King George VI

The visit of HM King George VI to No 617 Squadron (The Dambusters), Royal Air Force, Scampton, Lincolnshire, 27 May 1943 (TR 1000). The King inspects ground crewmen lined up beneath the nose of Avro Lancaster B Mark I, ED989, DX-F, 'Frederick III', which bears a motif derived from a caricature of Wing Commander Campbell Hopcroft, the Commanding Officer of No 57 Squadron which shared Scampton with No 617 Squadron at this time.

 

George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of India from 1936 until the British Raj was dissolved in August 1947, and the first Head of the Commonwealth following the London Declaration of 1949.

The future George VI was born during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria; he was named Albert at birth after his great-grandfather Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and was known as "Bertie" to his family and close friends. His father ascended the throne as George V in 1910. As the second son of the king, Albert was not expected to inherit the throne. He spent his early life in the shadow of his elder brother, Edward, the heir apparent. Albert attended naval college as a teenager and served in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force during the First World War. In 1920, he was made Duke of York. He married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923, and they had two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret. In the mid-1920s, he engaged speech therapist Lionel Logue to treat his stutter, which he learned to manage to some degree. His elder brother ascended the throne as Edward VIII after their father died in 1936, but Edward abdicated later that year to marry the twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. As heir presumptive to Edward VIII, Albert became king, taking the regnal name George VI.

In September 1939, the British Empire and most Commonwealth countries—but not Ireland—declared war on Nazi Germany, following the invasion of Poland. War with the Kingdom of Italy and the Empire of Japan followed in 1940 and 1941, respectively. George VI was seen as sharing the hardships of the common people and his popularity soared. Buckingham Palace was bombed during the Blitz while the King and Queen were there, and his younger brother the Duke of Kent was killed on active service. George became known as a symbol of British determination to win the war. Britain and its allies were victorious in 1945, but the British Empire declined. Ireland had largely broken away, followed by the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947. George relinquished the title of Emperor of India in June 1948 and instead adopted the new title of Head of the Commonwealth. He was beset by smoking-related health problems in the later years of his reign and died at Sandringham House, aged 56, of a coronary thrombosis. He was succeeded by his elder daughter, Elizabeth II.

Early Life

Albert was born at York Cottage, on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria. His father was Prince George, Duke of York (later King George V), the second and only surviving son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra). His mother, the Duchess of York (later Queen Mary), was the eldest child and only daughter of Francis, Duke of Teck, and Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck. His birthday, 14 December 1895, was the 34th anniversary of the death of his great-grandfather Albert, Prince Consort. Uncertain of how the Prince Consort's widow, Queen Victoria, would take the news of the birth, the Prince of Wales wrote to the Duke of York that the Queen had been "rather distressed". Two days later, he wrote again: "I really think it would gratify her if you yourself proposed the name Albert to her."

The Queen was mollified by the proposal to name the new baby Albert, and wrote to the Duchess of York: "I am all impatience to see the new one, born on such a sad day but rather more dear to me, especially as he will be called by that dear name which is a byword for all that is great and good." Consequently, he was baptized "Albert Frederick Arthur George" at St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham on 17 February 1896. Formally he was His Highness Prince Albert of York; within the royal family he was known informally as "Bertie". The Duchess of Teck did not like the first name her grandson had been given, and she wrote prophetically that she hoped the last name "may supplant the less favored one". Albert was fourth in line to the throne at birth, after his grandfather, father and elder brother, Edward.

Albert was ill often and was described as "easily frightened and somewhat prone to tears". His parents were generally removed from their children's day-to-day upbringing, as was the norm in aristocratic families of that era. He had a stutter that lasted for many years. Although naturally left-handed, he was forced to write with his right hand, as was common practice at the time. He had chronic stomach problems as well as knock knees, for which he was forced to wear painful corrective splints.

Queen Victoria died on 22 January 1901, and the Prince of Wales succeeded her as King Edward VII. Prince Albert moved up to third in line to the throne, after his father and elder brother.

Military Career and Education

Beginning in 1909, Albert attended the Royal Naval College, Osborne, as a naval cadet. In 1911 he came bottom of the class in the final examination, but despite this he progressed to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. When his grandfather Edward VII died in 1910, his father became King George V. Prince Edward became Prince of Wales, with Albert second in line to the throne.

Albert spent the first six months of 1913 on the training ship HMS Cumberland in the West Indies and on the east coast of Canada. He was rated as a midshipman aboard HMS Collingwood on 15 September 1913. He spent three months in the Mediterranean, but never overcame his seasickness. Three weeks after the outbreak of World War I he was medically evacuated from the ship to Aberdeen, where his appendix was removed by John Marnoch. He was mentioned in dispatches for his actions as a turret officer aboard Collingwood in the Battle of Jutland (31 May – 1 June 1916), the great naval battle of the war. He did not see further combat, largely because of ill health caused by a duodenal ulcer, for which he had an operation in November 1917.

In February 1918 Albert was appointed Officer in Charge of Boys at the Royal Naval Air Service's training establishment at Cranwell. With the establishment of the Royal Air Force Albert transferred from the Royal Navy to the Royal Air Force. He served as Officer Commanding Number 4 Squadron of the Boys' Wing at Cranwell until August 1918, before reporting for duty on the staff of the RAF's Cadet Brigade at St Leonards-on-Sea and then at Shorncliffe. He completed a fortnight's training and took command of a squadron on the Cadet Wing. He was the first member of the British royal family to be certified as a fully qualified pilot.

