Royals At War (World War One)

 During world war one, many royals across Europe including King George V were actively involved in the war effort, some serving in the military, visiting front lines and supporting the war effort at home. 

At the outbreak of the First World War the royal family was led by King George V and his wife Queen Mary. The pair had 6 children Edward, Albert, Mary. Henry, George and their youngest John. 

King George V and his wife Queen Mary were both active in supporting soldiers during the war years and visited the western front numerous times and also paid repeated visits to hospitals of wounded soldiers. During one visit to France George suffered a broken pelvis when his horse rolled over on top of him. 

Edward, Heir to the throne was keen on serving in the military immediately as soon as the war was declared. His hopes of fighting on the front line were immediately dashed when the Secretary of War Lord KItchener refused to allow the British heir to the throne to place himself in such danger. Despite this Edward would pay many visits to the front line trenches and witness the fighting first hand. 

Albert served in the navy during the war and was mentioned in dispatches for his work as a turret officer during the Battle Of Jutland. However ill health would shortly rule him out of the military service. 

Princess Mary became heavily involved with supporting soldiers in action through the creation of The Princess Mary Christmas Tins and those who were wounded and then treated in military hospitals back in Britain. 

As the war went on it became clear that the links of Germany through the name Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were becoming unpopular. The Europe revolution saw the overthrow of George's cousin Nicholas in Russia. This caused concern for the other European Monarchies including Britain. George took the step of suspending or revoking the British peerages and titles of his relatives who were fighting on the German side. 

In order to ensure that the Royal Family could be viewed as a British Royal Proclamation that was issued on the 17th July 1917 announcing the new Royal  name of Windsor. 

The Life Of Queen Victoria

 In this blog I will explore the life and reign of Queen Victoria. 

Victoria was born Alexandrina Victoria was born on the 24th May 1819 during King George III's reign. She was born to Prince Edward, Duke Of Kent and Strathern and Princess Victoria Of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield. Prince Edward was the fourth son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. At birth Victoria was fifth in line of succession after the 4 eldest sons of George III. 

Being an only child Victoria's mother wanted to really protect her daughter. They would normally reside at Kensington Palace and Victoria and her mother shared the same room. When Victoria was only one her father Prince Edward died of pneumonia on the 23rd January 1820 Victoria's mother was even more protective towards her daughter. 

Shortly after her Father died her grandfather King George III died on the 29th January 1820 of pneumonia and suffered with an ongoing mental health battle, his eldest son King George IV became king and Victoria became 3rd in line to the throne. During the reign of King George VI he had one daughter named Princess Charlotte who was meant to be heir to the British throne passed away before her father became king so his brother William became heir to the throne. 

When King George IV passed away on the 26th June 1830 aged 67 years from bleeding on the stomach, his brother William became King William IV became the oldest monarch to take the throne at age 64. That title was taken by King Charles III in 2022 when he became king at age 73. 

Victoria became heir apparent when her uncle King William IV became king. William had illegitimate children but they couldn't be in line to the succession because they were born out of wedlock. 

King William IV passed away on the 20th June 1837 at the age of 71, Victoria aged 18 became Queen. She decided on the name of Victoria and her first name was not to be used again. Since 1714 Britain had shared a monarch with Hanover and women were excluded in that line of succession. Her father's younger brother Ernest Augustus, Duke Of Cumberland became King Of Hanover. He was Victoria's heir presumptive until she had a child. 

She was very very close to her first Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, he became a powerful influence and guide as a new young queen. She relied on him for advice. lord Melbourne was incredibly fond of Victoria and he once said that he saw her like a daughter and Victoria had also looked up to him as a father figure as her father died when she was very young. 

The start of Victoria's reign was quite popular but her reputation suffered in 1839 when one of her mother's ladies in waiting Lady Flora Hastings developed an abdominal growth that was widely rumoured as an out of wedlock pregnancy by Sir John Conroy. She had an examination to confirm the growth. lady Flora died in July that revealed a large rumour on her liver that had distended her abdomen. People blamed Victoria for the incident and was jeered and hissed at when she appeared in public. 

In 1839 Melbourne resigned and Victoria was meant to be absolutely devastated by the resignation. The Queen commissioned a Tory Sir Robert Peel to form a new ministry and it was customary for the new prime minister to appoint members of the royal household. 

Although Victoria was now Queen, as an unmarried young woman she was required by social convention to live with her mother. She then met her two German cousins Princes Albert and Ernest to consider marriage to one of them. Victoria instantly fell for Prince Albert for his musical ability. On the 15th October 1839 Victoria proposed to Albert. They married on the 10th February in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace in London. 

