(born Dec. 14, 1895, Sandringham, Norfolk, Eng.—died Feb. 6, 1952, Sandringham) King of the United Kingdom (1936–52). The second son of
George V, he was proclaimed king following the abdication of his brother,
Edward VIII. He was an important symbolic leader of the British people during World War II, supporting the wartime leadership of
Winston Churchill and visiting his armies on several battlefronts. In 1949 he was formally recognized as head of the
Commonwealth by its member states. He earned the respect of his people by scrupulously observing the responsibilities of a constitutional monarch and by overcoming the handicap of a severe stammer. He was succeeded by his daughter,
Elizabeth II.
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
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