Albert wanted to serve on the Continent while the war was still in progress and welcomed a posting to General Trenchard's staff in France. On 23 October, he flew across the Channel to Autigny. For the closing weeks of the war, he served on the staff of the RAF's Independent Air Force at its headquarters in Nancy, France. Following the disbanding of the Independent Air Force in November 1918, he remained on the Continent for two months as an RAF staff officer until posted back to Britain. He accompanied King Albert I of Belgium on his triumphal re-entry into Brussels on 22 November. The prince qualified as an RAF pilot on 31 July 1919 and was promoted to squadron leader the following day.

In October 1919, Albert attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied history, economics and civics for a year, with the historian R. V. Laurence as his "official mentor". On 4 June 1920 his father created him Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney. He began to take on more royal duties. He represented his father and toured coal mines, factories, and railyards. Through such visits he acquired the nickname of the "Industrial Prince". His stutter, and his embarrassment over it, together with a tendency to shyness, caused him to appear less confident in public than his older brother, Edward. However, he was physically active and enjoyed playing tennis. He played at Wimbledon in the Men's Doubles with Louis Greig in 1926, losing in the first round. He developed an interest in working conditions, and was president of the Industrial Welfare Society. His series of annual summer camps for boys between 1921 and 1939 brought together boys from different social backgrounds.

Marriage

In a time when royalty were expected to marry fellow royalty, it was unusual that Albert had a great deal of freedom in choosing a prospective wife. The King brought his son's infatuation with the already-married Australian socialite Lady Loughborough to an end in April 1920 by persuading him to stop seeing her, with the promise of the dukedom of York. That year, Albert met for the first time since childhood Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the youngest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. He became determined to marry her. Elizabeth rejected his proposal twice, in 1921 and 1922, reportedly because she was reluctant to make the sacrifices necessary to become a member of the royal family. In the words of Lady Strathmore, Albert would be "made or marred" by his choice of wife. After a protracted courtship, Elizabeth agreed to marry him.

Albert and Elizabeth were married on 26 April 1923 in Westminster Abbey. Albert's marriage to someone not of royal birth was considered a modernizing gesture. The newly formed British Broadcasting Company wished to record and broadcast the event on radio, but the Abbey Chapter vetoed the idea (although the Dean, Herbert Edward Ryle, was in favor).

From December 1924 to April 1925, the Duke and Duchess toured Kenya, Uganda, and the Sudan, traveling via the Suez Canal and Aden. During the trip, they both went big-game hunting.

Because of his stutter, Albert dreaded public speaking. After his closing speech at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley on 31 October 1925, one which was an ordeal for both him and his listeners, he began to see Lionel Logue, an Australian-born speech therapist. The Duke and Logue practiced breathing exercises, and the Duchess rehearsed with him patiently. Subsequently, he was able to speak with less hesitation. With his delivery improved, Albert opened the new Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, during a tour of the empire with his wife in 1927. Their journey by sea to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji took them via Jamaica, where Albert played doubles tennis partnered with a black man, Bertrand Clark, which was unusual at the time and taken locally as a display of equality between races.

The Duke and Duchess had two children, Elizabeth (called "Lilibet" by the family, later Elizabeth II) in 1926 and Margaret in 1930. The family lived at White Lodge, Richmond Park, and then at 145 Piccadilly, rather than one of the royal palaces. In 1931, the Canadian prime minister, R. B. Bennett, considered Albert for Governor General of Canada—a proposal that King George V rejected on the advice of the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, J. H. Thomas.

Reign

Reluctant King

King George V had severe reservations about Prince Edward, saying "After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself in twelve months" and "I pray God that my eldest son will never marry and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne." On 20 January 1936, George V died and Edward ascended the throne as King Edward VIII. In the Vigil of the Princes, Prince Albert and his three brothers (the new king, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Prince George, Duke of Kent) took a shift standing guard over their father's body as it lay in state, in a closed casket, in Westminster Hall.

As Edward was unmarried and had no children, Albert was the heir presumptive to the throne. Less than a year later, on 11 December 1936, Edward abdicated in order to marry Wallis Simpson, who was divorced from her first husband and divorcing her second. Edward had been advised by British prime minister Stanley Baldwin that he could not remain king and marry a divorced woman with two living ex-husbands. He abdicated and Albert, though he had been reluctant to accept the throne, became king. The day before the abdication, Albert went to London to see his mother, Queen Mary. He wrote in his diary, "When I told her what had happened, I broke down and sobbed like a child."

On the day of Edward's abdication, the Oireachtas, the parliament of the Irish Free State, removed all direct mention of the monarch from the Irish constitution. The next day, it passed the External Relations Act, which gave the monarch limited authority (strictly on the advice of the government) to appoint diplomatic representatives for Ireland and to be involved in the making of foreign treaties. The two acts made the Irish Free State a republic in essence without removing its links to the Commonwealth.

Across Britain, gossip spread that Albert was physically and psychologically incapable of being king. No evidence has been found to support the contemporaneous rumor that the government considered bypassing him, his children and his brother Prince Henry, in favor of their younger brother Prince George, Duke of Kent. This seems to have been suggested on the grounds that Prince George was at that time the only brother with a son.