Prince Albert became an important political adviser as well as the queen's companion replacing Melbourne as the dominant influential figures for the first half of her life. Victoria was pregnant with her first child in 1840 in the first few months of her marriage. An 18 year old Edward Oxford attempted to assassinate her while she was riding in a carriage with Prince Albert on her way to visit her mother. 

Her first daughter who was also called Victoria was born on the 20th November 1840. Queen Victoria hated being pregnant and thought that newborn babies were ugly. However she went on to have a further 8 children Albert Edward, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold and Beatrice. Her eldest daughter became heir to the throne until her younger brother Albert Edward was born. 

Victoria's household was largely run by her governess Baroness Louise Lehzen. However Albert thought that Lehzen was incompetent and that her mismanagement threatened his daughter Victoria's health. The governess was pensioned off in 1842 and Victoria's close relationship with her ended. 

In the Victorian era Christmas became what we do today which includes Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, enjoying festive meals and games. This was brought up by Prince Albert as he did these traditions when growing up in Germany. 

In  1853, Victoria gave birth to her eighth child, Leopold with the aid of the new anaesthetic, chloroform. Victoria may have had postnatal depression after many of her pregnancies. Letters from Albert to Victoria intermittently complain of her loss of self-control. For example about a month after Leopold's birth Albert complained in a letter to Victoria about her "continuance of hysterics" over a "miserable trifle"

In March 1861 Victoria's mother died at her side. Despite all tensions Victoria discovered that her mother had loved her dearly and only did what she did to protect her. During the time of her mother's death she took some time to grieve and her husband who was unwell himself with chronic stomach trouble wanted to support his wife by taking some of her public duties. 

By the beginning of December 1861,  Albert was very unwell. He was diagnosed with typhoid fever and died on the 14th December 1861. Victoria was absolutely devastated and heartbroken. She did blame her husband's death on worry of the Prince Of Wales's affairs. She entered a state of mourning and wore black for the remainder of her life. 

She avoided public appearances and rarely stepped foot in London in the following years. Her seclusion earned her the nickname "widow of Windsor." Her weight increased through comfort eating, which reinforced her aversion to public appearances. 

Victoria's lack of public engagement caused the monarchy to deteriorate in its popularity and moved the growth of a republic movement. She did however during this time still take on her official duties which included her red boxes and government meetings at Osborne house which is where she stayed after Albert's death. 

Through the 1860s Victoria relied increasingly on a manservant from Scotland John brown. Rumours of a romantic connection and even a secret marriage appeared in print and people referred to Victoria as "Mrs Brown."

After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British East India Company was dissolved. Britain's possessions and protectorates were formally incorporated into the British Empire. Queen Victoria in turn became Empress Of India. 

In 1887 the British Empire celebrated Victoria's Golden Jubilee. She marked the 50th anniversary of her accession on 20th June with a banquet to which 50 kings and princes were invited. The following day there was a thanksgiving service to celebrate her reign at Westminster Abbey. By this time Victoria was once again extremely popular. 

In her Golden Jubilee year Victoria's eldest daughter became an empress consort of Germany in 1888 but was widowed a little over three months later. Victoria's eldest grandchild became German Emperor as Wilhelm II. 

On the 23rd September 1896 Victoria surpassed her grandfather George III as the longest reigning monarch in British history. The Queen requested that any special celebrations be delayed until her Diamond Jubilee which was made a festival of the British Empire. 

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee procession on the 22nd June 1897 followed a six mile long through London and included troops from all over the Empire. The procession paused for an open-air service of thanksgiving held outside St Paul's Cathedral. Throughout the service Victoria sat in an open carriage to avoid her walking up the steps to enter the building. The celebration was marked by vast crowds of spectators and great outpouring of affection for the 78 year old Queen. 

In July 1900 Victoria's second son Alfred died. Following a custom she maintained throughout her widowhood she spent Christmas of 1900 at Osborne House on the Isle Of Wright. Rheumatism in her legs made her disabled and her eyesight was clouded by cataracts. 

Through early January of 1901 she felt weak and very unwell. By mid January she had become confused and dazed. Her favourite pet Pomeranian Turi was led on her bed as a final request. She died aged 81 on 22nd January 1901 at 6:30 in the evening. Her son and heir who was now Edward VII and her grandson Wilhelm II was by her bedside when she died. 

