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Undid revision 1227705992 by 750h+ (talk) He was previously known as Albert |
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From December 1924 to April 1925, the Duke and Duchess toured [[Kenya Colony|Kenya]], [[Uganda Protectorate|Uganda]], and the [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan|Sudan]], travelling via the [[Suez Canal]] and [[Aden]]. During the trip, they both went [[big-game hunting]].<ref>Judd, pp. 89–93</ref>
Because of his stutter, Albert dreaded public speaking.<ref>Judd, p. 49</ref> 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,<ref>Judd, pp. 93–97; Rhodes James, p. 97</ref> he began to see [[Lionel Logue]], an Australian-born speech therapist. The Duke and Logue practised breathing exercises, and the Duchess rehearsed with him patiently.<ref>Judd, p. 98; Rhodes James, p. 98</ref> Subsequently, he was able to speak with less hesitation.<ref>''Current Biography 1942'', pp. 294–295; Judd, p. 99</ref> With his delivery improved, Albert opened the new [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] in [[Canberra]], Australia, during a tour of the empire with
The Duke and Duchess had two children: [[Elizabeth II|Elizabeth]] (the future Elizabeth II, called "Lilibet" by the family
==Reign==
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[[File:1 crown George VI 1937.png|thumb|[[Crown (British coin)|Crown coin]] with George in profile, 1937]]
[[File:Coronation of H.M. George VI and Queen Elizabeth.jpg|thumb|222x222px|Painting of the Coronation in 1937]]
Albert assumed the [[regnal name]] "George VI" to emphasise continuity with his father and restore confidence in the monarchy.<ref>Howarth, p. 66; Judd, p. 141</ref> 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,<ref>Judd, p. 144; Sinclair, p. 224</ref> but George VI felt that by abdicating and renouncing the succession, Edward had lost the right to bear royal titles, including "Royal Highness".<ref>Howarth, p. 143</ref> In settling the issue, George's first act as king was to confer upon
[[File:Radio Times - 1937-05-07 - front cover - Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson.png|thumb|upright|Cover of the 7 May 1937 edition of ''[[Radio Times]]'', drawn by [[C. R. W. Nevinson]], marking the first coronation to be broadcast, and partially televised, live ]]
[[George VI's coronation]] at Westminster Abbey took place on 12 May 1937, the date previously intended for [[Abandoned coronation of Edward VIII|Edward's coronation]]. In a break with tradition, Queen Mary attended the ceremony in a show of support for her son.<ref>Bradford, p. 214</ref> There was no [[durbar (court)|Durbar]] held in Delhi for George VI, as had occurred for his father, as the cost would have been a burden to the [[British Raj|Government of India]].<ref>Vickers, p. 175</ref> Rising [[Indian independence movement|Indian nationalism]] made the welcome that the royal party would have received likely to be muted at best,<ref>Bradford, p. 209</ref> 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.<ref>Bradford, pp. 269, 281</ref>
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]].<ref name="matthew"/><ref>Sinclair, p. 230</ref> 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.<ref name="matthew" /> While broadly popular among the general public, Chamberlain's policy towards Hitler was the subject of some opposition in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], which led historian and politician [[John Grigg]] to describe George's behaviour in associating himself so prominently with a politician as "the most unconstitutional act by a British sovereign in the present century".<ref>[[Hitchens, Christopher]] (1 April 2002), [https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/apr/01/queenmother.monarchy9 "Mourning will be brief"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028043217/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/apr/01/queenmother.monarchy9 |date=28 October 2017 }}, ''The Guardian'', retrieved 1 May 2009</ref>
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==Illness and death==
{{main|Death and state funeral of George VI}}
The stress of the war had taken its toll on George's health,<ref>{{citation|publisher=Official website of the British monarchy|title=King George VI|url=https://www.royal.uk/george-vi-r1936-1952|access-date=18 April 2016|date=12 January 2016|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035747/https://www.royal.uk/george-vi-r1936-1952|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Judd, p. 225; Townsend, p. 174</ref> made worse by his heavy [[tobacco smoking|smoking]],<ref>Judd, p. 240</ref> 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.<ref>Rhodes James, pp. 314–317</ref> His elder daughter and heir presumptive, Elizabeth, took on more royal duties as her father's health deteriorated. The delayed tour was re-organised, 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.<ref>{{citation|work=The Times|title=The King to rest|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/archive/article/1951-06-05/4/17.html#start%3D1951-01-01%26end%3D1952-01-01%26terms%3D%22The%20king%22%20AND%20%22lung%22%26back%3D/tto/archive/find/%252522The+king%252522+AND+%252522lung%252522/w:1951-01-01%7E1952-01-01/o:date/2%26prev%3D/tto/archive/frame/goto/%252522The+king%252522+AND+%252522lung%252522/w:1951-01-01%7E1952-01-01/o:date/16%26next%3D/tto/archive/frame/goto/%252522The+king%252522+AND+%252522lung%252522/w:1951-01-01%7E1952-01-01/o:date/18|date=5 June 1951|access-date=21 December 2021|archive-date=21 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221222826/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/archive/article/1951-06-05/4/17.html#start%3D1951-01-01%26end%3D1952-01-01%26terms%3D%22The%20king%22%20AND%20%22lung%22%26back%3D/tto/archive/find/%252522The+king%252522+AND+%252522lung%252522/w:1951-01-01%7E1952-01-01/o:date/2%26prev%3D/tto/archive/frame/goto/%252522The+king%252522+AND+%252522lung%252522/w:1951-01-01%7E1952-01-01/o:date/16%26next%3D/tto/archive/frame/goto/%252522The+king%252522+AND+%252522lung%252522/w:1951-01-01%7E1952-01-01/o:date/18|url-status=live}}</ref> On 23 September 1951, [[pneumonectomy|his left lung was removed]] in a surgical operation performed by [[Clement Price Thomas]] after a malignant tumour was found.<ref>Bradford, p. 454; Rhodes James, p. 330</ref> 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]].<ref>Rhodes James, p. 331</ref> The King's [[Royal Christmas Message|Christmas broadcast]] of 1951 was recorded in sections, and then edited together.<ref>Rhodes James, p. 334</ref>
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| [[Elizabeth II]] || 21 April 1926 || [[8 September 2022]]
| [[Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten|20 November 1947]]
| [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]] || [[Charles III]]<br />[[Anne, Princess Royal]]<br />[[Prince Andrew, Duke of York]]<br />[[Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh]]
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[[Category:Heads of state of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Heads of the Commonwealth]]
[[Category:Heirs presumptive to the British throne]]
[[Category:House of Windsor]]
[[Category:Kings of the Irish Free State]]
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[[Category:People from Sandringham, Norfolk]]
[[Category:People of the Victorian era]]
[[Category:People with speech
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class]]
[[Category:Residents of White Lodge, Richmond Park]]
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