ROLE AS QUEEN, 1936-1952
King George V died in January 1936, and The Duke of York's elder brother became King Edward VIII.
When King Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December 1936 to marry an American divorcée, the accession of the Duke and Duchess was proclaimed and they assumed the responsibilities of the throne.
Their coronation took place on 12 May 1937. Queen Elizabeth became the first British-born Queen Consort since Tudor times.
Even as war loomed, the King and Queen continued to visit other Commonwealth nations and overseas countries. Between the Coronation and the outbreak of war in September 1939 they made two important visits.
In July 1938 they visited France, strengthening ties between the two countries. In May and June 1939, shortly before the outbreak of war, they visited Canada and the USA.
When the Second World War began in September 1939, there was some suggestion that the Queen and her daughters should evacuate to North America or Canada. To this the Queen made her famous reply: "The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave."
It meant that throughout the Second World War Queen Elizabeth and her children shared the dangers and difficulties of the rest of the nation, including rationing and 'digging for victory'. She was in Buckingham Palace when it was bombed in September 1940, announcing afterwards that she would now be able to look the East End in the eye.
She and the King visited badly damaged areas throughout the country after the air-raids. They toured Britain visiting hospitals, factories and troops, and raising the morale of the nation.
When peace was finally declared, King George, Queen Elizabeth and their daughters led national rejoicing with Sir Winston Churchill from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
In 1947, the King, Queen and two Princesses went on an extensive tour of South Africa. The following year, the King and Queen celebrated their Silver Wedding. Broadcasting to the nation, the King spoke movingly of the inspiration that he had received from his marriage.
King George VI's health prevented him carrying out further Commonwealth tours. The last major public occasion that he and the Queen attended together was the opening of the Festival of Britain in May 1951.
In autumn 1951, Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh took his place on a tour of Canada, and did so again the following January on a postponed visit to Australia and New Zealand. It was at the beginning of this trip that the King died peacefully, on 6 February 1952, at Sandringham House in Norfolk.
