George VI and Elizabeth
The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy
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4.5 • 20 Ratings
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
A revelatory account of how the loving marriage of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth saved the monarchy during World War II, and how they raised their daughter to become Queen Elizabeth II, based on exclusive access to the Royal Archives—from the bestselling author of Elizabeth the Queen and Prince Charles
“An intimate and gripping portrait of a royal marriage that survived betrayal, tragedy, and war.”—Amanda Foreman, bestselling author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
Granted special access by Queen Elizabeth II to her parents’ letters and diaries and to the papers of their close friends and family, Sally Bedell Smith brings the love story of this iconic royal couple to vibrant life. This deeply researched and revealing book shows how a loving and devoted marriage helped the King and Queen meet the challenges of World War II, lead a nation, solidify the public’s faith in the monarchy, and raise their daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.
When King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936, shattering the Crown’s reputation, his younger brother, known as Bertie, assumed his father’s name and became King George VI. Shy, sensitive, and afflicted with a stutter, George VI had never imagined that he would become King. His wife, Elizabeth, a pretty, confident, and outgoing woman who became known later in life as “the Queen Mum,” strengthened and advised her husband. With his wife’s support, guidance, and love, George VI was able to overcome his insecurities and become an exceptional leader, navigating the country through World War II, establishing a relationship with Winston Churchill, visiting Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in Washington and in Hyde Park, and inspiring the British people with his courage and compassion during the Blitz. Simultaneously, George VI and Elizabeth trained their daughter Princess Elizabeth from an early age to be a highly successful monarch, and she would reign for an unprecedented seventy years.
Sally Bedell Smith gives us an inside view of the lives, struggles, hopes, and triumphs of King George VI and Elizabeth during a pivotal time in history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Biographer Smith (Prince Charles) spotlights the partnership between Queen Elizabeth II's parents in this exhaustive yet intimate chronicle. In addition to his "lifelong struggle" with a stutter, Prince Albert, called Bertie by his family, endured an abusive father, a sadistic governess, and his "pampered and careless" older brother, Edward. The romance between Bertie and Elizabeth Bowes Lyon began at the 1920 Royal Air Force ball, when the 24-year-old prince asked the 19-year-old Scottish debutante to dance. (Bertie was smitten; Elizabeth initially treated his interest "as a lark.") The couple married in 1923 and had two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, before the family's "cosseted life" came to an end in 1936 when Edward abdicated and Bertie became King George VI. Smith sheds light on how Elizabeth's support and advice helped Bertie cope with his fear of public speaking and forge an "enduring partnership" with Winston Churchill, and she sprinkles the narrative with choice quotes: "I'm glad we've been bombed," Elizabeth said after Buckingham Palace was hit during the Blitz. "It makes me feel I can look the East End in the Face." It adds up to a stirring portrait of grace under pressure. Photos.
