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war and social upheaval: World War II British royal family
World War II: The British Royal Family
Figure 1.--Here King George's mother, the Queen Mother, stops to chat with the youngsters and nurses at the Queen Mary Home for Childre of Soldiers' Families. The Queen Mother was on an insecrion tour of various British Army establshments in the south of England. The photograph was taken September 17, 1941. I am not sure just who the children were because the mothers and other relatives cared for most of the children of service people. Presumably these children had lost their mothers in the Blitz or for other reasons.
The royal family played an important and prominant part, partiicularly but not entirely on the home front. It did not begin well for the royal family. The affair with Mrs Simpson and the abdication of Edward VIII left the royal family in disray. The modern, well spoken and personable Edward had been groomed for the throne. He was popular and well though of by the British public. His abdication was a great shock (1936). It was also a shock to his younger brother Gerorge who with wife and two daughters. George was quite happy with his quiet life as a naval officer. Prince George had not been raised to rule. And his speaking voice was marred by a nervous stutter--hardly a voice to lead the nation in the greatest crisis of its history. King George VI did, however, rise to the occassion. His first major act as king was a state visit to the United States, the beginning of the Anglo-American relationhip that would be the cornerstone of the Allied war effort. King George VI was only 3 years into his reign when war broke out (1939). King George and Queen Elizabeth remained at Buckingham Palace throughout the War, even during the London Blitz. They sent Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret to the relative safety of Windsor Castle Buckingham Palace did suffer nine direct hits during the Blitz. King George and the Queen, often together, toured the areas hit by German bombs as well as the Londoners sheltering in bomb shelters. (This was something Hitler refused to do.) Their show of courage and concern was an inspiration for the British people. The Queen Mother was also active. When German invasion threatened, Queen Elizabeth took pistol lessons. The King went abroad to visit his troops, in both France and North Africa. Perhaps his most moving visit was to Malta which had suffered an even heavier and protracted bombardment than London. One of the King's brothers, the Duke of Kent, was killed in the War. Princess Elizabeth when she became of age insisted on entering the services and learned to drive abulances and how to repair them. The VJ Day celebration centered on Buckinghm Palace where the royal family appeared with Primeminister Churchill (1945).
The affair with Mrs Simpson and the abdication of Edward VIII left the royal family in disray. The modern, well spoken and personable Edward had been groomed for the throne. He was popular and well though of by the British public. The British for three decades grew up with Edward, seeing him as their furure king. His abdication was a great shock (1936). Edward caused further controversy when he visited NAZI Germany and was warmly received by Hitler, Goering, and other NAZI luminaries. The NAZIs courted European royalty in an effort to establish their credibility. Edward's behavior in France with the Army and after fleeing to Spain when France fell caused further controversy. Charges that he was sympathetic to the NAZIs and considering NAZI attempts to set him up as puppet king have never been proven, but some evidence certinly raises eyebrows. His behavior in Spain after the fall of France certainly is difficult to explain. It even angered Churchill who has supported him. One historian goes as far as to accuse him of treason, claiming he passed information on the French defenses to a German spy, Charles Eugene Bedaux. [Allen] The evidence, however, is hardly conclusive for such an allrgation. Historians continue, however, to debate the episode. The general consensus is that Edward was a dilatante, but not a traitor.
George VI
It was also a shock to his younger brother Gerorge who with wife and two daughters. George was quite happy with his quiet life as a naval officer. Prince George had not been raised to rule. And his speaking voice was marred by a nervous stutter--hardly a voice to lead the nation in the greatest crisis of its history. King George VI did, however, rise to the occassion. His first major act as king was a state visit to the United States, the beginning of the Anglo-American relationhip that would be the cornerstone of the Allied war effort. Just before World War II, King George and Queen Elizabeth visited America and Canada to do their best to shore up relations for the crisis to come. American public opinion was decidedly with the Duke of Windsor and Mrs Simpson, but the King and Queen charmed the public. They stayed in the White House and spoke atlength with President Roosevelt and the First Lady. King George VI was only 3 years into his reign when war broke out (1939). King George and Queen Elizabeth were an inspiration to the British people after War broke out. This was in sharp contrast to the Duke of Windsor's rather questionable behavior. It was George's qualities, rather than those of his popular but undiscplined older brother, that reflected the needs of the British people in perhaps their darkest hour. The King and Queen's grace and courage was an inspiration to the British people. They stayed in London during the blitz even after Buckingham Palace was hit my bombs. It was considered a tragedy when Edward abdicated. But given George VI's performance as king and the Duke of Windsor's behavior during and after the War, one wonders if the better person didn't become king. The King went abroad to visit his troops, in both France and North Africa. Perhaps his most moving visit was to Malta which had suffered an even heavier and protracted bombardment than London. The VJ Day celebration centered on Buckinghm Palace where the royal family appeared with Primeminister Churchill (1945).