Early Reign

Albert assumed the regnal name "George VI" to emphasize continuity with his father and restore confidence in the monarchy. The beginning of George VI's reign was taken up by questions surrounding his predecessor and brother, whose titles, style and position were uncertain. He had been introduced as "His Royal Highness Prince Edward" for the abdication broadcast, but George VI felt that by abdicating and renouncing the succession, Edward had lost the right to bear royal titles, including "Royal Highness". In settling the issue, George's first act as king was to confer upon Edward the title "Duke of Windsor" with the style "Royal Highness", but the letters patent creating the dukedom prevented any wife or children from bearing royal styles. George VI was forced to buy from Edward the royal residences of Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, as these were private properties and did not pass to him automatically. Three days after his accession, on his 41st birthday, he invested his wife, the new queen consort, with the Order of the Garter.

George VI's coronation at Westminster Abbey took place on 12 May 1937, the date previously intended for Edward's coronation. In a break with tradition, Queen Mary attended the ceremony in a show of support for her son. There was no Durbar held in Delhi for George VI, as had occurred for his father, as the cost would have been a burden to the Government of India. Rising Indian nationalism made the welcome that the royal party would have received likely to be muted at best, and a prolonged absence from Britain would have been undesirable in the tense period before the Second World War. Two overseas tours were undertaken, to France and to North America, both of which promised greater strategic advantages in the event of war.

The growing likelihood of war in Europe dominated the early reign of George VI. The King was constitutionally bound to support British prime minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler. When the King and Queen greeted Chamberlain on his return from negotiating the Munich Agreement in 1938, they invited him to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with them. This public association of the monarchy with a politician was exceptional, as balcony appearances were traditionally restricted to the royal family. While broadly popular among the general public, Chamberlain's policy towards Hitler was the subject of some opposition in the House of Commons, which led historian and politician John Grigg to describe George's behavior in associating himself so prominently with a politician as "the most unconstitutional act by a British sovereign in the present century".

The growing likelihood of war in Europe dominated the early reign of George VI. The King was constitutionally bound to support British prime minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler. When the King and Queen greeted Chamberlain on his return from negotiating the Munich Agreement in 1938, they invited him to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with them. This public association of the monarchy with a politician was exceptional, as balcony appearances were traditionally restricted to the royal family. While broadly popular among the general public, Chamberlain's policy towards Hitler was the subject of some opposition in the House of Commons, which led historian and politician John Grigg to describe George's behavior in associating himself so prominently with a politician as "the most unconstitutional act by a British sovereign in the present century".

In May and June 1939, the King and Queen toured Canada and the United States; it was the first visit of a reigning British monarch to North America, although George had been to Canada prior to his accession. From Ottawa, George and Elizabeth were accompanied by Canadian prime minister Mackenzie King, to present themselves in North America as King and Queen of Canada. Both Mackenzie King and the Canadian governor general, Lord Tweedsmuir, hoped that George's presence in Canada would demonstrate the principles of the Statute of Westminster 1931, which gave full sovereignty to the British Dominions. On 19 May, George personally accepted and approved the letter of credence of the new U.S. ambassador to Canada, Daniel Calhoun Roper; gave royal assent to nine parliamentary bills; and ratified two international treaties with the Great Seal of Canada. The official royal tour historian, Gustave Lanctot, wrote "the Statute of Westminster had assumed full reality" and George gave a speech emphasizing "the free and equal association of the nations of the Commonwealth".

The trip was intended to soften the strong isolationist tendencies among the North American public with regard to the developing tensions in Europe. Although the aim of the tour was mainly political, to shore up Atlantic support for the United Kingdom in any future war, the King and Queen were enthusiastically received by the public. The fear that George would be compared unfavorably to his predecessor was dispelled. They visited the 1939 New York World's Fair and stayed with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House and at his private estate at Hyde Park, New York. A strong bond of friendship was forged between Roosevelt and the royal couple during the tour, which had major significance in the relations between the United States and the United Kingdom through the ensuing war years.

Second World War

Following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, the United Kingdom and the self-governing Dominions other than Ireland declared war on Nazi Germany. The King and Queen resolved to stay in London, despite German bombing raids. They officially stayed in Buckingham Palace throughout the war, although they usually spent nights at Windsor Castle. The first night of the Blitz on London, on 7 September 1940, killed about one thousand civilians, mostly in the East End. On 13 September, the couple narrowly avoided death when two German bombs exploded in a courtyard at Buckingham Palace while they were there. In defiance, the Queen declared: "I am glad we have been bombed. It makes me feel we can look the East End in the face." The royal family were portrayed as sharing the same dangers and deprivations as the rest of the country. They were subject to British rationing restrictions, and the U.S. first lady Eleanor Roosevelt remarked on the rationed food served and the limited bathwater that was permitted during a stay at the unheated and boarded-up Palace. In August 1942, the King's brother, the Duke of Kent, was killed on active service.

In 1940, Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as prime minister, though personally George would have preferred to appoint Lord Halifax. After the King's initial dismay over Churchill's appointment of Lord Beaverbrook to the Cabinet, he and Churchill developed "the closest personal relationship in modern British history between a monarch and a Prime Minister". Every Tuesday for four and a half years from September 1940, the two men met privately for lunch to discuss the war in secret and with frankness. George related much of what the two discussed in his diary, which is the only extant first-hand account of these conversations.

