HM George VI (Getty/F. W. Schmidt/Hulton Archive)

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Getty/F. W. Schmidt/Hulton Archive

  • Name at birth: His Highness Prince Albert of York
  • Place in the line of succession: N/A
  • Royal duties: King George VI was Queen Elizabeth's father and predecessor to the throne. He was the second son of his father, King George VI. However, following the constitutional crisis caused by the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, he was forced to take the throne. He was the reigning British monarch during World War II, having been crowned in 1936. He reigned until his death in 1952.
  • Famous for: George VI was a famously reluctant king. He was chronically shy and suffered from a stammer. His bid to get over the speech impediment has recently been immortalisted in the acclaimed film the King's Speech, starring Colin Firth as George VI.
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