Biography:
George VI, King of Great Britain and her Dominions, is not just the father of Elizabeth II , but also a symbol of the fortitude of the British nation, which it showed in the fight against Hitler’s Nazism during the Second World War. The monarch, who at first did not enjoy recognition either from the people or from parliament, became the favorite of the country, and his reign became one of the brightest periods in the history of the United Kingdom.
Childhood and youth:
Albert Frederick Arthur George was the second of six children of King George V and Victoria Maria Augusta, née Duchess of Teck. By the way, at first Mary was supposed to become the wife of George V’s older brother, Albert Victor, but the heir to the throne died of the flu.
The royal parents were strict people; the upbringing of their heirs was entrusted to nannies and tutors, which could not but affect the children. Some sources write that brother Henry was addicted to drugs, and George, Duke of Kent, suffered from alcoholism.
The future king’s stuttering is also a consequence of nervous tension caused by indifference and harsh morals in the family. This information became public thanks to the film “The King’s Speech!” , winner of 4 Oscars.
He got rid of the illness that tormented the king for almost 40 years with the help of speech therapist Lionel Logue, who later, upon ascending the throne, was promoted to commander of the Royal Victorian Order.
Despite the fact that the Irishman from Australia without any special education did not impress the representatives of the royal family, he managed to perform a miracle and make the leader of the nation out of an insecure stutterer. In his work, the doctor used singing, which relaxed the physical clamps of the larynx and diaphragm, and worked on the psychological state of the patient.
Following a centuries-old tradition, George VI received an education appropriate to his status. He studied at Osborne, Queen Victoria’s summer residence in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, where his grandfather, Edward VII, opened a naval school. At the age of 13, the prince passed exams at the Royal Naval College in Dortmouth. He served on board the ship Collingwood, which patrolled the shores of the state. The heir hid his origins by introducing himself as midshipman Johnson. While performing his army duty, he took part in the naval battle of Jutland, for which he was awarded the Order of the Garter. Later, on the orders of his father, he switched to aviation.
It is believed that, as a sign of respect for Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert , monarchs who ascend the throne after the death of the famous couple do not take their names. George VI did the same after his coronation.
At the head of the throne:
On December 10, 1936, the elder brother and king Edward VIII abdicated the British throne and on December 11, the Duke of York became King George VI. From 1936, George was automatically appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces and Canadian Forces , which he held until his death. In the same year he received the highest British military ranks of Field Marshal , Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Air Force ; in 1939 he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force .
On December 11, 1936, he also became Duke of Normandy ( Guernsey and Jersey ) and Ruler of the Isle of Man. On 12 May 1937, George was crowned on the day previously scheduled for the coronation of his elder brother Edward VIII . Unlike his father King George VOn December 10, 1936, the elder brother and king Edward VIII abdicated the British throne and on December 11, the Duke of York became King George VI. From 1936, George was automatically appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces and Canadian Forces , which he held until his death. In the same year he received the highest British military ranks of Field Marshal , Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Air Force ; in 1939 he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force . On December 11, 1936, he also became Duke of Normandy ( Guernsey and Jersey ) and Ruler of the Isle of Man . On 12 May 1937, George was crowned on the day previously scheduled for the coronation of his elder brother Edward VIII . Unlike his father King George V the royal family was supposed to be evacuated. to Canada . However, the king himself did not intend to leave: he intended to stay in the country and participate in the Resistance. For this purpose, in 1940-1941, the king regularly practiced shooting with various types of weapons. In June 1943, he flew from an Avro York aircraft. observation of Allied troops in North Africa . George also visited Algeria , Tripoli and Malta .
In 1944, ten days after the Allied landings, George visited Normandy ; in July he was in the southern part of Italy , in October in Belgium and Holland. On November 29, 1943, at the Tehran Conference, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, in the presence of US President Franklin Roosevelt, solemnly presented the leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, with the award ( ceremonial ) sword of Stalingrad , decorated with precious metals and stones , made by special decree of King George VI of Great Britain as a sign of admiration of the British people by the courage shown by the Soviet defenders of Stalingrad during the Battle of the City . It was intended for the residents of Stalingrad, whose feat was admired by the royal family and the entire British people . In a telegram dated February 21, 1943 addressed to the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Mikhail Kalinin, George VI wrote:
Today, I and my people join the people of the Soviet Union in sincerely paying tribute to the heroic qualities and magnificent leadership through which the Red Army, in its struggle against our common enemies, wrote new pages in history with its glorious victories. The stubborn resistance of Stalingrad turned events and served as a harbinger of crushing blows that sowed confusion among the enemies of civilization and freedom. In order to commemorate the deep admiration felt by me and the people of the British Empire, I have ordered the production of an honorary sword, which I will have the pleasure of presenting to the city of Stalingrad. I hope that in the happy days to come this gift will be a reminder of the indomitable courage in which the warrior city steeled itself in the struggle against the strong and persistent attacks of its enemies, and that it will be a symbol of the admiration not only of the peoples of the British Empire, but of the entire civilized world .
