George VI is the King of England. Biography George 6th King of England stuttered

King George VI February 7, 1952 Radio Speech, London On the night of February 6, King George VI died after a long and serious illness. Churchill’s words that “the king walked hand in hand with death, as if death were his companion” found a warm response in the hearts of

George VI, King of Great Britain and its Dominions, is not just the father of the living, but also a symbol of the fortitude of the British nation, which it showed in the fight against Nazism during the Second World War. The monarch, who at first did not enjoy recognition either among the people or the parliament, became the favorite of his country, and his reign became one of the brightest periods in the history of England.

Childhood and youth

Albert Frederick Arthur George was the second of six children of the King 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 Henry’s brother 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 myth appeared thanks to the famous film “The King’s Speech!”

The film, awarded 4 Oscars, became the source of numerous quotes attributed to the British monarch. For example, that being late is George’s strong point, or that he is the most powerful king, because long pauses in speech add weight. However, it is unknown whether George VI actually said these words.

Following a centuries-old tradition, George VI graduated from more than one higher military educational institution and served in the army. The king got rid of the illness that had tormented him 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.

Moreover, together with Simpson, already in the status of the Duke of Windsor, he visited the leader of the Third Reich in Germany. Seeing this as a threat to the throne, the new King George VI and the Prime Minister removed Edward away, giving him the post of governor in the Bahamas.

According to rumors, George digested the news that he was to become a pillar of the British monarchy for several days, locking himself in a room and refusing to talk to anyone. Already insecure, George was depressed, but set about correcting the image of the royal family.

During the reign of the last king of Northern Ireland and the emperor of India, the British Empire ceased to exist. From its ruins arose the Commonwealth of Nations, in which England retained a dominant position. The former English colonies actually swore allegiance to the crown, becoming evidence of the strengthening of the doctrine of the “symbolic king”.

If for the world community the monarchy demonstrated a brilliant ability to adapt to any conditions, then in domestic politics the situation was not so brilliant. It was under George VI, at the height of the post-war crisis, that the court and parliament entered into an agreement to exempt the royal family from paying taxes. Only her daughter Elizabeth II renounced this privilege in the 21st century.

The royal court had to prove its right to exist. The post-war social revolution destroyed centuries of reverence for the crown. There were growing ideas in society that the old British way of life was making it difficult to compete with the rest of the world. In addition, the Labor Party won the parliamentary elections. Under these conditions, George insisted on the appointment of the ardent anti-communist Ernest Bevin as Foreign Minister.

The king did not save in the face of the new government. Studying the programs of proposed economic and social changes, George VI introduced amendments or generally objected to innovations. This especially affected the issues of state control, nationalization of industries, and increased taxes for wealthy citizens.

The confrontation with Labor was not public and subsequently led to the conclusion that George VI, unlike his father, was more constructive in the conduct of public affairs.

George proved to be a political heavyweight when he persuaded the head of the cabinet, Clement Attlee, to hold parliamentary elections that returned Winston Churchill to power. And the king had complete understanding with him.

Personal life

The personal life page in the king’s biography is not as dramatic as that of his predecessor. Georg did not have to make big sacrifices, although there were rumors here too. One of the legends says that the monarch was introduced to speech therapist Log by his mistress, actress Evelyn Lei, nicknamed Boo. And this supposedly happened at the instigation of Queen Elizabeth, George’s wife.

Elizabeth Bowles-Lyon, of course, is also of blue blood - a countess, a representative of the Scottish family of Strathmore and Kinghorne. The couple had known each other since childhood, but Elizabeth twice rejected George's proposal. 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.

Queen Elizabeth became a loyal friend and adviser to George, for whom royal duties remained an unbearable burden for a long time. On her initiative, 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.

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 known, and I had 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 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, and.

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.

Memory

• 2005 – postage stamp of Kyrgyzstan
• 2010 – film “The King’s Speech!”
• 2015 – film “London Holiday”
• London The Bletchley bar. George VI cocktail with edible gold and diamonds
• Firstborn and - George Alexander Louis - named after George VI

George VI was born on December 14, 1895 in Sandringham, UK. Born into the royal family of George V and Queen Mary. As befits a prince, he studied at the Royal Naval College. After him he went to serve as a midshipman on the ship Collingwood.

In 1916, he took part in the Battle of Jutland, for which Georg was promoted to junior lieutenant. During the First World War he was a flight commander in the Royal Air Force on the Western Front. With the end of the war, Prince George continued his education in the city of Cambridge.