Throughout the war, George and Elizabeth provided morale-boosting visits throughout the United Kingdom, visiting bomb sites, munitions factories, and troops. George visited military forces abroad in France in December 1939, North Africa and Malta in June 1943, Normandy in June 1944, southern Italy in July 1944, and the Low Countries in October 1944. Their high public profile and apparently indefatigable determination secured their place as symbols of national resistance. At a social function in 1944, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Field Marshal Alan Brooke, revealed that every time he met Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, he thought Montgomery was after his job. George replied: "You should worry, when I meet him, I always think he's after mine!"

In 1945, crowds shouted "We want the King!" in front of Buckingham Palace during the Victory in Europe Day celebrations. In an echo of Chamberlain's appearance, the King invited Churchill to appear with the royal family on the balcony to public acclaim. In January 1946, George addressed the United Nations at its first assembly, which was held in London, and reaffirmed "our faith in the equal rights of men and women and of nations great and small".

Empire to Commonwealth

George VI's reign saw the acceleration of the dissolution of the British Empire. The Statute of Westminster 1931 had already acknowledged the evolution of the Dominions into separate sovereign states. The process of transformation from an empire to a voluntary association of independent states, known as the Commonwealth, gathered pace after the Second World War. During the ministry of Clement Attlee, British India became the two independent Dominions of India and Pakistan in August 1947. George relinquished the title of Emperor of India, and became King of India and King of Pakistan instead. In late April 1949, the Commonwealth leaders issued the London Declaration, which laid the foundation of the modern Commonwealth and recognized George as Head of the Commonwealth. In January 1950, he ceased to be King of India when it became a republic. He remained King of Pakistan until his death. Other countries left the Commonwealth, such as Burma in January 1948, Palestine (divided between Israel and the Arab states) in May 1948 and the Republic of Ireland in 1949.

In 1947, George and his family toured southern Africa. The prime minister of the Union of South Africa, Jan Smuts, was facing an election and hoped to make political capital out of the visit. George was appalled, however, when instructed by the South African government to shake hands only with whites, and referred to his South African bodyguards as "the Gestapo". Despite the tour, Smuts lost the election the following year, and the new government instituted a strict policy of racial segregation.

Illness and Death

The stress of the war had taken its toll on George's health, made worse by his heavy smoking, and subsequent development of lung cancer among other ailments, including arteriosclerosis and Buerger's disease. A planned tour of Australia and New Zealand was postponed after George developed an arterial blockage in his right leg, which threatened the loss of the leg and was treated with a right lumbar sympathectomy in March 1949. His elder daughter and heir presumptive, Elizabeth, took on more royal duties as her father's health deteriorated. The delayed tour was re-organized, with Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, taking the place of the King and Queen.

George was well enough to open the Festival of Britain in May 1951, but on 4 June it was announced that he would need immediate and complete rest for the next four weeks, despite the arrival of Haakon VII of Norway the following afternoon for an official visit. On 23 September 1951, his left lung was removed in a surgical operation performed by Clement Price Thomas after a malignant tumor was found. In October 1951, Elizabeth and Philip went on a month-long tour of Canada; the trip had been delayed for a week due to George's illness. At the State Opening of Parliament in November, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Simonds, read the King's speech from the throne. The King's Christmas broadcast of 1951 was recorded in sections, and then edited together.

On 31 January 1952, despite advice from those close to him, George went to London Airport to see Elizabeth and Philip off on their tour to Australia via Kenya. It was his last public appearance. Six days later, at 7:30 am on the morning of 6 February, he was found dead in bed at Sandringham House in Norfolk. He had died in the night from a coronary thrombosis at the age of 56. His daughter flew back to Britain from Kenya as Queen Elizabeth II.

From 9 February George's coffin rested in St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, before lying in state at Westminster Hall from 11 February. His funeral took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 15 February. He was interred initially in the Royal Vault until he was transferred to the King George VI Memorial Chapel inside St George's on 26 March 1969. In 2002, fifty years after his death, the remains of his widow, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the ashes of his younger daughter, Princess Margaret, who both died that year, were interred in the chapel alongside him. In 2022, the remains of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, were also interred in the chapel.

Legacy

In the words of Labour Member of Parliament (MP) George Hardie, the abdication crisis of 1936 did "more for republicanism than fifty years of propaganda". George VI wrote to his brother Edward that in the aftermath of the abdication he had reluctantly assumed "a rocking throne" and tried "to make it steady again". He became king at a point when public faith in the monarchy was at a low ebb. During his reign, his people endured the hardships of war, and imperial power was eroded. However, as a dutiful family man and by showing personal courage, he succeeded in restoring the popularity of the monarchy.

The George Cross and the George Medal were founded at the King's suggestion during the Second World War to recognize acts of exceptional civilian bravery. He bestowed the George Cross on the entire "island fortress of Malta" in 1943. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Liberation by the French government in 1960, one of only two people (the other being Churchill in 1958) to be awarded the medal after 1946.

Colin Firth won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as George VI in the 2010 film The King's Speech.

General Sources

Bradford, Sarah (1989). King George VI. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

Howarth, Patrick (1987). George VI. Hutchinson.

Judd, Denis (1982). King George VI. London: Michael Joseph.

Matthew, H. C. G. (2004). "George VI (1895–1952)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.

Rhodes James, Robert (1998). A Spirit Undaunted: The Political Role of George VI. London: Little, Brown and Co.