Queen Elizabeth
During the Second World War, Queen Elizabeth along with her husbans became a national symbol of the fight against NAZI Germany. She accompanied her husband on a trip tp the Unpted States and Canada just before the Warn (July 1939). They were hosted by the President and First Lady in the White House. It was an important symbolic trip and America and Briutain woukd be thevtwo great bastiins of Democracy. The Queen's Book of the Red Cross was conceived right after war was declared. Some 50 authors and artists contributed to the book, which had Cecil Beaton's portrait of the Queen on the civer. Proceeds from sakes went to the Red Cross.
THe Queen was perhaps most admired for remaining in London at her husband's side with their children during the World War II German Blitz. The King was advised to evacuate his family, especially the two princesses. The Queen reportedly scoffed at the idea and is best known for her explanation as to why they did not. She fanously declared, "The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave." When German invasion threatened, Queen Elizabeth took pistol lessons. Buckingham Palace did suffer nine direct hits during the Blitz. Through the War, the Queen and King made extensive public appearances throughout Britain to help maintain morale on the Home Front.
The Queen tirelessly visited troops, hospitals, factories, and cities targeted by the German Luftwaffe, nine more so than London's East End, near the docks which werea prime German target. King George and the Queen, often together, toured the areas hit by German bombs as well as the Londoners sheltering in bomb shelters. (This was something Hitler refused to do.) Their show of courage and concern was an inspiration for the British people. She and her husband would visit bombed out areas of London talking with compassion to those who had lost family members and their homes. As she picked her way through the rubble, she was always emaculately dresses. The King and Queen were particularly concerned with the heavily bombed East End--an industrial area with much working-class housing.
This did not always go as presented in World War II documenraies. There was at first some hostility. There was even insrances of trash being thrown at her and crowd jeering. [Moore] But the people as a whole warmed to her and her stylish clothing.
This was probably in part because she did not dress for the occassion. She wore expensive dresses and fancy hats to try to comnpfort people that had been bombed out of their homes and all they had was the ordinary and soot covered clothing that they were wearing. She believed that if the public came to see her they would wear their best clothes, so she should reciprocate in kind. Fashion designer Norman Hartnell dressed her in gentle colors and avoided black to represent 'the rainbow of hope'. [Hartnell, pp. 101–02.]
King George and Queen Elizabeth remained at Buckingham Palace throughout the War, even during the London Blitz. When the Luftwaffe hit Buckingham Palace during the height of the Blitz, the Queen fanously said, "I'm glad we've been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face."[72] Wheeler-Bennett, Sir John (1958), King George VI: His Life and Reign, New York: Macmillan
Her heart also went out to the French people after the German occupied the country (June 1940). She delivered radio broadcasts in fluent French to the women of Britain's defeated ally. Winston Churchill was not who the King and Queen wanted to replace Preime-minister Chamnberlain. Rgey very quickly became staunch allies. Churchill came to consider both the King and Queen as key allies, and eventually friends, in the fight against the NAZIs.
Princess Elizabeth
The King and Queen sent Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret to the relative safety of Windsor Castle. Princess Elizabeth when she became of age insisted on entering the services and learned to drive abulances and how to repair them. The British people admired the plucky teenage princess who drove an ambulance and maintained the engine. This madeva huge impression on the British people.
Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret was still a child and did not engage in any wae work like her big sister. They did make joint radio broadcasts to the children that had been evacuated.
