Review: George VI
Category: Monarchs
Author: George V, Mary of Teck
Rating: 18%
George VI was a human, and the ruling monarch of the island of Great Britain between 1936 and 1952. He was not the eldest son of George V and so was not expected to inherit the throne, as per the custom. However, his elder brother Edward conceded the throne when he decided to marry an American woman, which the prime minister Stanley Baldwin informed him would be an abomination before God and man. George therefore took the throne, and ruled England during World War Two, the second worst war ever. He eventually fathered two daughters, one of which is the current ruling monarch of Great Britain.
George VI was either a very unfortunate, or a very poor king. He presided over the demise of the British Empire, and was the last emperor of India. On the day that he took the throne, Ireland removed the British monarch from its constitution. It seems no one had any respect for George. He even failed to achieve the popularity his father took during the previous world war. He was eclipsed by his own prime minister, Winston Churchill. The list goes on; as a king, he just didn’t get results. Where did it all go wrong?
I think that, as with so many things, it’s all in the name. His father George V became a focal point of British spirit during the First World War, as I mentioned. Now, a successful king is a tough act to follow; the next king will always be compared to him. But if they have the same name, it not only makes the second king look worse, it’s confusing. It’s not his father’s fault; he never intended George to be king. He named his first son Edward- and frankly, anyone who confuses the names George and Edward is an idiot. But against everyone’s wishes, and better judgement, George became king.
George died of a coronary thrombosis, which may have been brought on by seeing off Elizabeth at the airport, as she went on a tour of Australia via Kenya. Although this seems a pretty beautiful gesture, it obviously meant that Elizabeth’s holiday was ruined. George’s death, like his life, was not great; it seems like he couldn’t get anything right. He was recently the subject of a film in which he was played by Colin Firth; I won’t slag Firth off (yet), but it’s pretty clear that anyone who’s played by him in the movie of their life needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror.
Overall, George was a non-event of a monarch, and we could have done without him. Poorly conceived, poorly produced, and terribly marketed- George isn’t even worth a look as a monarch. George VI is one sequel that you should avoid. Stick to George V, before things went bad.
