King George VI was not a man who was thought of very much and I mean that in the way one pays little attention to a wallflower. By first impression he was a shy man with a stammer, but upon closer inspection he was a courageous, dedicated, determined, diligent, dutiful, focused and compassionate man who became a source of strength for his subjects the world over. Most importantly, he was a role model to the future Elizabeth II who is arguably the greatest legacy he has left this world.

George VI was an abused child. He was born the second son to the future George V and his wife, Mary of Teck, on December 14, 1935 the 34^th anniversary of the death of Prince Albert, beloved husband of Queen Victoria. His great-grandmother, Victoria, recorded in her diary that night, ‘…George’s first feeling was regret that this dear child should be born on such a sad day. I have a feeling it may be a blessing for the dear little boy, and may be looked upon as a gift from God!’ He was christened Albert (Bertie) Frederick Arthur George and was turned over to the care of a nanny, Mary Peters, who was already abusing his elder brother, David. As neither George nor Mary had a natural instinct for parenting, it wasn’t until the family grew again and the services of a second Nanny, Lala Bill, were needed that the awful truth of what went on in the nursery was made known to them. Mary Peters was immediately fired. Still the damage to the children had been done.

The happiest parts of Bertie’s childhood were the times he and his siblings spent with their grandparents, Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, while their parents were away on official duty. Though Edward VII was verbally abusive and cruel to his son, George V, he was a loving and doting grandfather. Queen Alexandra used to suspend schoolroom activities in order to take the children on outings ranging from visiting museums to fishing at Virginia Water. It was during George and Mary’s eight-month tour of the Commonwealth in 1901 that the children had the time to develop a very strong bond with their grandparents. Anne Edwards, in her book ‘Matriarch: Queen Mary & the House of Windsor’ describes the children’s reunion with their parents on November 1, 1901, ‘…but from that point on, the children, because of their long stay with their grandparents, had some means of comparison and found something missing in their home life. To Bertie, especially, who feared his father, and was so awkward with his mother, the change was the most disastrous. Only a short time after his parents; return, he began to have trouble with his speech, and within six months he was stuttering quite noticeably.’ This noticeable stutter was to haunt him for the rest of his life.

Bertie, as mentioned earlier, was a very determined young man. He knew that his greatest pleasure in life was spending time in the country, leading the quiet life away from all his official duties. He was adamant that he would marry a woman who loved family and the quiet life as he did. He found such a woman in Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons whom he diligently pursued and courageously proposed to a reported three times before she would take him up on his offer. Elizabeth and Bertie were married on April 26, 1923 and their first child, Princess Elizabeth Mary, was born three years later on April 21, 1926. A second child, Margaret Rose, was born four years after Elizabeth Mary on August 21, 1930. The family of ‘us four’ was now complete. They resided happily out of the limelight at 145 Picadilly in London.

All this changed when on December 10, 1936, King Edward VIII, Bertie’s elder brother, signed the Instrument of Abdication paving the way for Bertie to become King. He was not pleased at the prospect, as he did not wish to be King. Nonetheless, he dutiful took the throne and dedicated himself to ensuring that the House of Windsor remained a vital part of its subject’s lives. He is reported to have remarked to Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin at the time of his ascension, "I am new to the job but I hope that time will be allowed to me to make amends for what has happened." There were many who did not believe he could handle the job, not only because he had not been trained for it as his brother, David, had, but because he was perceived to be rather unintelligent due to his stammer.