Shawcross, William (2009). Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother: The Official Biography. Macmillan.

Sinclair, David (1988). Two Georges: The Making of the Modern Monarchy. Hodder and Stoughton.

Townsend, Peter (1975). The Last Emperor. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

Vickers, Hugo (2006). Elizabeth: The Queen Mother. Arrow Books/Random House.

Wheeler-Bennett, Sir John (1958). King George VI: His Life and Reign. New York: St Martin's Press.

Weir, Alison (1996). Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy, Revised Edition. London: Random House.

Windsor, The Duke of (1951). A King's Story. London: Cassell & Co Ltd.

Ziegler, Philip (1990). King Edward VIII: The Official Biography. London: Collins.

 

King George VI, formal portrait, 1938. (United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID matpc.14736)

 

Four kings: Edward VII (far right); his son George, Prince of Wales, later George V (far left); and grandsons Edward, later Edward VIII (rear); and Albert, later George VI (foreground), circa 1908. (Daily Telegraph’s Queen Alexandra’s Christmas Gift Book)

 

HRH Prince Albert at the Independent Air Force Dinner on 14 July 1919 at the Savoy Hotel, London. Albert is wearing the insignia of the rank of captain. (Flight Magazine)

 

The Roosevelts with the King and Queen of England sailing from Washington, DC to Mt. Vernon, Virginia on the USS Potomac. 9 June 1939. (United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID hec.26817)

 

Queen Elizabeth, King George VI and Princess Elizabeth standing with a group of RAF personnel, including the Station Commander (standing on the Queen's right), during a visit to Mildenhall, Suffolk, during World War II.  (Imperial War Museum photo CH 20901)

 

Clement Attlee meeting with King George VI in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, following the Labour victory in the 1945 general election. 26 July 1945. (Imperial War Museum photo HU 59486)

 

His Majesty King George VI of the United Kingdom, circa May 1940-1942. (United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID fsa.8e00850)

 

Eleanor Roosevelt, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth in London, England, 23 October 1942. (National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) 195320)

 

King George VI knights General Sir Oliver Leese in the field, Italy, 26 July 1944. (Imperial War Museum photo NA 17215)

 

HM King George VI and HM Queen Elizabeth talk to a woman operating a fuse testing machine during a visit to the Royal Ordnance factory in Blackburn. Factory superintendent Stephen van Ryssen escorts them. (Imperial War Museum photo P 399)

 

HM King George VI and Queen Elizabeth with Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret joined by the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London on VE Day. (Imperial War Museum photo MH 21835)

 

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth standing with workmen, while inspecting bomb damage at Buckingham Palace. (Imperial War Museum photo)

 

American General Dwight Eisenhower, right, relating an amusing incident to Britain's King George VI, on the steps of the U.S. headquarters during his visit to the American front in France on Oct. 16, 1944. On left back is General Omar Bradley, and right General Courtney Hodges. (

 

King George VI inspecting the ship’s company on board HMS Howe. The King paid a four-day visit to the Home Fleet, 18 to 21 February 1943, Scapa Flow, wearing the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet. (Imperial War Museum photo A 15210)

 

King George VI aboard HMS Howe, same day, a beautiful view of her bow turrets (“A” and “B”) with their unusual 4-plus-2 arrangement.

 

King George VI aboard HMS Howe with Captain C. H. L. Woodhouse and Admiral John Tovey, Scapa Flow, Scotland, February 1943. They are nearing the aft “X” turret. (Imperial War Museum photo A 15204)

 

King George VI with General Anderson and other officers inspects Tiger 131, Tunis, June 1943. The badge of the British First Army has been painted onto the tank. (Imperial War Museum photo)

 

King George VI with Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, the Commander of the 21st Army Group, on the King's arrival in Holland. On the right is Air Vice Marshal H. Broadhurst of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. (Imperial War Museum photo TR 2400)

 

During a tour of the 2nd Army area, HM King George VI visited the headquarters of the Commander of the 21st Army Group, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery. Field Marshal Montgomery is shown explaining his future plans to the King in his map lorry. 13 October 1944. (Imperial War Museum photo TR 2393)

 

On 6 December 1939 King George VI, with the Duke of Gloucester and Viscount Lord Gort (Commander-in-Chief of the BEF), inspected RAF Air Component units at Lille-Seclin. Here the King greets Squadron Leader J. S. 'Johnny' Dewar, commanding No 87 Squadron, in front of a smart line-up of Hurricanes. Note original two-bladed propellers. (Imperial War Museum photo F 2344A)

 

The Royal Family, accompanied by RAF and USAAF brass (including General Jimmy Doolittle), arrives at RAF Molesworth to review the operations of the Bomber Group stationed there. The Royal Family made this visit as part of a series of visits that day to operational bomber bases in England including RAF Bomber Command and USAAF Eighth Air Force bases. (Photo via 303rd Bomb Group website)

 

On 6 July 1944, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) and then-Princess Elizabeth visited the 303rd Bomb Group at U.S. Army Air Corps Station 107, Molesworth, England, which continues as a U.S. base today and home to units of the U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command, and NATO. Notables in the photo in addition to the Royal Family are General Jimmy Doolittle, 8th Air Force Commander, Colonel Kermit Stevens, 303rd Bomb Group Commander, and Red Cross ladies. The long-lost photo, recently found at what is now RAF Molesworth, was almost certainly sent home by an American airman who helpfully annotated for his family the VIPs in the photo, such as “King” – and interestingly, “Jay Schwarz.” Standing stiffly at attention in the photo, Private Jacob “Jay” Schwarz and an unidentified sergeant were no doubt staged and “just happened to be in the Red Cross Club” when the royal party arrived at 4:15 p.m., according to the clock above the bar. (Photo via 303rd Bomb Group website)

 

HRH the Princess Elizabeth; His Majesty King George VI, Marshal of the Royal Air Force; Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth; Lieutenant General James H. Doolittle, U.S. Army Air Forces, commanding Eighth Air Force, with the B-17 "Rose of York".