In 1897 Victoria had written instructions for her funeral which was a nod to being a daughter of a former soldier. In her coffin she was dressed in a white gown and her wedding veil. One of Albert's dressing gowns was placed by her side with a plaster cast of his head. Also in the coffin was a lock of John Brown's hair along with a picture of him also placed with her. Items of jewellery placed on Victoria included the wedding ring of Brown's mother, which Brown gave Victoria in 1883. 

Her funeral was held on Saturday 2nd February, in St George's Chapel in Windsor. After two days of lying in state she was interred beside Prince Albert in the Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore at Windsor Great Park. 

Victoria's reign lasted 63 years and seven months and two days. Victoria was the longest reigning British monarch and the longest reigning queen regnant in world history until her great-great granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her on the 9th September 2015. Victoria was the last monarch of Britain from the House Of Hanover. Her son Edward VII belonged to her husband's House Of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. 

Her legacy lives on in her descendants all the way up to her great-great-great grandson King Charles III who is the monarch from 2022. Her life had been portrayed in various films and TV shows. There are also books that include her diary entries and letters in. 

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. 

The legacy of Queen Elizabeth The Queen mother

 This blog is about the legacy of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. 

Elizabeth was born on the 4th August 1900 in London. Her parents were The Earl and Countess Of Strathmore. She grew up in Scotland in Glamis Castle with her parents and other family. 

She was educated at home by a governess until the age of eight, She was fond of field sports, dogs and horses. By the age of 14 World War 1. Her 4 brothers were called up to fight in the war in the army. Her eldest brother Fergus was killed in action at the Battle Of Loos in 1915. Another brother Michael was reported as missing in action on the 28th April 1917. Three weeks later the family had discovered he had been captured after being wounded, He remained in a prisoner of war camp for the rest of the war. 

After the 1st World War she was looking for a suitor to marry so she attended various high society events to find her match. After a while of looking she met Prince Albert who was besotted by her and proposed to her a few times. She turned it down because she wasn't sure whether she wanted to be in royal life. After a few more attempts by Albert she finally accepted the proposal. She was the woman who made Albert happy. 

They married on the 26th April 1923 at Westminster Abbey, In a new move she laid her bouquet on the unknown warrior's tomb. They both honeymooned in surrey in a manor house. The newlywed couple were given the titles The Duke and Duchess Of York that were gifted to them by King George V. 

As the wife of Albert she would accompany him on various royal tours on The King's behalf. As The Duke Of  York he was required to make speeches on his father's behalf, The Duke growing up had a difficult time he suffered a stutter and found it difficult to make public speeches. Elizabeth helped him by finding a speech therapist Lionel Louge who helped him with breathing exercises to help him calm down when he was making speeches. If it wasn't for Elizabeth he wouldn't have had the confidence to speak publicly. 

On the 21st April 1929 the couple welcomed their first child Elizabeth Alexandra Mary born in London. On the 31st August 1930 the couple welcomed their second child named Margaret Rose born in Scotland. Both daughters were named Of York as their parents were The Duke and Duchess Of York. 

In 1937 King George V died on the 20th January after a long illness. His oldest son became King Edward VIII but had issues, He wanted to marry an american divorcee Wallis Simpson. As he became The head of The Church Of England at the time people were forbidden to marry divorcees, he did however have the option to abdicate and marry Wallis in France. 

Edward took that option and abdicated on the 10th December 1937 and as he had no children the throne went down to his younger brother Prince Albert of York. As her husband ascended the throne she became his Queen Consort and was styled Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth or Her Majesty The Queen. Elizabeth was absolutely furious with Edward and Wallis because her husband wasn't ready to be king at all. 

After the coronation on the 11th May 1937 where she wore a crown made for her and was crowned by her husband's side. In 1939 World War Two broke out and The Royal Family went beyond and above and supported the country through the toughest times. The Queen refused to leave London or send their children to Canada. Throughout the war The King and Queen stayed at Buckingham Palace and only occasionally stayed the night at Windsor Castle. 

On the 13th September 1940 Buckingham Palace was bombed in a air raid while they were in residence they were not injured but the palace was damaged. This prompted The King and Queen to support people who were affected by bombing who had lost their homes in the blitz. They also refused to leave London after the bombing. 

In May 1945 the whole of Europe celebrated as the war came to an end and as a celebration in London The Royal Family along with The Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill appeared on the balcony to celebrate the end of the war. Her two daughters under security went out into the crowds to capture the magic of the celebration. 

On the 20th November 1947 her eldest daughter Princess Elizabeth married a navel officer Philip Mountbatten who was before the marriage was created The Duke Of Edinburgh. On the 14th November 1948 Elizabeth became a grandmother for the first time with the birth of Prince Charles Of Edinburgh whom she absolutely adored and doted on. On 15th August 1950 she welcomed her second grandchild Princess Anne Of Edinburgh. 

