Born – 14th December 1895
Died – 6th February 1952
Father – King George V (1865 – 1936)
Mother – Mary of Teck (1867 – 1953)
Spouse – m. 1923 – Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900 – 2002)
Children – Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), Princess Margaret (1930 – 2002)
King of England – 1936 – 1952
Predecessor – Edward VIII – 1936
Successor – Elizabeth II – 1952 -2022
1895 (14th December)
King George VI was born Albert Frederick Arthur George to Mary of Teck and Prince George, second son of Queen Victoria, at York Cottage, Sandringham, Norfolk. He was the couple’s second son and was known as Bertie. He was officially styled Prince Albert of York.
1896 (17th February)
Albert was christened at St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Sandringham.
1897 (25th April)
Albert’s sister Mary was born.
1900 (during)
Although he was naturally left-handed, when he began his education Albert was forced to write with his right hand. He was also forced to wear leg braces in a bid to correct knock knees.
1900 (31st March)
Albert’s brother Henry was born.
1901 (22nd January)
Queen Victoria died. Albert’s grandfather, Bertie, became King Edward VII. Albert was now third in line to the throne after his father and elder brother. He was styled Prince Albert of Cornwall and York.
1901 (9th November)
Albert’s father was created Prince of Wales. Albert was now styled Prince Albert of Wales.
1902 (20th December)
Albert’s brother George was born.
1903 (during)
Albert, who did not find his father’s critical and harsh manner easy, developed a stammer.
1905 (12th July)
Albert’s brother John was born.
1909 (during)
Albert’s brother, John began having epileptic seizures. He may also have been autistic.
1909 (during)
Albert became a naval cadet at the Royal Naval College at Osborne.
1910 (6th May)
King Edward VII died. Albert’s father became King George V. Albert was now second in line to the throne after his brother Edward. He was styled Prince Albert.
1911 (during)
Albert finished bottom of his class at the Royal Naval Academy at Osborne. Despite his results he was allowed to enter the Royal Navy Academy at Dartmouth.
1913 (early)
Prince Albert served on HMS Collingwood in the West Indies.
1913 (15th September)
Albert was given the rank of midshipman on board HMS Collingwood. The ship was now stationed in the Mediterranean Sea.
1916 (31st May)
The Battle of Jutland was the only major naval battle of World War One. Prince Albert serving on HMS Collingwood took part in the Battle.
1917 (November)
Albert underwent surgery for a duodenal ulcer.
1918 (February)
Albert became Officer in Charge of Boys at the Royal Naval Air Service’s training ground at Cranwell.
1918 (April)
The Royal Airforce became a separate service from the Royal Navy. Albert transferred to the Royal Airforce wherw he was in charge of No 4 Squadron of the Boys’ Wing at Cranwell.
1918 (August)
Prince Albert took command of a squadron at the RAF Cadet School in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex.
1919 (18th January)
Albert’s brother John died following a severe epileptic seizure.
1919 (31st July)
Albert qualified as an RAF pilot. He was the first member of the royal family to become a qualified pilot.
1919 (1st August)
Albert was promoted to Squadron Leader.
1919 (October)
Albert entered Trinity College, Cambridge. His subjects were History, Economics and Civics.
1920 (4th June)
Prince Albert was created Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney. He began to take on more royal duties.
1921 (during)
Albert proposed marriage to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon but she turned him down not wanting to become a member of the royal family.
1922 (March)
Albert proposed marriage to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon for the second time but she turned him down again.
1923 (January)
Albert proposed marriage to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon for the third time and this time she accepted his proposal.
1923 (26th April)
Prince Albert married Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon at Westminster Abbey.
1924 (December)
Albert and Elizabeth made a four-month tour of Kenya, Uganda and the Sudan.
1925 (31st October)
Prince Albert made his first public speech at Wembley Stadium. He stammered badly and was embarrassed by his performance.
1926 (21st April)
A daughter Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born to Albert and Elizabeth at 17 Bruton Street, London. She was known as Lilibet by the family.
1926 (June)
Prince Albert played doubles at Wimbledon with Louis Greig. The pair were eliminated in the first round.
1926 (19th October)
Albert visited Lionel Logue, a speech impediment expert, at his Harley Street clinic.
1927 (during)
Albert and Elizabeth made a tour of the British Empire. While on tour he opened Parliament House in Canberra, Australia and was able to make a speech for the occasion.
1930 (21st August)
A daughter Margaret Rose was born to Albert and Elizabeth at Glamis Castle, Angus, Scotland.
1936 (20th January)
Albert’s father, King George V died and Albert’s elder brother, Edward, took the throne as King Edward VIII.
1936 (11th December)
Edward VIII abdicated the throne so that he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
1936 (11th December)
Albert reluctantly took the throne as King George VI of Great Britain and Emperor of India. He chose the name George to emphasise continuity with the reign of his father, George V.
