King George VI

On Friday, December 11, 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne to marry Wallis Simpson. The abdication came at a crucial time in history, with Hitler and Mussolini allied, and Europe moving toward war. Suddenly Edward's younger brother, Albert, had to assume the throne. At forty-one, the new King faced not only a difficult family crisis, but a skeptical British press and public as well. Though he was sometimes a reluctant monarch, George VI possessed the self-discipline and integrity that his brother lacked. He would reign until his death in 1952, leaving to his eldest daughter, Elizabeth II, a throne more stable than England had known since Victoria ruled. This book is the first truly intimate portrait of the man and his entire family. The author has penetrated the closed circle that surrounds the royal family through archival research in the United States and Britain, the discovery of unpublished diaries and private letters, and extensive interviews. The abdication crisis, the King's leadership during the war, his relationship with Churchill, the unfolding saga of the two brothers, and much more are examined in detail by this biography.