X-Nico

49 unusual facts about George VI


1947–48 Northern Rugby Football League season

This was the first Rugby League match ever attended by the reigning monarch, HM King George VI, who presented the trophy.

93d Operations Group

While the 93d was at RAF Alconbury, His Majesty, King George VI paid his first visit to an Eighth Air Force base on 13 November 1942.

Africa Service Medal

It was instituted by King George VI, in his capacity as South African head of state, on 23 December 1943, and was awarded in addition to the British stars and medals issued for the war.

Art Christmas

One of Art's fondest memories was the performance of "Cinderella" for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the Palladium in London.

Aub Hodgson

On arrival, he helped fill sandbags, was received by King George VI and then returned to Australia.

Baron Fermoy

She was the younger daughter of the fourth Baron Fermoy, a friend of King George VI and the elder of the twin sons of the American heiress Frances Work and her first husband, Hon.

Bert Lawrence

He was decorated with the Military Cross by King George VI for engineering a bridge in an advance action at the Risle River near Brionne, France.

Betsey Cushing Roosevelt Whitney

When FDR entertained King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at a picnic at the Roosevelt estate in Hyde Park, New York in 1939, Betsey was prominent at the affair, and accompanied FDR as he drove the King and Queen along the Hudson River.

Brian Trubshaw

After the War he joined the King's Flight, piloting George VI and other members of the Royal Family.

Chittagong Hill Tracts

He said that before accepting the post of viceroy he had told King George VI, who was his cousin: "I am prepared to accept the job only on one condition. India must be granted independence by July, 1948 and I will not stay there a day longer".

Clann na Poblachta

As Minister for External Affairs, and a strong republican, MacBride was seen as instrumental in the repeal of the External Relations Act 1936, under which King George VI, proclaimed King of Ireland in December 1936, fulfilled the diplomatic functions of a head of state.

Colindale tube station

Nine rescue parties worked through the night to rescue the survivors, and the station was visited on 26 September by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Coronation Gardens, West Kirby

The park was built to commemorate the coronation of George VI and has recently been restored.

Coronation Gardens was built in 1938 at a cost of £10,000 and named to mark the coronation of George VI .

Elliott Cutler

For his contributions to military medicine in the Second World War, he received a second Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit from the United States War Department, the Order of the British Empire by King George VI of Britain, the Croix de Guerre by the French government, the Companion of the Order of the Bath, and Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur.

Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy

The College, on the corner of Russell Street and Victoria Street adjacent to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, was officially opened on 27 April 1927 by Her Royal Highness Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Duchess of York, during a royal visit to Australia by her and her husband, His Royal Highness Prince Albert, the Duke of York, later King George VI.

George VI Sound

George VI Sound was named by John Riddoch Rymill, leader of the BGLE, for George VI, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Hyde Park Corner

"Hyde Park Corner" was used as a code to announce to the government the death of King George VI in 1952.

Hyde Park Railroad Station

Roosevelt is known to have passed through the station twice during his presidency: in 1939 when he greeted King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom on their 1939 visit, and posthumously in 1945 when his body was unloaded there in preparation for burial.

Ishapore Rifle Factory

Military rifles manufactured at Ishapore pre-1949 are stamped "GRI" on the buttsocket, referring to George Rex, Imperator (i.e. King George VI, last Emperor of India), whilst military rifles manufactured post-1948 are stamped "RFI", which stands for Rifle Factory, Ishapore.

Jack Miner

He had been presented with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by King George VI in 1943 "for the greatest achievement in conservation in the British Empire."

Jan Smuts in the South African Republic

He served as a Boer General during the Boer War, a British General during the First World War and was appointed Field Marshal by King George VI during the Second World War.

John Gilbert Winant

The new ambassador quickly developed close contacts with King George VI and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, even though the U.S. was only providing provisions but had not yet declared war on the Axis.

King George Boulevard

Opened in 1940, the route was originally named King George Highway in honour of the royal visit of King George VI the previous year.

Max Robertson

He was also a commentator at major news events like the funeral of King George VI in 1952 and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II a year later.

Melbourn Aubrey

Between 1936 and 1938 he was Moderator of the Federal Council of Free Churches and presented the Loyal Address on behalf of the Free Churches to H.M. King George VI.

Mona Vale, Tasmania

In 1868, Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh visited, and later the then Duke of York (future King George VI) and the Duchess of York visited in 1927, with then Princess Elizabeth (Elizabeth II).

Ogidi, Anambra

Upon his death, Amobi I was succeeded by his eldest son, HRH Prince Benjamin Olisaeloka Amobi, who, as HRH Igwe Amobi II of Ogidi, later represented the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria at the coronation of HM King George VI of England in 1937.

Orb and Sceptre

As with Crown Imperial, written by Walton in 1936 for the coronation of Elizabeth II's father, King George VI, it quietens down into a Trio section in the middle in C. This theme is heard subdued on the strings, before repeated in its more stately and grand form.

People's United Party

One month earlier the colonial government dissolved the PUP-dominated Belize City Council for neglecting to place a portrait of King George VI in its chambers, and in October jailed PUP leaders Richardson and Phillip Goldson for an article in a local newspaper justifying revolution.