1936 (after 11th December)
King George VI created his brother, Edward, Duke of Windsor.
1936 (11th December)
The Irish Free State passed legislation that effectively created the Republic of Ireland. George VI was no longer monarch of Southern Ireland.
1936 (14th December)
George made his wife Elizabeth a member of the Order of the Garter.
1937 (19th April)
Lionel Logue visited King George at Windsor and gave him coaching in preparation for his live Coronation Broadcast.
1937 (12th May)
Albert was crowned King George VI at Westminster Abbey and his wife Elizabeth was crowned Queen consort by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Cosmo Lang. It was the first coronation broadcast live on radio and television. Afterwards, King George made a live broadcast to the nation. Lionel Logue was present and the speech went well.
1937 (23rd November)
Speech therapist Lionel Logue visited King George to begin preparations for the King’s Christmas broadcast.
1937 (25th December)
King George made a live broadcast to the nation.
1938 (during)
King George and Queen Elizabeth made a state visit to France.
1939 (May)
King George and Queen Elizabeth made a visit to the United States where they were very well received.
1939 (3rd September)
Britain declared war on Germany after the German army invaded Poland. King George made a broadcast to the nation at 6 pm.
1939 (December)
King George went to France to inspect the British Expeditionary Force.
1940 (during)
King George introduced the George Cross and the George Medal. They were to be awarded to civilians for acts of bravery.
1940 (7th September)
The Germans began making systematic bombing raids on Britain, known as The Blitz. King George and Queen Elizabeth made the decision to remain in London during the Blitz to show solidarity with the people.
1940 (13th September)
King George and Queen Elizabeth were in Buckingham Palace when a German bomb exploded in the courtyard.
1942 (during)
King George awarded the people of Malta the George Cross for their bravery in withstanding enemy siege.
1942 (August)
King George’s younger brother, Prince George, Duke of Kent, was killed when his plane, RAF Short Sunderland flying boat W4026 crashed into a hill in Caithness, Scotland.
1943 (during)
King George visited British troops in North Africa.
1944 (16th June)
King George visited troops in Normandy.
1944 (July)
King George visited troops in southern Italy.
1944 (October)
King George visited troops in the Low Countries.
1945 (8th May)
VE Day
Lionel Logue was summoned to the palace to help prepare King George for a live broadcast to the nation. King George and Queen Elizabeth appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and waved to the crowds.
Lionel Logue was summoned to the palace to help prepare King George for a live broadcast to the nation. King George and Queen Elizabeth appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and waved to the crowds.
1946 (January)
King George made a speech at the United Nations first assembly which was held in London.
1947 (during)
King George, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret made a tour of South Africa.
1947 (22nd June)
India gained independence from the United Kingdom and split into India and Pakistan both of which remained members of the Commonwealth. King George gave up the title Emperor of India.
1947 (20th November)
King George’s daughter, Elizabeth married Philip of Greece.
1948 (4th January)
Burma gained independence and left the Commonwealth.
1948 (May)
Palestine, which had been administered by Britain, was split between Israel and other Arab States.
1948 (14th November)
A son Charles Philip Arthur George was born at Buckingham Palace to Princess Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
1949 (March)
King George suffered a blocked artery in his right leg and had to postpone a scheduled tour of Australia and New Zealand.
1950 (15th August)
A daughter Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born to Princess Elizabeth and Philip Duke of Edinburgh.
1951 (May)
King George opened the Festival of Britain.
1951 (Summer)
King George, who had always been a heavy smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer.
1951 (23rd September)
King George underwent an operation to remove his left lung.
1951 (October)
Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh made a tour of Canada.
1951 (November)
King George was not well enough to speak at the State Opening of Parliament and so his speech was read from him by the Lord Chancellor.
1951 (25th December)
The King’s Christmas speech had been pre-recorded in small sections prior to the day.
1952 (31st January)
Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh left London to make a tour of the Commonwealth. Although advised to stay indoors, King George went to the airport to wave the couple off.
1952 (5th February)
King George went shooting with a group of friends at Sandringham, Norfolk.
1952 (6th February)
King George VI died of lung cancer at Sandringham House, Norfolk. He was succeeded by his daughter, Elizabeth.
1952 (11th February)
King George’s body was taken to lay in state at Westminster Hall.
1952 (15th February)
King George VI was given a state funeral. His body was taken in procession from Westminster Hall to Paddington and then by train to Windsor where he was buried in St George’s Chapel.
Published Oct 29, 2017 @ 11:25 pm – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2017 – 2020). King George VI of the United Kingdom 1895 – 1952. https://www.thetimelinegeek.com/george-vi-1895-1952 Last accessed [date]