced the one thing he dreaded more than anything... giving a long, public speech. In October of 1925, he was sent to give a speech at the British Empire Exhibition. It didn't go well. His stammer made the speech an ordeal for everyone. His stammer was noticeable, and he was disheartened by his speech. It was clear that he needed some sort of treatment... he had worked hard to keep his stammer from becoming a stutter, but his speeches were very drawn out due to his pausing after every few words.
- Albert and his wife worked very hard to overcome his stammer. He saw speech therapists, and his wife pushed him hard, but also showed patience. Gradually, his speech improved, and with it, his confidence. Soon, the couple gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth. (Called "Lillibet" by the family.) Four years later, another daughter, Margaret, was born. The family lived a quiet, sheltered life, trying hard to stay out of the public eye.
- In 1927, Albert, while on a trip around Oceania, was paired up with a black man for doubles tennis. When the officials tried to "Correct the error," Albert refused the reassignment, stating that a black man was welcome to play tennis with him. This gesture, though small, caused a huge sensation in the sports world, and it was seen as a statement that blacks and whites could and should compete on the same field.
- And so, Albert and his family full of girls would have carried on, famous yet not a hot topic, loving and close, but out of the public scrutiny, if it hadn't been for his brother's abdication.
- In 1936, George V died, and Edward became king... less than a year later, Edward abdicated. George was suddenly thrust into the world stage, as king of the UK. When he heard the news, he went to his mother, broke down into tears, and told her that he did not want and was not prepared for this responsibility. On the same day, Ireland removed all mention of the monarch from their constitution and laws. Despite all of this, Albert did his duty, and stepped forward to be crowned.
- Trust in the monarchy was once again low, due to the actions of Edward VIII. Some suggested that George, the youngest brother, should be king, as he had a son. Albert swallowed his fear and shyness and stated clearly that he would take the name "George VI" in order to tie himself to his father, instead of anyone else. Georges 1 through 4 had followed each other directly, and since Edward VIII had bowed out, having George follow another George seemed right. The public agreed, and Albert was officially crowned King George VI in May of 1937.
- By all affairs, George's coronation was extremely modest. The great depression had hit the world, India was clamoring for independence behind the charismatic Mohandas Gandhi, and Germany was being led by an erratic Adolf Hitler. It would have been imprudent for a flashy, expensive coronation like Edward VII or the Hanoverians had had. This was agreeable to most in Parliament, and indeed most of England.
- George VI had little time to rest, because World War II was now beginning in earnest. Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister, was in full "Appeasement" mode, which angered many around the world. George was constitutionally obligated to back his prime minister, and he attempted to show solidarity by taking the unprecedented step of being seen on a balcony, waving to the crowd, with the prime minister beside him. This amazed the British people, who had come to consider the monarchy and the government to be more or less separate. (If only they knew that George V had taken over as absolute monarch, how that might have changed!) This also enraged members of Parliament, who worried that George VI may attempt to personally interfere in the matters of the war.
- In order to consolidate power and seek allies, George made a tour of the USA and Canada, where he was well received. Though the USA did not agree to back England in case of war, they firmly reassured the UK that trade and friendship would continue. Canada reaffirmed its loyalty to the commonwealth, pledging troops should any Commonwealth nation should come under attack. Though George was not able to convince the USA to fully commit, he and the queen became good friends with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, which would vastly improve relations with the two nations.
- In 1939, WWII broke out. Far from being a pampered king, George resolved to carry on in London, despite the constant bombing runs from Germany. George and family actively helped defend the city, helping to find safe places for people to hide, boarding up windows, and refusing again and again to leave the city or its people. The royal princesses were sent to Scotland, but did work there collecting wool and aiding the war effort. (Lillibet would go on to join the service as a mechanic and truck driver.)
- George and his wife narrowly avoided death when Buckingham palace was bombed. The next day, the King and Queen were seen in public, to the delight of the people. The royal family refused to eat well, instead living under rations, even when entertaining foreign dignitaries. Eleanor Roosevelt famously remarked about living in an unheated and boarded up Buckingham, while eating bare minimum meals. This did a lot to convince the Americans of the urgency of joining this war. The king's little brother, George, was killed in a plane crash while on active duty. This was a royal family that suffered alongside its people. The people of England loved the royals for that.
- King George, the quiet, polite man that he was, was initially very upset that the bombastic Winston Churchill was made prime minister. George even told people that he would have rather had Lord Halifax as PM. However, after having a sit down with Churchill, the two seemed to grow to admire each other very much. Churchill was a man who could get things done, and George was wise enough to let him do it, for the most part. The two met for lunch every day until the end of the war to discuss the war personally and frankly. (They also shared a love of smoking and drinking.)
- Throughout the war, the King and Queen made all efforts to encourage their people. They visited bomb sites, visited the troops in the field, and met with the generals often. George was able to have a sort of calming effect on many of his headstrong generals such as Montgomery.
- When the war ended, and victory day was in full swing, a mob descended on Buckingham palace, shouting and cheering. They screamed "WE WANT THE KING" over and over until the King appeared on a balcony with his wife and Churchill. The crowd went wild, showering their king with love and praise. A royal hadn't been this genuinely loved in quite a long time... and George, in true George style that would have made his grandfather proud, gave a humble speech noting that the real heroes of this war were not the royals, but all human beings that stood against tyranny and injustice.
- In 1946, he oversaw the opening of the United Nations in London. This was the first great assembly, and George opened it, saying that he respected "Faith in the equal rights of all men and women of nations great and small." Though the UN was essentially an American idea, George gave it a sense of legitimacy and fair play that helped it grow, whereas the League of Nations had been a failure.
- Now, George had to oversee a difficult process. Independence fever had gripped the empire, and the time had come for the British Empire to decide what to do about that. George, for his part, accepted the Commonwealth of Nations, and oversaw the dissolution of the empire. He relinquished his title of "Emperor of India," gave speeches on the equality of all people, and generally was a progressive leader. When Jan Smuts, the leader of South Africa, was trying for re-election, he brought the king in to help him. This backfired badly. George made it clear that he was disgusted by apartheid, and refused to follow Smuts's demand that he only shake hands with white people. He even went so far as to call his white bodyguards "The Gestapo." Smuts lost the re-election, though apartheid government remained.
- George now had a reputation as being calm, cool, progressive, and kind hearted. His people loved him, minorities loved him, he had a loving family, (except for maybe his brother, of course,) and life was good. But that's when the bottom usually drops out... and that's what happened to good king George.
- The king had been a lifelong smoker. He developed cancer in his lungs. He also suffered from heart problems brought on by smoking. In 1949, his daughter, Elizabeth, began to be groomed for the throne, attending more functions and staying in the public eye. The king tried to stay positive, but in 1951, he had a lung removed... by then the cancer had spread. There was little that could be done to save him.
- Now very weak, he refused to stop working. Against all suggestions, he went to the airport to see off his daughter in late January, 1952. One week later, he suffered a major thrombosis in his sleep. He died at the young age of 56.
- The nation went into deep grieving for this king who had willingly suffered alongside his people, stood aside in the face of growing republicanism, and had oversaw the dismantling of his own empire. Though he technically had no real power, it was clear to the British people that he served a very important role, that of being a sort of "Father" to the nation... a symbol of everything British. This would pass on to his daughter, Elizabeth, who took the throne in 1952, and who still holds it today.
- He had taken, in his own words, "A rocking throne, which I made steady again." The same could be said of his country. George VI saw his country through one of their darkest chapters, and he will forever be remembered for that... not his stammer, or his shyness. In that, he has gone down as one of the most beloved of England's monarchs.