Tag Archives: King George VI

On the latest episode of Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things, royal biographer Robert Hardman reveals why he thinks Andrew and Harry were ‘cut so much slack’ by the late Queen. Speaking on a special ‘spares’ themed episode of the Daily Mail podcast, Hardman claimed Britain’s longest-serving monarch always held ‘great …

Winston Churchill sat up in bed, scattering sheafs of state papers, his prominent blue eyes welling with tears. He had just been told that his wartime friend King George VI had died. His private secretary did his best to console him, telling him how well he’d get on with the …

During her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II presided over every State Opening of Parliament, bar three. She faced the tricky task of flawlessly reading the Government’s legislative programme while wearing the Imperial State Crown, which weighs 2.3lb (1kg). The Mail’s Robert Hardman revealed in his book Charles III: New King. …

King George VI lost his temper so badly during his battle with ill health that he allegedly kicked a Corgi across a room in Windsor Castle, a royal insider has revealed. The shocking incident occurred while George was receiving treatment for an arterial blockage in his right leg.  According to Hugo …

It was the then-Princess Elizabeth’s first trip abroad – but her tour of South Africa would become important for so many other reasons.  With the memory of World War Two still very raw and King George VI worn out by the toll of guiding his country through the conflict, the spring …

When Meghan Markle issued advice to expectant mothers this week to never tell anyone what you’re planning to call your child, it was a timely reminder that she has experienced the furore a baby name can cause. In June 2021, Harry and Meghan announced the birth of their daughter Lilibet …

There are few perks to being the spare rather than the heir to the throne. Royal Family members such as Prince Harry and Princess Margaret, who have been cast as the spare, have often struggled to navigate the less prominent role. Nevertheless, playing second fiddle to the person who will one day …

With its heady mix of horses, competition and tradition, polo – dubbed the Sport of Kings – has captivated Britain’s male royals for decades. Their wives and girlfriends often get involved, too, with biographer Andrew Morton describing it as ‘a royal rite of passage’ for the female members of the …

Richard Colville was first employed by Buckingham Palace in 1947 as press secretary to King George VI and dedicated more than 20 years to royal service. However, the former Royal Navy commander had no experience with journalists – and it showed.  He treated the media ‘with a mixture of intolerance, scorn and …

King Edward VIII was famed for his vanity.  As a young man he flouted tradition by wearing the latest fashions, especially flannel trousers with sports coats, ‘turn-ups’ on his trousers and plus-fours for golf.  His distinctive way of fixing his necktie has gone down in the history books as the …