On the 6th February 1953 she became a widow when her husband King George VI passed away from lung cancer as he was a heavy smoker. He passed away peacefully at Sandringham. 

Her eldest daughter became Queen as Queen Elizabeth II and was overseas when her father passed away and arrived back into the UK. Elizabeth was now known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother as not to be confused with her daughters name. 

After the death of her husband she made sure she was giving the best advice and support to her daughter and sometimes made some decisions on behalf of her daughter. She spent most of her time as a new widow playing with her grandchildren Charles and Anne. When Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were away on tours their children Charles and Anne would be left to be looked after by their nannies, Aunt and grandmother. 

When it came for her youngest daughter to marry she was very much part of the decision making and made sure her daughter wed someone suitable. Margaret wanted to marry her late father's equerry Peter Townsend but the idea of the marriage was turned down as Townsend was a married man. He was sent away on a naval mission to try and keep Margaret away from him. In the end Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong Jones The Earl Of Snowdon. 

Between her husband's death to the 60s The Queen Mother welcomed more grandchildren including Princes Andrew and Edward. In total Elizabeth had 6 grandchildren between both daughters. 

The Queen Mother absolutely hated The Duke and Duchess Of Windsor because in her eyes they were the ones who put her husband Bertie in the position of becoming King. But on the 28th May 1972 The Duke of Windsor died of lung cancer at age 77 in France, Elizabeth did feel sorry for Wallis as she knew what it was like to lose a husband. 

Around the same time her eldest grandson Charles was at the age where he should marry. She and Lord Mountbatten who was Philip's uncle ensured that they found the right woman for him. At the time Charles was seeing a girl named Camilla Shand who he went absolutely crazy for and whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Unfortunately Camilla was deemed an inappropriate wife for the heir to the throne as she had a 'past'. 

Elizabeth didn't want to see her grandson go down the same route as her brother-in-law so she made sure that Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles. She married him while Charles was sent away on a naval mission. He was informed of the marriage while at sea but couldn't do anything about it and was absolutely heartbroken. 

The Queen Mother was a known party animal who loved to hold parties at her various residences including Clarance House and The Castle Of Mey. Just like her mother Princess Margaret also loved to party and host her own parties at her own place. 

The Queen Mother welcomed her grandsons new wife Lady Diana Spencer with open arms as she was very close to Diana's grandmother Lady Fernoy as she worked for Elizabeth as woman of the bedchamber. 

On the 4th August 1990 she became the longest serving member of the royal family reaching to the age of 90 years old. On the 4th August 2000 she passed a milestone and reached 100 years old. Her 100th birthday was held as a big celebration and was honoured with a pageant on the horse guards parade. She was accompanied by her grandson Charles who was extremely close to her and was rumoured to be her favourite grandchild. 

On the 9th February 2002 50 years after her husband passed away her youngest daughter Princess Margaret died of a stroke at age 71 at St Edward's Hospital in London. Her funeral took place on the same day as her father Albert 50 years on. Due to her own declining health Elizabeth went to the funeral in a car with blacked out windows. 

On the 30th March 2002 a month after her daughters death, Elizabeth died peacefully at her home in Windsor after suffering a chest cold since Christmas 2001 at age 101 she was the first member of the royal family to have lived past 100. She was surrounded by her only surviving daughter Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret's children. 

Queen Elizabeth II made the call to her eldest son Charles who was on a skiing holiday with his two sons William and Harry. Queen Elizabeth II knew how close Charles was to his grandmother, he and his sons took the flight back to the UK where Charles was said to be absolutely devastated by his grandmother's death. Charles was also the first member of the royal family to make a statement to his "Magical Grandmother" a few days later. The day before her funeral her only surviving daughter Queen Elizabeth II made a speech thanking everyone for the support. 

Her funeral took place on the 9th March 2002 at Westminster Abbey all members of her family looked absolutely devastated, Her favourite grandson Charles looked absolutely heartbroken. He was the person who would follow the procession during the day. The coffin travelled to Windsor Castle so she could be buried at the King George VI chapel where she was buried with her husband and younger daughter. In September 2022 20 years after her mother's death Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96 she was also buried along with her husband Philip at the King George VI chapel at St George's Chapel. 

Her legacy will live on when people will remember her brilliant sense of humour and her sense of duty that today is passed on to her grandson who is now King Charles III. He will also remember her legacy as with the residences she lived in Charles has not changed anything and kept it more or less the same to honour his grandmother. 