George received the title of Duke of York in 1920 and soon married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. A few years later, the future Queen Elizabeth II was born into the family. At the end of 1936, Edward VIII abdicated the throne, and the crown passed to his brother, George VI. The new king becomes the supreme ruler of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa, India and Ireland.

At the same time, George VI took command of the British and Canadian Armed Forces and was promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Australian Air Force and Admiral of the Fleet. During World War II, the royal couple was with their troops in France, Africa, and Normandy. George VI was active in the fight against the Nazis.

In 1940, the monarch's residence was repeatedly bombed from the air. On September 12, 1940, a German bomb exploded 20 meters from Buckingham Palace, which affected the king’s health: he could not read, and often looked at the sky with anxiety. In the event of the occupation of Great Britain, the royal family was supposed to be evacuated to Canada. The king himself did not intend to leave, intending to stay in the country and participate in the Resistance.

The king, in the period from 1940 to 1941, regularly practiced shooting with various types of weapons. Despite the fact that Great Britain was an ally of the USSR, the king was very wary of his allies in the camp.

In 1945, after the appointment of K. Attlee as Prime Minister, George exercised significant influence on the head of government, in particular, he insisted that E. Bevin, known for his anti-communist views, be appointed Foreign Minister. George was also against the widespread nationalization of industry that began under Labour.

George VI, the Queen and the Princesses left England by sea on 1 February 1947 for a state visit to South Africa. The last years of George's reign under Attlee's Labor government were marked by the accelerated collapse of the British Empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations.

India gained full independence in 1948, and Ireland in 1949. The granting of independence to India caused great displeasure to George. In November 1947, he also reluctantly agreed to the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth, considering Prince Philip Mountbatten not a very brilliant match.

The royal couple planned a trip to New Zealand and Australia in 1948, which was postponed due to the king's deteriorating health. He was diagnosed with lung cancer. The stress of the war had a detrimental effect on the health of the monarch, who, in addition, smoked a lot. In September 1951, one of his lungs was removed. In 1952, on January 29, despite the advice of doctors, he arrived at the airport to see his daughter off on vacation in Kenya.

George VI died on February 6, 1952 at Sandringham Palace in his sleep from coronary thrombosis. He was buried in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Elizabeth returned from Kenya as queen.

George is a common name among European monarchs: George I (King of Great Britain) George II (King of Great Britain) George III (King of Great Britain) George IV (King of Great Britain) George V (King of Great Britain) George VI (King... ... Wikipedia

George I: George I (Duke of Württemberg) (1498 1558) George I (Landgrave of Hesse Darmstadt) (1547 1596) George I (King of Great Britain) (1660 1727) George I (Duke of Saxe Meiningen) (1761 1803) George (Grand Duke of Mecklenburg) Strelitz) (1779 1860) ... ... Wikipedia

George II: George II (King of Great Britain) (1683 1760, King from 1727) George II (King of Greece) (1890 1947, King 1922 1924 and from 1935) George II (Duke of Saxe Meiningen) (1826 1914) Duke of Saxe Meiningen from 1866 George II (landgrave... ... Wikipedia

I (1845 1913) King of Greece since 1863, from the Glucksburg dynasty. He sought the creation of Greater Greece by annexing the territories of neighboring states...

- (1683 1760) English king from 1727, from the Hanoverian dynasty ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (1890 1947) King of Greece in 1922 23 and from 1935; from the Glucksburg dynasty. He contributed to the establishment of the military dictatorship of I. Metaxas in 1936. Since 1941 in exile. Returned to the country after the restoration (September 1946) of the monarchy... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (1762 1830) English king from 1820; in 1811 20 Prince Regent, from the Hanoverian dynasty. Active supporter of the Holy Alliance... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

V (1865 1936) English king from 1910, from the Saxe-Coburg Gotha (from 1917 Windsor) dynasty ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (1895 1952) English king since 1936, from the Windsor dynasty ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

I (George) (1660 1727), English king from 1714, first of the Hanoverian dynasty. Elector of Hanover from 1698. II (1845 1913), King of Greece from 1863, from the Glucksburg dynasty. He sought to create “Greater Greece” by annexing territories... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

I (1683 1760), English king from 1727, from the Hanoverian dynasty. II (1890 1947), King of Greece in 1922-23 and since 1935; from the Glucksburg dynasty. He contributed to the establishment of the military dictatorship of I. Metaxas in 1936. Since 1941 in exile. Returned to the country... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

• Georg Ebers. Collected works in 10 volumes (set), Georg Ebers. Georg Moritz Ebers is a famous German Egyptologist and talented novelist. A distinctive feature of all his artistic works is the excellent and in all respects...
• Georg Ebers. Collected works in nine volumes. Volume 1, Georg Ebers. 1997 edition. The condition is excellent. G. Ebers is a famous German Egyptologist and talented novelist. His works combine scientifically based reproduction of the depicted...