The Second World War:
Before the war, George VI repeatedly prepared an appeal to Hitler with a proposal to pursue a peaceful policy, but was refused by Neville Chamberlain, who insisted on the usual methods of conducting diplomatic negotiations. When it became clear that war was already inevitable, the monarch delivered his famous message to the nation, in which he called on everyone to unite against the enemy. He prepared the speech under the direction of Lionel Logue. In order to control himself while pronouncing the text, Georg made significant pauses, which at this dramatic moment sounded completely natural.
During the war, the monarch did not leave the people, but, on the contrary, visited military units and hospitals with his family. During this time, Georg visited combat points in France, North Africa, Malta and other regions, one way or another involved in hostilities.
The royal residence was repeatedly bombed, which contributed to the aggravation of George’s alarming condition. An emergency evacuation was planned to Canada. But the monarch, even if he was going to send his family to a safe place, was preparing to stay in his homeland, leading the resistance. For this reason, he did not stop training in shooting from different types of weapons.
On the initiative of Queen Elizabeth, England began collecting funds to help rebuild Stalingrad. Amazed by the courage of the Soviet people, the royal family wanted to make gifts on their own behalf.
They decided to donate a sword to the heroic city. The weapon in some sources is called the Sword of Stalingrad. The blade was made of gold and silver and was forged in the image of the swords of the Crusaders. The award ceremony took place in Tehran during a meeting of the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition countries. Photos of the event are publicly available.
Personal life:
The personal life page in the king’s biography is not as dramatic as that of his predecessor. George did not have to make big sacrifices: the British were sure that the king married out of mutual love. The future spouses met in early childhood, when at one of their joint events a 5-year-old girl offered a 10-year-old boy a candied cherry from a cake. She saved the treat for herself, but decided to share it with the shy child.
The king’s wife Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon , of course, is also of blue blood – a countess, a representative of the Scottish families of Strathmore and Kinghorne. The bride rejected Georg’s proposal twice. She explained the refusal by saying that she was afraid of the burden of responsibility and restrictions that are automatically assigned to members of the royal family.
The marriage produced two daughters: the heir to the throne, Elizabeth II, and the “rebel princess” Margaret . The youngest was so nicknamed for her behavior inappropriate for royalty.
The royal couple led a far from idle lifestyle. George VI and Elizabeth spent months on state visits and participated in other events appropriate to their status. If George was not mentally ready to become king, then they said about Elizabeth that she was born to reign.
Death:
When Georg turned 18, his mother gave her son a gift – a box of cigars. The addiction to tobacco played a bad joke on the king; he always smoked a lot. Unlike Elizabeth, who died at 101, George failed to live to a ripe old age.
After the war, doctors finally managed to convince the monarch to give up his addiction, but George VI’s health was already compromised. In 1951, one of his lungs was removed to prevent a recurrence of previously diagnosed cancer.
In addition, hereditary atherosclerosis of the vessels of the legs made itself felt, and it was necessary to resort to surgical intervention on the spine. The Christmas speech, which the British monarch always delivered live, was recorded in advance and in parts when George had the strength.
In January 1952, ignoring the doctors’ ban, the king came to accompany his daughter Elizabeth and Prince Philip on a trip to Africa and Australia. Returning home, he went hunting. As Churchill later said, George knew that there would not be much time left. The cause of death of the King of Great Britain on February 6, 1952 was coronary thrombosis.
According to some sources, 300 thousand people came to the monarch’s funeral. The august person was buried in the family residence – Windsor Castle, in St. George’s Chapel , next to Edward IV, Henry VIII and Jane Seymour .
In 1955, not far from the chapel, a monument to George VI was unveiled, and in 2009, a monument to his wife, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, appeared nearby.