Port Whitby and Port Perry Railway

The last service to run on the line was a special passenger-only service to Toronto to bring well-wishers to the Royal Tour of 1939 by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Postage stamps and postal history of Ascension Island

In 1938 the pictorials were re-issued with a portrait of George VI replacing his father's image.

Postage stamps and postal history of Bahrain

From 1948 to 1960 Bahrain used the stamps of Great Britain depicting George VI then Queen Elizabeth II all overprinted BAHRAIN and the applicable value.

Postage stamps and postal history of Bermuda

Several of the designs were reused, and three more added, for a 1938 issue featuring George VI.

Postage stamps and postal history of Mauritius

The twentieth century issues of Mauritius, like those in other British colonies, generally depicted the current monarch, Edward VII, George V and George VI, and Elizabeth II, as well as Mauritius' coat of arms.

Postage stamps and postal history of the Falkland Islands

Starting in the 1930s, the Falklands took part of the omnibus issues of the Empire; the Silver Jubilee issue of 1935, Coronation issue for George VI in 1937, and so forth.

Rimutaka Incline

Unusual traffic included four royal trains: for the Prince of Wales in 1921; the Duke (later King George VI) and Duchess of York in 1927; the Duke of Gloucester in 1935; and Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1954.

Samantha Bumgarner

Bumgarner was also among the artists Lunsford assembled to play before George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England in June 1939 at the invitation of President and Mrs. Roosevelt at a White House concert of American music arranged by Charles Seeger and Adrian Dornbush (of the WPA) for the benefit of the first visit by a reigning British monarch and his consort on American soil.

South African honours system

Between 1937 and 1952, King George VI, as the Union's head of state, instituted several civil and military decorations and medals for the Union, including the King's Medal for Bravery.

South Ayrshire

The buildings were built in 1931 on the site of Ayr Jail and opened by King George VI.

Szyk Haggadah

The Haggadah was dedicated to King George VI of England, who received one of the first copies.

The Clark Brothers

The Clark Brothers gave their first British performance for King George VI and became favourites in working men's clubs.

Thromboangiitis obliterans

As reported by Alan Michie in God Save The Queen, published in 1952 (see pages 194 and following), King George VI was diagnosed with the disease in late 1948 and early 1949.

Top Cottage

Although it was meant as a retreat, FDR also received notable guests at the cottage, including Britain's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and, after half a century in private ownership, it was restored and given to the National Park Service, which today operates it as part of the nearby Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site.

The next year it would be host to the famous picnic where Roosevelt cooked and served hot dogs to Britain's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on the first state visit to the United States by a British sovereign.

Vijay Hazare

In India's 25th Test match, nearly 20 years after India achieved Test status, he led India to its first ever Test cricket win (and the only victory under his captaincy) in 1951–52 against England cricket team at Madras, winning by an innings and eight runs in a match that began on the day that King George VI died.

Wajid Ali Khan Burki

He was knighted MBE (Order of the British Empire) 15 November 1945 by King George VI for Medical Service during WWII.

West Park, Wolverhampton

In 1911 commemorative flower beds were set out for the coronation of King George V; similarly in 1937 for King George VI.

William M. Branham

Branham claimed that God's miraculous intervention healed King George VI of England through his prayers.


1939–45 Star

The ribbon for this medal, along with those of the other Second World War campaign stars, is reputed to have been designed by King George VI, with the three equal bands representing the equal contributions towards victory of the Royal Navy, Army, and the Royal Air Force respectively.

Accession Council

In the case of George VI, the proclamation was reworded because Edward VIII had abdicated, rather than died, and "Emperor of India" was added at the end of the list of titles until that title was relinquished by George VI.

History of Buffalo, New York

Those in attendance included Edward, Prince of Wales (later to become Edward VIII), his brother Prince Albert George (later George VI), British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of Canada William Lyon Mackenzie King, Vice President of the United States Charles G. Dawes, and New York Governor Alfred E. Smith.

Prince of Scotland

Both Mary, Queen of Scots, and George II of Great Britain used the titles and styles, but on the accession of George VI there was a difference between the opinion of the Lord Lyon and the advice given by the Scottish Lords of Appeal to the Garter King of Arms.

Puttee

During World War II, 1 Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division was being inspected by King George VI; there were not enough regulation khaki puttees for issue, so the 48th Highlanders made do with unofficial blue ones.

Queen Elizabeth Way Monument

It was dedicated June 7, 1939 during the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the namesake of the highway, in what was the first visit to a British dominion by the reigning sovereign.

Queen Elizabeth's horses

Elizabeth owns many thoroughbred horses for use in racing, having inherited several on the death of her father King George VI, in 1952.

Robert Hathaway

An American by birth, his rule spanned the reigns of four overlords: George V, Edward VIII, George VI and Elizabeth II.

Robert Oldham

In the first book of the series, the Germans are victorious in the Battle of Britain, kill King George VI during an attack on Buckingham Palace and invade Ireland.

Thibaudeau Rinfret

Rinfret was acting Governor General (or Administrator of the Government) in 1952 after the departure of Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis and until Vincent Massey could officially take his vice-regal post; during this time he proclaimed Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada, following the death of King George VI.