Times has changed since she died including the marriage of divorcees as Charles is now married to his long term love Camilla and now Camilla has now got the same style and title as Queen Elizabeth The Queen mother when she was consort. Camilla is now known as Queen Camilla and I personally believe that she would accept Camilla because Camilla really helps her grandson like she did with Bertie.

The Reign Of King George VI

 His Late Majesty King George VI was born to Queen Mary Of Teck and King George V on the 14th December 1895. He was the second oldest sibling. He was named Prince Albert but was known by close family and friends as Bertie. 

When he was born His great grandmother Queen Victoria was still Queen and he was quite far down the line of succession. On the 22nd January 1901 his great grandmother Queen Victoria passed away at the age of 81. Her son King Edward VII became King at the age of 59 and his son Prince Albert Victor was meant to be heir to the throne but died tragically at the age of 28 1892 after suffering with pneumonia but Bertie's father the later George V became heir to the throne. 

Bertie's upbringing was quite difficult, He was very sensitive and suffered with a stutter for all of his life. He was schooled by a tutor. He also attended Royal Navel College in 1909 as a navel cadet. In 1911 he came to the bottom of his class with the finals. By the time he finished navel college his grandfather King Edward VII passed away and his father became King George V upon his succession Bertie was 2nd in line to the throne after his older brother Edward. 

Bertie spent the first 6 months in 1913 on a training ship HMS Cumberland in the west indies and the east coast of Canada. Three weeks after the outbreak of World War One he was medically evacuated from the ship to Aberdeen where his appendix was removed. In February of 1918 Albert was appointed as an officer in charge of the boys at the Royal Navel Air Services's training area in Cranwell. He was the first royal to be a qualified pilot. 

In October 1919 Albert attended Trinity College in Cambridge where he studied history, economics and civics for a year. 

In April 1920 he met Elizabeth Bowes Lyon the youngest daughter of The Earl and Countess Strathmore. After their meeting he was determined to marry her, She rejected his proposal twice before saying yes. Albert and Elizabeth married on the 26th April 1923 in Westminster Abbey, The wedding was not broadcast on radio. On their marriage the couple was given new titles The Duke and Duchess Of York.

On the 21st April 1926 the couple welcomed their first child Elizabeth who was later known as Queen Elizabeth II she was known as lilibet by her father. On the 21st August 1930 they welcomed their second child Margaret Rose. They were a very happy little family unit where both parents could raise their children as normal as possible as Albert was 3rd in line to the throne. 

1939 became known in the history books as the year of the 3 kings.

After a long illness King George V passed away on the 20th January 1936 and his eldest son and heir became King Edward VIII. As Edward didn't have any children yet his brother Albert became heir to the throne. 

Before his succession Edward had met a divorcee named Wallis Simpson and he has the desire to marry her. But at the time The Church Of England never allowed divorced people to remarry and as Head Of The Church Of England his marriage to a divorcee would be totally unacceptable. He has the option to marry her but he had to abdicate the throne and marry in France. On the 10th April 1936 Edward had made the decision to abdicate in order to marry. 

Following Edwards abdication his brother Albert as heir to the throne became King George VI. He was known as the reluctant king who never wanted to be king. When he found out that he was going to be king he apparently cried to his mother Queen Mary. 

Edward took back His Royal Highness but was styled as The Duke Of Windsor. Meanwhile George was struggling with his stutter and before he became king his wife Elizabeth helped him get someone to help him with his stutter. She hired a speech therapist called Lionel Logue he and Albert practised breathing exercises to help improve his delivery. 

His wife who was the new Queen was the biggest support to him when he struggled with his shyness, anxiety and stutter. She became the new Consort where she was styled as Queen Elizabeth. 

The coronation took place on the 12th May 1937 at Westminster Abbey. In the same year The Imperial State Crown was commissioned where the sovereign can exchange crowns as the St Edward's Crown was too heavy. This was the same when his daughter was crowned in 1953 and more recently when his grandson was crowned in 2023. 

In September 1939 was the outbreak of the Second World War The King and Queen resolved to stay in London throughout the war. They officially spent all their time at Buckingham Palace although they spent nights at Windsor Castle. On the 13th September 1940 Buckingham Palace was bombed while The King and Queen were in residence, they weren't injured but there was quite a lot of damage. 

After Buckingham Palace was bombed The King and Queen could now relate to others who had their houses bombed. Instead of evacuation the couple insisted on staying in London to support and visit the people who have had their houses bombed. Meanwhile their children Elizabeth and Margaret stayed at Windsor Castle for safety. 

Throughout the war Their Majesties provided moral support and to try and boost the spirits in the best way they can. 