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 Before accession to the throne
• 2 Board
  • 2.1 The Second World War
  • 2.2 Last years and death
• 3 Military ranks and titles
• 4 Awards
  • 4.1 Foreign countries
• 5 Memory
Literature

Introduction

George VI(English) George VI, baptismal names Albert Frederick Arthur Georg; 14 December 1895, York Cottage, Sandringham, Norfolk, England - 6 February 1952, Sandringham, Norfolk, England) - King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia and South Africa since 11 December 1936. From the House of Windsor.

He ascended the throne after the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII. It went down in history primarily as a symbol of the struggle of Great Britain and the countries of the British Empire against Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

George's reign was marked by the collapse of the British Empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations. He was the last Emperor of India from December 12, 1936 to January 26, 1950, and the last King of Ireland (until April 18, 1949). He bore the title “Head of the Commonwealth” since April 29, 1949.

1. Before accession to the throne

Second son of King George V and his wife, Queen Mary. Albert had four brothers: the future King Edward VIII (1894-1972), Duke Henry William of Gloucester (1900-74), Duke George Alexander of Kent (1902-42), Prince John Charles Francis (1905-19), who suffered from epilepsy and autism, and sister Princess Victoria-Alexandra Mary (1897-1965), married Countess of Harwood.

By nature, Albert was a modest and shy person, and he also suffered from a severe stutter. However, he worked hard under the guidance of self-taught Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue, and as a result almost completely got rid of the disease.

Educated at Osborne and the Royal Naval College, Dortmouth; in 1915 he received the rank of midshipman and then junior lieutenant. He took part in the Battle of Jutland as commander of a gun turret on the battleship Collingwood. Further service in the navy was prevented by illness - first an attack of appendicitis, then a stomach ulcer. In March 1918 he was transferred to the naval aviation of the Royal Air Force, served as a pilot on the Western Front, and reached the position of flight commander. After the war, during 1919 he studied history and economics at Trinity College, Cambridge University.

In June 1920 he became Duke of York, and on April 26, 1923 he married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, daughter of the Earl of Strathmore. He met her back in 1905 (5-year-old Elizabeth treated 10-year-old Albert to candied cherries from a cake). Two children were born into the family - Princess Elizabeth-Alexandra (future Queen Elizabeth II) on April 21, 1926, and Princess Margaret Rose on August 21, 1930. In 1924-1925, the Duke and Duchess visited Uganda and Sudan, and in 1927 - Australia (Albert opened the Australian Parliament building in Canberra) and New Zealand.

2. Board

Following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII on December 11, 1936, the Duke of York became King George VI; was crowned on May 12, 1937 on the day previously scheduled for the coronation of his elder brother. Unlike his father, George VI was not enthroned in Delhi as Emperor of India. A day after the accession of George VI to the throne, the Parliament of the Free State of Ireland passed a law that effectively eliminated the power of the British king in Ireland. In May and June 1939, the King and Queen traveled through Canada and visited the United States.

On the eve of the Second World War, the king repeatedly intended to personally address Hitler with a “pacifying” message, but was invariably refused by Prime Minister N. Chamberlain, who believed that his diplomacy would be quite sufficient.

In May 1940, the king with great reluctance entrusted the formation of a new government to W. Churchill, whom he was prejudiced against. However, then their relationship became very warm: the king and the prime minister met every Tuesday for lunch, discussing important issues in a relaxed atmosphere. Subsequently, the monarch said that there could not have been a better prime minister than Churchill.

2.1. The Second World War

King George the Sixth in full dress

During the Second World War, the royal couple constantly visited troops, military enterprises, docks and hospitals throughout the country. In December 1939, the king arrived at the location of the British army in France, and in June 1943, he monitored the Allied troops in North Africa from an airplane. He also visited Algeria, Tripoli and Malta. In 1944, George visited Normandy ten days after the Allied troops landed there; in July he was in the southern part of Italy, and in October - in Belgium and Holland.

In 1940, the residence of the monarch was repeatedly bombed from the air. On September 12, 1940, a German bomb exploded 20 meters from Buckingham Palace, which affected the king’s health: he could not read and often looked at the sky with anxiety.

In the event of the occupation of Great Britain, 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 1940-41, the king regularly practiced shooting with different types of weapons.

