Royals At War (World War Two)

 In this blog I will be talking about how the royals coped and helped during World War Two. The king and queen during the war were King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. 

On the 1st September 1939 War was declared in Europe which was started by Germany with Adolf Hitler as the leader. It was announced by the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Germany on the 3rd September then declared war on the United Kingdom. 

That same evening on the 3rd September 1939 King George VI made a speech to the nation and empire to urge people to stand firm in the face of difficult times ahead. 

His role at the start of the war was vital to the British Empire he wanted to make sure the British Empire stood strong in the war and keep spirits high. In May 1940 King George VI had a new Prime Minister Winston Churchill and he and George worked together as a team in the years to come. 

The King and Queen had two daughters named Elizabeth and Margaret who during the war stayed at Windsor Castle as it was the safest residence for them to be. During that time Elizabeth and Margaret kept themselves occupied with plays and playing with their dogs, But the greatest thing that they did was recorded a radio message on the radios children's hour to all the children across the British Empire urging them to have courage. 

On the 13th September 1940 Buckingham Palace was bombed. It was bombed when The King and Queen were still in residence. Queen Elizabeth once said about the bombing "I'm glad we have been bombed, Now I can look the east end in the eye." Nobody was injured or hurt but there was considerable damage many windows were bombed and the chapel was destroyed. 

Queen Elizabeth spent all of the war helping various communities and visited places that have been bombed and have been affected by the Blitz. However after Buckingham Palace was bombed they both sympathised with the people who were bombed. 

The King and Queen took real interest in the work that people were doing. This raised morale and gave factory workers a new enthusiasm for their work. The ministry of supply studied the effects of these royal visits and found that in most cases production figures dropped on the day of the royal visit. But the weekly figures invariably grew. 

When their eldest daughter Princess Elizabeth turned 18 years old she thought it was her duty to King and Country to start to serve on the front line Princess Elizabeth was the first British female royal to join the army and serve on the front line during war. She joined the ATS which means The Auxiliary Territorial Service was a women's branch of the British Army during World War Two preformed a wide range of vital support roles, including driving, operating searchlights and anti-aircraft guns and serving as clerks, cooks and orderlies. 

She was being trained as a mechanic, she underwent a course for driving and vehicle maintenance by learning how to drive and service army trucks. She served with the rank of second subaltern (A junior officer rank). Her father George was at first opposed to her joining but she eventually convinced him to join. After she passed in 2022 she remained as the only female royal to have served in a war. 

King George VI played an important role on D Day in June 1944. He was part of a secret operation called 'Operation Fortitude.' It was aimed to convince the Nazis that the allied invasion would occur in Calais, not Germany. He was dispatched to parts of the UK that were not hosting troops, and his high-profile visits to the southeast were designed to reinforce the false impression of an impending attack on Calais. 

The deception was crucial in ensuring the success of the actual invasion, as it prevented the Germans from concentrating their defences in the correct location. 

On June 6th 1944, the day of the D-Day landings, King George VI addressed the nation, urging people to pray and dedicate themselves to the cause. In his speech he emphasised the importance of fighting for a world where goodness and honour would prevail. He also called for a revival of spirit and a new unconquerable resolve recognising the supreme test faced by the nation. 

After D-Day King George VI visited his troops in Normandy that would boost more morale. He and Queen Elizabeth made numerous morale-boosting visits throughout the war visiting bomb sites, munitions factories and troops. Their high public profile and apparent determination made them symbols of national resistance. 

On 8th May 1945 it was Victory in Europe Day where Germany unconditionally surrendered it's military forces to the Allies, including the United States. Celebrations erupted around the world to mark the end of World War Two. This was no exception for London and The British Royal Family who celebrated with the rest of the world. 

King George VI made a speech to the British Empire to thank the people for being incredibly strong, he also said as head of the church of England that he thank God for the strength and shield and to thank him for his mercies. 

At Buckingham Palace The King and Queen and the two Princesses as well as the Prime Minister Winston Churchill appeared on the balcony of the palace and faced cheering and celebrating crowds. There were chants of We Want The King before he appeared on the balcony. 

The two princesses were given permission to leave the palace to see the celebrations in person in London anonymously with some plain clothed guards to keep them safe. Princess Elizabeth as Queen years later recalled that night calling it "The most memorable nights of my life."

After the war things started to come back to normal but unfortunately the stress of the war took it's toll on King George VI and his health started to decline until in 1952 he passed away from lung cancer. 

The Royal Family now remembers those who lost their lives in all wars by attending the cenotaph that was designed in 1919 and unveiled by King George V in 1920 just after World War One. Every first Sunday in November The Royals gather at the cenotaph and join the nation in a 2 minute silence at 11 o'clock, they then lay a wreath with the monarch laying the wreath first to represent the nation. 

The Royals also attend various anniversary events that are to do with the war. This year in May The King and Queen along with other members of the Royal Family will attend various events to commemorate 80 years of VE day. King Charles III will also this will be making a speech to the nation to pay tribute to VE day like his mother did for the 75th anniversary in 2020.