 

HM King George VI, wearing the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet, inspecting a Supermarine Walrus amphibious aircraft and its crew at the Royal Naval Air Station of Hatston during his four day visit to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. A Fairey Albacore can be seen in the background. (Imperial War Museum photo A 15128)

 

The King inspecting Merchant Navy officers at Royal Navy Barracks at Naples. (Imperial War Museum photo A 25006)

 

The King arriving on board HMS ORION. Nearest the camera is General Maitland Wilson and following the King is Admiral Sir John Cunningham. (Imperial War Museum photo A 25002)

 

The King at the salute on board the cruiser HMS ORION. (Imperial War Museum photo A 25004)

 

HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI in the uniform of Marshal of the Royal Air Force. (Imperial War Museum photo Art.IWM PST 14796)

 

HM King George VI leaving a Dakota aircraft of Royal Air Force Transport Command after landing at a forward airfield in Italy. (Imperial War Museum  photo TR 2147)

 

HM King George VI talks to a pilot during an inspection of the Desert Air Force in Italy. (Imperial War Museum photo TR 2148)

 

HM King George VI with the Commander of the 21st Army Group, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery (left) and the Commander of the 2nd Army, Lieutenant General Sir Miles Dempsey, during a visit to General Dempsey's headquarters. (Imperial War Museum photo TR 2405)

 

HM King George VI laughs as he examines equipment during a visit to a factory, somewhere in Britain. (Imperial War Museum photo P 25)

 

HM King George VI examines piles of plastic helmets in various stages of manufacture during a visit to a factory, somewhere in Britain. (Imperial War Museum photo P 22)

 

HM King George VI watches a squadron of British fighters take off on a mission from a Humber staff car. In the background the BBC reporter, Godfrey Talbot is preparing his van for recording the occasion. (Imperial War Museum photo TR 2149)

 

HM King George VI and Princess Elizabeth, accompanied by RAF and Airborne officers, inspecting the detachable fuselage of Horsa I LG850, of No 22 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit at Netheravon. Part of an A-type hangar is visible in the background. (Imperial War Museum photo TR 1837)

 

Air Vice Marshal H Broadhurst of the 2nd Tactical Air Force is made a Commander of the Bath, and receives a Bar to his Distinguished Service Order from HM King George VI during an investiture held at the headquarters of the Commander of the 21st Army Group, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery (on the extreme right). (Imperial War Museum photo TR 2518)

 

King George VI with General Clark inspecting the American Guard of Honor. (Imperial War Museum photo NA 3604)

 

HM King George VI walking towards his car after his arrival in Holland. He is accompanied by the Commander of the 21st Army Group Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery; the Commander of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham; and Air Vice Marshal H Broadhurst, also of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. In the background is the Dakota aircraft in which the King flew to Holland. (Imperial War Museum photo TR 2395)

 

Wing Commander Guy Gibson, standing next to the King, presenting members of the air crew to His Majesty. (Imperial War Museum photo TR 1003)

 

The King has a word with Flight Lieutenant Les Munro from New Zealand. Wing Commander Guy Gibson is on the right and Air Vice Marshal Ralph Cochrane, Commander of No 5 Group is behind Flight Lieutenant Munro and to the right. (Imperial War Museum photo TR 999)

 

King George VI inspecting troops during his visit to the 2nd Polish Corps in Italy. He is accompanied by General Kazimierz Sosnkowski, the C-in-C of the Polish armed Forces (walking behind King), and General Władysław Anders, the CO of the Corps (first from the left). Castiglione del Lago airfield. (Imperial War Museum photo MH 1869)

 

King George VI in conversation with General Władysław Anders, the CO of the 2nd Polish Corps, during his visit to the 8th Army in Italy. Castiglione del Lago airfield. (Imperial War Museum photo MH 1488)

 

The visit of HM King George VI, 15 May 1944: HM King George VI on the bridge of HMS BELFAST. (Imperial War Museum photo A 23329)

 

Visit by HM King George VI, Scapa Flow: HM King George VI inspects HMS BELFAST's Royal Marine detachment on the quarter-deck. The man being inspected, nearest the camera, is Bandmaster Douglas Zenas Colls. Captain Powell, Royal Marines, is to the left of the King. (Imperial War Museum photo A 18690)

 

King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Elizabeth and General James Doolittle meet a bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group in front of their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Four of a Kind". Printed caption on reverse: 'B-17 G "Four of a Kind" of the 379th Bomb Group and her ground crew being inspected by King George Vi, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Elizabeth accompanied by General James H Doolittle at Kimbolton on 6th July 1944.' (Imperial War Museum photo FRE 12079)

 