In May 1945 Victory In Europe was celebrated as the war came to an end. There were celebrations all around the country including London where people surrounded Buckingham Palace shouting "We want the king." The King along with the other members of the royal family as well as Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to celebrate with the rest of the world. 

King George VI's reign saw the creation of The Commonwealth where he became head of state to the growing Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is a union of countries and states where people come together and become allies. The Commonwealth now includes 56 member counties under the same head of state who is now King Charles III. 

 In April 1947 The King and his family toured Southern Africa. This is where Princess Elizabeth made her groundbreaking 21st birthday speech where she pledged her life to devotion and service "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it will be long or short, will be devoted to your service"

In the same year in November Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey which was televised and broadcast to the radio. A year later on 14th November Albert became a grandfather for the first time with the birth of his grandson Prince Charles Of Edinburgh later King Charles III to whom he absolutely adored. By 15th August 1950 his second grandchild Princess Anne Of Edinburgh was born. 

His health had deteriorated with the stress of the Second World War. By 1949 he was diagnosed with lung cancer as he was a heavy smoker. 

In 1951 he went under surgery to remove his left lung after a tumour was found. During his recovery and rest his daughter Elizabeth and her husband The Duke Of Edinburgh took up most of his duties including various tours that were planned for The King. 

It was discovered that he had a tumour on his right lung during surgery and doctors told him that he didn't have that much time to live. The King didn't tell anyone about his declining health only his doctors and the Prime Minister knew, His family were none the wiser. By Christmas 1951 he spent his final months with his family at Sandringham which is where royals normally spend the holidays. When he delivered his final Christmas speech he was declining and if you hear the speech you can hear that he wasn't very well at all. According to insiders the speech had to be recorded in sections and edited together. 

On 31st January 1952 despite his declining health he insisted on going to London airport to see his daughter and son-in-law off for a tour to South Africa on his behalf. Little did anyone know that that would be his final public appearance. 

The day before his death he spent his final hours doing what he loved doing best which was shooting and singing with friends and family. It was also speculated that Albert read poems to his two grandchildren Charles and Anne before he died.

On the 6th February 1952 at 7:30am King George passed away peacefully in his sleep and was found dead when his butler brought his usual morning tea. He died on the Sandringham estate where he spent Christmas and The New Year. 

The new Queen was all the way in South Africa when her father died and didn't find out straight away. They kept the announcement until the new Queen was informed. His widow was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother as she was a Queen and she was also the mother of a sovereign. 

A year after her son died Queen Mary Of Teck passed away from lung cancer at the age of 85. She died on the 24th March 1953 three months before her granddaughters coronation. 

His funeral took place on the 15th February 1952 at Westminster Abbey and his body was transferred to Windsor where he was committed to the vault of St George's Chapel. In 1969 his body was transferred to the St George VI memorial chapel on the 26th March 1969. 50 years later in 2002 the remains of his widow Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the ashes of their younger daughter Margaret were buried alongside him. 

In 2022 70 years later their eldest daughter Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at the age of 96 years old. She was buried along with her husband who died a year earlier in 2021 in the same memorial chapel. 

His legacy now lives on in his grandson King Charles III who is very similar to his grandfather. Charles is a very sensitive man which I think he took after his grandfather King George VI. And Charles is married to Camilla who in my opinion reminds me of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother when it comes to supporting their Kings. 

Spare By Prince Harry Review

On the 10th January 2023 four months after the queens passing. Her grandson Harry decided to release a tell all memoir of his life. 

On the first impression the title itself called Spare is an odd title for a book. The title is based on something people used to compare between William as being the heir and Harry as the Spare, It's an unhealthy thing to do is compare the 2 brothers but it was according to Harry his father who first refers him as the spare by saying to Diana at the time of Harry's birth "wonderful now you've given me a heir and a spare, my work here is done" That comment raised the question as to how Harry knew this was said. Did he make it up? Did his mother tell him as a child? Did Charles tell him once he was an adult? 

There are a number of points in this book that I'd like to point out: 

Harry wanted a private life with his growing family in america but this isn't being private if you are telling family secrets in a book. There were stuff that was said in the book that was actually out of order. He decided to give out private conversations when at a funeral. 

Back in April 2021 after The Duke Of Edinburgh's funeral Harry breached the privacy of his father and brother and talked about a conversation he had with them hours after they buried Prince Philip. According to Harry his brother William nearly attacked him about what happened a month before with the Oprah interview. William reportedly said "do you swear on our mothers life" to harry that was a trigger word that stopped all three of them in their tracks. The other point about this particular event was the fact Harry spoke of what his words were to his sons hours after burying his own father. 