The Duke's first militart service was with thr Royal Navy. He was involved with intelligence work while stationed at Rosyth. The Duke ame to see that the future lay in aviation, omcluding military aviation. It became a personal passion. The Duke earned qualifiedvas a pilot (1929). He was the first member of the royal family to cross the Atlantic Ocean by air. He was granted a commission in the Royal Air Force as a group captain (March 1937). He was made the Honorary Air Commodore of No. 500 (County of Kent) Squadron Auxiliary Air Force (August 1938). He was promoted to air vice-marshal (June 1939), along with promotions to flag and general officer rank in the other two services. He returned to active service as a rear admiral in the Royal Navy (1939), but in April 1940, transferred to the Royal Air Force. He temporarily relinquished his rank as an air officer to assume the post of staff officer at RAF Training Command with the rank of group captain, so that he would not be senior to more experienced officers. He assumed the rank of air commodore in the Welfare Section of the RAF Inspector General's Staff (July 1941). He conducted official visits to RAF bases to help boost wartime morale. The Duke was the only member of the family to be killed during the War. He was killed in a plane accident, when a Sunderland flying boat (an importantbpatrol plane) crashed in Scotland during 1942. Various rumors abound about his death. One was that the flight was in some way associated with the Hess affair.
Two authors jointly published a book that the Duke was trying to take Hess to neutral Sweden where a deal could be negotiated with Hitler. Thevslow lumbering Sunderland would seem a strange chioice for such an assugnment. The book is sensational and highly speculative with little solid evidence. The authors point out a number of inconsistencies in the account concerning the plane crash, but no solid evidence to sustantiate their charges. The book is a standard conspiracy theory book which reaches conclusions not supported by the evidence they offer. [Picknet, Prince, and Prior] The book plays on the fact that some British aristocrats were favorably disposed toward Hitler, especially his anti-Communist policies and use of force to maintain order.
Prince Phillip
Prince Phillip was not yet a member of the royal family. He was, however, emtinently familiar with the NAZIs in the way royal family members could not be. Phillip was a school boy in Germany when Hitler seized power (1933). And at a very young age rejected the NAZIs and came to Britain to growup with the British side of the family. His sisters remained in Germany. Prince Philip immediately after leaving Gordonstoun, joined the Royal Navy (1939). It was precisely at this time that Princess Elizabeth who was only 13 yeats old, met her third cousin Prince Philip. I'm not entirely sure what Philip made of this first meeting. Princess Elizabeth made a good deal of it. It was apparently love at first sight for her. Philip seems to have "showed off a good deal" while playing tennis. One account says she "never took her eyes off him." [Crawford] Throughout the War, Elizabeth was devoted to the young man who she began calling "my Viking prince". They began exchanging letters while he was at sea. The year 1939 was of course not only a fareful year for romance, but also for the Royal Navy. Philip graduated from the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth (1940). He was ranked the best best cadet in his course. He was commissioned as a Midshipman. His first assignment was on the battleship HMS Ramillies where he spent 6 months. He then spent some time in the Indian Ocean. He was next posed on the battleship HMS Valiant in the Mediterranean. The fall of France (June 1940) had turned the Mediterranean into the hotest front for the Royal Navy. A series of sharp engagements followed with the modern, fast Italian Navy. Philip was involved in several of the majir engagements of the Mediterranean. He participated in the Battle of Crete in which the British suffered another defeat when German paratroopers managed to take the island. Philip was named in n despatches for his service during the critical Battle of Cape Matapan. He was awarded the Greek War Cross of Valour. Philip was promoted Sub-Lieutenant and took courses to prepare for his next assignment, the V&W class destroyer, flotilla leader . He thus was primarily involved in escorting Atlantic convoys. Rapid promotions followed: Lieutenant (July 1942) and First Lieutenant (October 1942). While still with HMS Wallace,he was back in the Mediterranean, supporting the Allied invasion of Sicily (July 1943). Prince Philip's last World war II assignment was the new destroyer HMS Whelp where he saw service in the Pacific. He was present in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese surrendered. He returned to Britain with the ship (January 1946).
Lord Mounbatten
Lord Mountbatten compiled an illustrious record in World War II.
Sources
Hartnell, Norman. (1955), Silver and Gold (Evans Bros: 1955), pp. 101–02.
Moore, Lucy. "A wicked twinkle and a streak of steel", The Guardian (March 31, 2002).
Picknet, Prince, and Prior.
Wheeler-Bennett, Sir John. King George VI: His Life and Reign (New York: Macmillan. 1958).
