Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Voice of George VI
As I recently posted a link to a recording of a wartime address by King Leopold III of the Belgians, and The King's Speech has been a popular film lately, readers might be interested to hear this recording of the actual speech of King George VI of the United Kingdom, delivered September 3, 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War.
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6 comments:
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I loved the King's Speech and felt that Collin Firth did an amazing job portraying George VII?. Goodness, I'm not sure what George he was, there seems to be so many. Regardless, a wonderful movie!
No, he was George VI.
I'm just curious, why didn't King Baudouin attend his funeral in 1952? I was just reading that elsewhere.
I believe there was a reason of protocol; King Baudouin had not yet made a state visit to Britain, and it was not customary for him to attend such an occasion in a foreign country without having made an official visit there already. I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure Baudouin sent his younger brother, Prince Albert, in his place.
However, the whole incident was portrayed in the press as a gross insult to Britain, as part of the Belgian/British feud. I'm not sure that was Baudouin's intent. But it's possible, I suppose, that he did blame George VI for not doing more to support Leopold III?
That's what I was thinking; Leopold didn't get an invite to the wedding of Elizabeth and Philip.
In my opinion, George VI KNEW his cousin (though distant, still FAMILY) was honourable and his Prime Minister (Churchill) was not, yet had to support his government over his cousin. Maybe he had no choice politically, but personally could have made his opinions known. It would have saved Leopold and his family a lot of grief.
That's the unforgivable part. If a small slight was given to the British Royal Family, then so be it. ;)
And I'm not sure how much of a slight it really was. For instance, I don't think George V came to Albert I's funeral, in person, I believe the Prince of Wales came instead. Yet, that was not seen as a huge insult.
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