Despite the fact that Great Britain was an ally of the USSR, the king was very wary of his allies in the camp. In 1945, he expressed dissatisfaction with the results of the Yalta Conference, as he considered the concessions made to Stalin at it to be too great. In 1945, with the approval of the monarch, the British General Staff developed a secret plan for a war against the USSR (the war was supposed to begin on July 1, 1945 with an attack by 47 British divisions on Soviet troops in Europe). However, Soviet intelligence declassified the British plans in time, and Operation Unthinkable was curtailed.

2.2. Last years and death

Duke Albert of York - portrait by Philip Laszlo, 1931

In 1945, after the appointment of K. Attlee as Prime Minister, the king exerted significant influence on the head of government, in particular, he insisted that E. Bevin, known for his anti-communist views, be appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. George was also against the widespread nationalization of industry that began under Labour.

On 1 February 1947, George VI, the Queen and the Princesses left England by sea for a state visit to South Africa. The last years of George's reign under the Labor government of Clement Attlee were marked by the accelerated collapse of the British Empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations. India gained full independence in 1948, and Ireland in 1949. The granting of independence to India caused great displeasure to George. In November 1947, he also reluctantly agreed to the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth, considering Prince Philip Mountbatten not a very brilliant match.

In 1951, Churchill returned to power, having always enjoyed the support and favor of the king.

In 1948, the royal couple planned a trip to New Zealand and Australia, which was postponed due to the king's deteriorating health. He was diagnosed with lung cancer (the stress of the war had a detrimental effect on the health of the monarch, who, in addition, smoked a lot; in September 1951, he had one lung removed). On January 29, 1952, Georg, despite the advice of doctors, came to the airport to see his daughter Elizabeth off on vacation in Kenya and told her former nanny: “For my sake, look after Lilibeth!”

A week later, George VI died at Sandrinham, on 6 February 1952, in his sleep from coronary thrombosis. Elizabeth returned from Kenya as queen.

3. Military ranks and titles

• Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces (11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952);
• Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Land Forces, Air Force and Navy (December 11, 1936 – February 6, 1952);
• British Field Marshal (11 December 1936)
• Fleet Admiral (December 11, 1936)
• Marshal of the Royal Air Force (11 December 1936)
• Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force (1939, honorary title).
• Duke of Normandy (Guernsey and Jersey) (11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952).
• Sovereign of the Isle of Man (11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952).

4. Awards

4.1. Foreign countries

1. Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class (Russian Empire, 1917)
2. Grand Cross of the Military Order of Italy (Italy, 1917)
3. Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor (France, 1917)
4. Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle (Yugoslavia, 1918)
5. Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold I (Belgium, 1918)
6. Imperial Order of the Agdas 1st class (Persia, 1919)
7. Order of Carol I (Romania, 1922)
8. Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Ethiopia (Ethiopia, 1924)
9. Grand Cordon of the Order of Muhammad Ali (Egypt, 1927)
10. Order of the Sun of Liberty (Afghanistan, 1928)
11. Order of the Two Rivers 1st class (Iraq, 1933)
12. Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece, 1936)
13. Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece, 1936)
14. Grand Cross of the Order of the Ojaswi Rajanya(Nepal, 1937)
15. Order of the Seraphim (Sweden, 1937)
16. Grand Cross of the Order of St. Charles (Monaco, 1937)
17. Chain of the Order of the Chrysanthemum (Japan, 1937)
18. Order of the Royal House of Chakri (Thailand, 1938)
19. Order "Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius" (Bulgaria, 1938)
20. Grand Cross of the Order of Saints George and Constantine (Greece, 1938)
21. Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (Portugal, 1939)
22. Grand Cross of the Order of Avissa (Portugal, 1939)
23. Grand Cross of St. James and the Sword (Portugal, 1939)
24. Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Karageorge (Yugoslavia, 1939)
25. Grand Cordon of the Order of the Hashemites (Iraq, 1943)
26. Order of the Legion of Honor, Commander-in-Chief degree (USA, 1945)
27. Grand Cross of the William Order (Netherlands, 1946)
28. Grand Ribbon of the Order of the Ojaswi Rajanya(Nepal, 1946)
29. Chain of the Order of Hussein ibn'Ali (Jordan, 1949)
30. Grand Chain of the Order of Pahlavi (Iran, 1948)
31. Grand Cross of the Order of Danenbrog (Denmark, 1948)
32. Order of Liberation (France, 1960 (posthumously))

5. Memory

• Commemorative coins and postage stamps were issued in honor of George VI.