King George VI meets the crew of a B-24 Liberator during his first official visit to the 93rd Bomb Group at Alconbury. 11 November 1942. In front from left to right: Colonel E.J. Timberlake; King George VI; Lieutenant L.F. Schmidt, from New Hampton, New York; Captain C.A. Culpepper, from Poplarville, Missouri; Captain C.D. Lee, from Spartansburg, South Carolina. In back from left to right: Sergeant Phillip Salamon, from Archibald, Pennsylvania; Sergeant Oda A. Smathers, from Asheville, North Carolina; Sergeant A.S. Bell, from Detroit, Michigan; Sergeant Johny Brown, from Hot Springs, New Mexico. Printed caption on reverse: 'SC 152156 His Majesty, King George VI, during his first visit to U.S. Bomber Forces somewhere in England. L-R: Col E J Timberlake; H.R.H. Lt L F Schmidt, New Hampton, N.Y., Captain C A Culpepper; Poplarville, Miss., Capt C D Lee, Spartansburg, S.C. crew of the Liberator, In back L-R: Sgt Phillip Salamon, Archibald, Pa; Sgt Oda A Smathers, Asheville, N.C.; Sgt A S Bell, Detroit, Michigan; Sgt Johny Brown, Hot Springs, New Mexico; 93rd Bomber Command, Alconbury,England. 14 November 1942. Please credit U.S. Army Photograph.' Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Crew of Teggie Ann.' (Imperial War Museum photo FRE 781)

 

King George VI inspecting airmen of either No. 300 or No. 301 Polish Bomber Squadrons during the Royal Visit to RAF Swinderby, 27 January 1941. He is accompanied by Wing Commander Wacław Makowski, the CO of No. 300 Squadron (on King's left), and Wing Commander Roman Rudkowski, the CO of No. 301 Squadron (far left). (Imperial War Museum photo CH 2021)

 

King George VI and General Władysław Sikorski, the Polish Prime Minister and the C-in-C of the Polish Armed Forces, inspecting Guard of Honour at one of the 1st Polish Corps camps at Glamis, 8 March 1941. Photograph taken during the Royal tour of Scotland. (Imperial War Museum photo H 7756)

 

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth inspecting a French 75 mm field artillery gun of the 1st Polish Corps at Barry Links during the Royal party inspection of the Polish Forces in the area. General Władysław Sikorski, the C-in-C of the Polish Armed Forces, is on their left. (Imperial War Museum photo H 7776)

 

King George VI leaving one of the seashore machine gun posts during an inspection of coastal defenses manned by the 1st Polish Corps at Barry Links. Officer on the left is General Stanisław Maczek, the CO of the 10th Polish Armoured Cavalry Brigade. (Imperial War Museum photo H 7769)

 

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in conversation with an officer of the 1st Polish Corps during their inspection of the 1st Corps at Glamis, 8 March 1941. They are accompanied by Generals Władysław Sikorski, the C-in-C of the Polish Armed Forces (in the foreground), and Tadeusz Klimecki, the Chief of Staff of the Polish Armed Forces (far left). (Imperial War Museum photo H 7761)

 

Queen Elizabeth and King George VI inspecting colors of the 10th Polish Armoured Brigade during Royal inspection of the 1st Polish Corps units in Angus area (probably Forfar), Scotland. They are accompanied by General Władysław Sikorski, the C-in-C of the Polish Armed Forces (obscured by the colors). (Imperial War Museum photo H 7772)

 

King George VI and General Władysław Sikorski, the Polish Prime Minister and the C-in-C of the Polish Armed Forces, inspecting officer of a mounted regiment of the 1st Polish Corps at Glamis, 8 March 1941. Photograph taken during the Royal tour of Scotland. (Imperial War Museum photo H 7760)

 

Lieutenant Robert L Riordan of the 306th Bomb Group shows King George VI the remains of his flak-damaged B-17 Flying Fortress during a royal visit to Thurleigh. Passed as censored 18 Nov 1942. Printed caption on reverse: 'ETO-HQ-42-1556. Nov. 14, 42. H.M., King George VI and Lt. James M. Hair [sic], Gatesville, Texas, examining parts of Lt. Hair's Flying Fortress that was damaged by an Axis flak. Thurleigh[obscured] England.' On reverse: Ministry of Information, 'Unofficially Approved', 'Confidential', US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps]. (Imperial War Museum photo FRE 4394)

 

HM King George VI making a tour of inspection on board HMS MALAYA during a visit to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. He is just about to pass a 20 mm Oerlikon anti aircraft gun manned by Royal Marines. In the background can be seen one of MALAYA's twin 4 inch anti-aircraft guns, a crane and the former aircraft hangar now used for stowage and flexible use. (Imperial War Museum photo A 18624)

 

King George VI talking to a member of the Home Guard during an inspection in Kent, 10 August 1940. (Imperial War Museum photo H 2936)

 

Brigadier-General Newton Longfellow and Lieutenant Robert L Riordan of the 306th Bomb Group, show King George VI part of a damaged B-17 Flying Fortress during a royal visit. Passed as censored 18 Nov 1942. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'ETO HQ - 42-1552.' Printed caption on reverse: 'ETO-HQ-42-1552. Nov. 14, 42. Lt. James M. Hair [sic], Gatesville, Texas showing H.M. King George VI a part of his Flying Fortress, damaged by a flak during raid over axis territory. Brig. Gen. Newton Longfellow looks on. Thurleigh[obscured] England.' On reverse: Ministry of Information, Unofficially Approved (As Cut), US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps]. (Imperial War Museum photo FRE 4390)