The new King, who took the throne as George VI, and his wife, Queen Elizabeth’s, immediate task was to learn how to be monarchs. They were taking the throne at a precarious time in the world as well. With WW II looming on the horizon and the displacement of many royal families, the King focused on his country and countrymen. George VI and Elizabeth worked hard to endear themselves to their subjects. They will always be remembered for the strength and support they showed their subjects during WW II. He and his Queen refused to leave England for the safety of Canada during the blitzkrieg. As a matter of fact, they refused to leave London even after Buckingham Palace was bombed. Instead they stayed tirelessly making daily visits to the victims who had lost their homes. They lived as their subjects did. Theo Aronson describes what Buckingham Palace guest Eleanor Roosevelt discovered in his book, ‘The Royal Family at War’. ‘The rooms were huge but freezing. When the bombing of the palace had shattered the windowpanes, the glass had been replaced with wood and isinglass. The wartime restrictions on heat, water and food were as strictly observed in the palace as in the humblest home in the land.’ His heart was clearly with the people and the hardships they were undergoing. He could not bring himself to focus on his personal comfort choosing instead to focus on his subjects -- their sacrifices, their losses and their indomitable spirit, which he admired greatly. Charles Clay in his book ‘Long Live the Queen: George VI to Elizabeth II’ describes the King’s support to his subjects on the battlefields. ‘…George VI rallied his battered fighters. "You must not take such risks, Your Majesty. You must not so expose yourself to the hazards of war", his advisors pleaded. "It is my duty", was George’s quick reply.’

At a most hopeless point in the war when George VI felt he did not even have a light at the end of the tunnel to offer his poor beleaguered subjects, he shared this with them during his radio broadcast of Christmas 1939, 'I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown." And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way."' May that Almighty Hand guide and uphold us all.’ How could you not be moved by so honest a speech, a speech that foreshadows a darkness that will take faith and time to lift? Especially when delivered by a man who’s childhood would have broken the spirit of many. A man who saw few glimmers of bliss in life yet strove to sustain them.

The many ways that George VI put the good of the people over his personal welfare had a profound affect on Queen Elizabeth II. Service to their subjects was always a family affair. Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret would buy yarn and knit for the soldiers, they turned Windsor Castle into a farm to grow crops, they also started a Girl Guide Troop there to help the children who were displaced and away from their families during the war. They performed their pantomimes for the entertainment of the troops while raising funds for them as well. They lived under the strict ration codes for food, clothing, etc. When she came of age Princess Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) as a mechanic. They, as a family, were the embodiment of all that was expected of each of their subjects.

Elizabeth, the recipient of her father’s attention since childhood, loved their family games of charades, time spent on their estates in the country pursuing the traditional entertainment of the upper class and anytime they could get to just be together as much as her father did. This bond kept them close throughout his life. He was also careful to include her in as much of the state business as possible as he was determined that she would not be in the precarious predicament he found himself as King with no ‘dress rehearsal’. In Kenneth Harris’ book ‘The Queen’ he writes of the views of the Commonwealth that the King shared with his daughter. ‘The concept gave a new lease of life to the old association and a new dimension to the British monarchy. He talked about it to his daughter with enthusiasm. His feeling for it was his chief legacy to her.’ Indeed, it was a great part of her 21^st birthday speech where she shared that though she was many thousand miles away from the place she was born, she still felt at home among the great Commonwealth family. While in his book ‘Majesty: Elizabeth II and the House of Windsor’ Robert Lacey tells us, ‘…George VI was sustained by the strength of his wife, and if Princess Elizabeth’s earnestness can be with her father – pad and pencil beside his plate whenever he ate…’ shows us that the lessons he passed on to his daughter were not always of the formal kind.

After almost 50 years on the throne, there is very little negative that can be said about reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Her father taught her through example as well as formal discussion the importance of being the sovereign. He showed her that she is there for the good of her subjects. In time of war he was the strength and solace of his people. She has used these attributes well during peacetime in keeping the Commonwealth, which her father so loved, close in her heart and foremost on her mind. She has remained strong about preserving some of the historical pageantry and ceremony of her role while being open to changing things that seem outdated such as when she agreed to the decommissioning of the royal yacht, Britannia, due to the expense of running it. Thanks to the solid foundation provided by her father she continues to grow ever more competent and confident in her role as sovereign as she readies herself to celebrate fifty years upon the throne her father preserved for her. Long live the Queen!

Many thanks to Lynn of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor Society who was kind enough to write and point out yet another typo. The Duke of Windsor signed the Instrument of Abdication on December 10, 1936 and delivered his moving speech on December 11, 1936. I can’t remember which date I had put now, but needless to say, it was incorrect.

-- Eileen Sullivan --