According to Harry his father pleaded to his sons "Please boys don't make my final years a misery" now to write that at Charles's most vulnerable moment just hours after his father's funeral isn't right. He was probably wasn't thinking straight and was obviously in an emotional state. The death of his father hit him quite hard and he even went to his welsh residence alone the same day as the funeral. 

The other problem with the breached privacy came at the epilogue of the book at the end where he was talking about his grandmothers death and why he arrived late. It turns out on the day the late Queen passed his father Prince Charles was phoning him with that came up as a unknown number to say that his grandmother's health was deteriorating and if he can come up to be with her. Well Harry and his wife were finding flights after cancelling their event for Well Child Harry got another call from his father saying that only he should make the flight up not Meghan. 

Of course Harry was annoyed with his father that his wife couldn't come up and started to have an argument over it. Charles whose life was about to change was having an argument with Harry over Meghan was wasting time that he could of spent with his mother. This is the reason why he didn't make the flight with William and his uncles resulting in missing their mother in her final moments. Charles was giving his reasons to him about why he didn't want Meghan there and Harry said to him "Don't you ever talk about my wife like that again" 

Harry discusses how he and William went into a fight because William told Harry how Meghan was rude and difficult. It was in London 2019 and Harry said that William knocked him onto the floor and hit the dog bowl and broke his necklace. Siblings fight all of the time and it was no surprise that even royal siblings can fight too as it shows how normal they are. 

There are very disturbing stories in this book too for example Harry decided to either fantasise or tell a true story about killing his own father. He reveals that he ordered a typhoon after his father after he visits him at the training site. Charles supposedly went up to the site where his son was training for Afganistan. After Charles praised how much of a good job he is doing he left in his grey audi harry ordered the typhoon to go towards his car and almost smashing his windows. Harry then reveals how he 'Spared' him from a tragic accident. If it was a dream then it is a very very dark dream. 

Catherine, The Princess Of Wales did not get away lightly with this either. Harry revealed who made who cry in his book by revealing texts from his wife's phone. The famous bridesmaid dress incident happened when Meghan was picking out the bridesmaid dresses and Catherine didn't like how the dress was fitted and she texted Meghan saying this and Meghan said that there was a dresser ready just in case someones dress didn't fit etc. According to Harry it was Meghan who collapsed on the floor in tears over the incident and then said that Catherine didn't know what she was talking about as she had 'baby brain' as she has just given birth to Prince Louis. 

Queen Camilla also didn't get away with it either in the book as Harry called her dangerous and said that if she was happy she'd be less dangerous. He said meeting her was like injecting something into his arm to make everything go numb. He also believes that she works with the evil British press to put out negative stories about him and William to improve her reputation. He knew she was the 'other woman' in his mothers marriage. He also mentioned that both he and William ‘begged’ his father not to marry Camilla but he can be with her just not marry her. 

He talks at length of his mothers death and how he and his brother coped and how his father 'helped' him get through it. Harry claims that Charles didn't hug him when he found out his mother died, he only put a hand on his knee and told him that everything will be ok. Years later he asked his body guard to drive through the tunnel where the accident happened at the same speed to see how scary it was to his mother. 

There has been some lies in this book too. Harry claimed that he was at Eton when he found out about The Queen Mother’s death but that was not the case. He was on a skiing trip with his father and brother when they found out. It was confirmed by reporters when he arrived in the UK by plane. 

He broke the intimate privacy of his father in parts of his book too. Claiming that when he was walking around balmoral he would walk into Charles’s study and find him doing headstands in his pants. He also mentioned how much his father was relentlessly bullied in school. And though it’s a well known story it wasn’t Harry’s story to tell. 

The continued reign of King Charles III

This blog will focus on the continuing reign of King Charles III starting in September 2022 when his beloved mother passed away. 

I will go through the process of how he became king and through my research will also look at how he handled his emotions during that time. There is also one person who has helped him through his reign and that person will be mentioned a lot in this blog too. 

September 7th 2022- (The Following source came from Robert Hardman’s book that was released this year) 

The late queen’s health started to deteriorate at balmoral while her heir was down at Dumfries house. By that time he knew that his mother’s health was declining and they were debating whether they should send him up to balmoral. 

Charles’s sister Princess Anne The Princess Royal was already at balmoral and has been communicating with her elder brother throughout the day. They in the end decided not to take him to balmoral that day as they didn’t want to cause any speculation. 

He carried on with his meetings at Dumfries house as usual. There was a video released that same day and it showed the then prince looking visibly tired and anxious. Something was obviously going on behind the scenes. 