 

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth leaving a coastal artillery gun post of the 1st Polish Corps at Barry Links during the Royal party inspection of the Polish Forces in the area. They are followed by General Władysław Sikorski, the C-in-C of the Polish Armed Forces. (Imperial War Museum, photo H 7783)

 

King George VI, accompanied by Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay and the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, touring the beaches at Normandy in a DUKW amphibious vehicle, 16 June 1944. (Imperial War Museum photo A 24173)

 

King George VI (left) with Army officers at Moreton-in-the-Marsh station when he arrived to inspect troops of 2nd Infantry Division at Burford and Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Gloucestershire, 1 April 1942. (Imperial War Museum photo H 18399)

 

HM King George VI with the Pipe Major of the Black Watch, who formed the Guard of Honour at Rosyth during The Kings visit. (Imperial War Museum photo A 3359)

 

HM King George VI visits the BEF, December 1939: The King leaves a bunker in the Maginot Line. (Imperial War Museum photo O 1792)

 

HM King George VI visits the BEF, December 1939: The King reviews the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards at Bachy. (Imperial War Museum photo O 1782)

 

HM King George VI visits the BEF, December 1939: The King meeting French Generals at Amiens. (Imperial War Museum photo O 1795)

 

After being received by Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten HM King George VI shakes hands with Officers of Combined Operations HQ. (Imperial War Museum photo A 11966)

 

RAF fighter pilots cheer King George VI at an awards ceremony at Hornchurch, Essex, 27 June 1940. Left to right: Flying Officer J L Allen; Flight Lieutenant R R Stanford Tuck; Flight Lieutenant A C Deere; Flight Lieutenant A G 'Sailor' Malan; Squadron Leader J A Leathart. (Imperial War Museum photo CH 432)

 

Flight Lieutenant Richard Lee of No. 85 Squadron after being awarded the DSO and DFC, and Flying Officer K H Blair of No. 151 Squadron, after being awarded the DFC by King George VI at Hornchurch, 27 June 1940. (Imperial War Museum photo CH 433)

 

HM King George VI visits the BEF, December 1939: The King surveys the countryside around Bachy from the top of a pillbox. (Imperial War Museum photo O 1785)

 

After being received by Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, HM King George VI inspects Wrens personnel of Combined Operations HQ. (Imperial War Museum photo A 11965)

 

On 6 December 1939 King George VI, with the Duke of Gloucester and Viscount Lord Gort (Commander-in-Chief of the BEF), inspected RAF Air Component units at Lille-Seclin. Here, the King reviews personnel from No 615 Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force, drawn up in front of one of their Gladiators. A Blenheim IV from one of the Air Component's strategic-reconnaissance squadrons can be seen in the background. (Imperial War Museum photo F 2344D)

 

Personalities: Major General the Hon Harold Alexander, GOC 1st Division, with HM King George VI inspecting the 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment near Bachy. (Imperial War Museum photo O 1962)

 

Rolls Royce Merlin II or III engine. No. 85 Squadron in France, 1940 during the visit by King George VI. (Imperial War Museum photo F 2344B)

 

King George VI inspects a guard of honor of the RAF Regiment on arriving at Hammamet, Tunisia, during his visit to North Africa. The tall figure on the left is Air Commodore L F Sinclair, Air Officer Commanding the Tactical Bomber Force of the North-west Allied Tactical Air Force. To his right, in the distance, Sir Arthur Tedder, the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Air Command, walks down the line of airmen. (Imperial War Museum photo CNA 903)

 

King George VI watching bombs being hand-winched into the bomb-bays of a Fairey Battle, during his tour of the Western Front. (Imperial War Museum photo C 63)

 

HM King George VI wearing the uniform of an admiral of the fleet inspecting Fairey Swordfish aircraft and personnel during his four day visit to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. (Imperial War Museum photo A 15211)

 

HM King George VI and HM Queen Elizabeth talk to women munitions workers during a visit to ROF Thorp Arch. (Imperial War Museum photo P 363)

 

HM King George VI going up some steps to the bridge of HMS ANSON during a visit to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. Note the eight barrelled two pounder pom-pom gun behind him. (Imperial War Museum photo A 18628)

 

King George VI watches troops taking part in maneuvers during a visit to 50th (Northumbrian) Division in Southern Command, 2 April 1941. (Imperial War Museum photo H 8655)

 

King George VI inspecting men of the Australian Imperial Force at Salisbury, 4 July 1940. (Imperial War Museum photo H 2045)

 

King George VI inspects a predictor at a Royal Artillery anti-aircraft site in France, 11 December 1939. (Imperial War Museum photo C 67)

 

King George VI and General Montgomery on the beach at Courseulles shortly after the King's arrival in France, 16 June 1944. (Imperial War Museum photo B 5614)

 

image: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth meet Polish soldiers at a military camp in Scotland. The King and Queen stand with a senior officer, being introduced to a line of Polish soldiers standing to attention. In the immediate foreground another Polish soldier emerges from a gun pit dug into the ground. Behind is a big group of soldiers and numerous bell tents that sit in the floor of a wide valley. (Imperial War Museum photo Art.IWM ART 15323)