September 8th 2022-

The then Duchess Of Cornwall was due at Dumfries house for an interview that morning. The people who interviewed her were setting up the appropriate equipment to interview her. When suddenly there was a phone call and Charles’s protection officer came into the room and politely asked them to quieten down as the prince was on the phone. 

The interviewer then said that there was a lot of rushing and the helicopter took off. They were then told that the interview had to be cancelled. 

Charles was by his mothers side with Camilla hours before she passed. He was told to call his siblings Edward and Andrew to make it up to Scotland along with his two sons William and Harry to come to say their goodbyes. 

After he contacted everyone he and Camilla went back to their Scottish home Birkhall. He went out to pick mushrooms to clear his head. His security team wanted him to be on his own for a while so they were about so they can see him but kept a distance. 

Suddenly one of his security personnel had a phone call from balmoral saying that his mother was at her final moments. The protection officer was the one who broke the news to him. 

Heartbreakingly he didn’t make it to his mother’s bedside in time. She passed away at 3:10pm. 

Charles was told on his way up to balmoral castle, a phone rang and his private secretary told him to pull over. His private secretary was the one who took the call. Charles knew his mother had died with his private secretary saying two words to him “Your Majesty” the people in the car including the new Queen told him how sorry they are. Before he drove towards balmoral. 

Princess Anne was waiting by the entrance of balmoral for her brother the new king to arrive. 

The new king had a lot of things to do including telling family members of the late queens death. He first had to let his heir William know first. When he called him Charles had to ask the switch board operator who he had to speak to. He also couldn’t say that he was king either so he simply said “It’s me”

Charles and Camilla along with William after he’d arrived and seen his grandmother went back up to Birkhall for dinner and to discuss things. 

He and Camilla would return to London the next day to start the various events that would define his reign.

September 9th 2022: 

The new king and queen left balmoral for a week of engagements. When they arrived in London they were greeted with huge crowds who were cheering them and singing God Save The King. He met with the crowd with his darling wife and people were expressing their condolences to him and camilla. 

In the book by Robert Hardman the queen’s friends recalled her experience when the crowd. One lady told Camilla to “Look after him” meaning that she had to look after her husband and she said “I will I promise” 

It was time for him to address the nation for the first time as King. His speech was absolutely beautiful, Charles has a way with words. He paid tribute to his mother, “Queen Elizabeth’s was a life well lived” and “She made sacrifices for duty” 

He also pledged his life to “Serve you with loyalty, respect and love as I have throughout my life.” 

He also spoke about his beloved wife Camilla “I count on the loving help of my darling wife Camilla. In recognition of her own loyal public service since our marriage 17 years ago. She becomes my Queen Consort. I know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty of which I have come to rely so much.” 

He also announced that His heir William becomes the Prince Of Wales. He and Catherine became Prince and Princess Of Wales. 

The address was moving and emotional. By the end of the address he had tears in his eyes as he says “And to my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late papa. I want simply to say this. Thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years.” He ended the address by saying “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest”. 

Buckingham palace released a behind the scenes video of the new king after the address. He looked absolutely heartbroken with tears surfacing as he thanked the people who filmed the address. 

His beloved wife Camilla was also in the same room as him, she was sat in the corner of the room while he addressed the nation. He wasn’t able to see her because Camilla said that she didn’t want him to be set off by seeing herself in tears. After the address was filmed she got up and went and moved to his side and gave him a hug and told him that he did really really well. 

Later in the week was the proclamation of the new King Charles III. Accompanying him was his son and heir William and his darling wife Camilla. He was obviously heartbroken but he was soo incredibly strong. 

Through his heartbreak and devastation he had his strength and stay by his side every step of the way. Camilla was there the whole time. She really really helped him through his grief. If in any doubt that he did break down in public she was always there. She is his rock. 

The funeral was very beautiful and moving. We saw the king lead the way at the funeral. God Save The King was played twice in both services where he did really struggle. He also had a very important role in the funeral in the Committal service by placing the company camp colour on his mother’s coffin. The company camp colour traditionally locates the commanding officer. 

After the committal service, The King and Queen and the rest of the royal family went back to Windsor castle to the King George VI memorial chapel where The Late Queen and The Late Duke Of Edinburgh are both buried. This was a very private burial with just the close members of the royal family. So they can have some privacy and just let all of their emotions out. 

The King and Queen after the burial was over flew back up to balmoral castle where she passed to continue grieving in private. 

Still mourning the death of his beloved mother. He had to start planning for his coronation and what happens next.