| Welcome to World1945. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
| King George V | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 7 2008, 02:36 AM (421 Views) | |
| Great Britain | Sep 7 2008, 02:36 AM Post #1 |
![]()
Land of Hope and Glory
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
March 19th 1952 The TIMES ![]() A deep sorrow has fallen on all the peoples of the British Commonwealth and Empire. Until yesterday they were united in allegiance to a sovereign to whom they were proud to yield it Now they deplore his grievous and untimely loss. The years of his reign were crowded with great and dire events, and in those years he combined the best traditions of kingship in himself. Through the anxieties and sufferings of war and its only less grievous aftermath he set an example in action and was a comrade in effort. In grieving at the death of KING GEORGE VI, the centre of so many hopes and the object of so much gratitude, the people mourn not only a good and dutiful king, but a good and wise man. A natural shyness which was in no sense aloofness or due to lack of inner confidence tended, especially in his younger days, to conceal the depth of his character and the activity of his mind. A hesitation of utterance-fought with high courage and largely overcome-deprive him of his father's gift of speaking with an Olympian majesty to. his peoples; but he spoke even more directly to the hearts, of the simple. Modest as he was and diffident though he sometimes appeared, his own people had long known him to be in character his father's son, and when he was summoned :to the throne-were, confident that under him the great reign of GEORGE V would be continued. He brought to all his royal tasks the determination and perseverance that enabled him, in his personal life, to overcome disability and affliction. These were the' qualities that earned him the admiration and affection of his subjects and swiftly won their trust In nothing in all his life and reign did the late KING ever fail the peoples over whom he came to rule. All the duties which he owed them, together with count- less others laid voluntarily upon himself, were earnestly and thoroughly discharged. Less perhaps than any of his subjects can a king afford to make mistakes. Constitutionally he can do no wrong; but, as a fallible human being, he is surrounded by innumerable pitfalls. KING GEORGE VI, his eyes fixed on a high and single purpose, passed them by unfalteringly. His life's career was, however, far more than unexceptionable. Though delicate and often ailing in his youth, he served nevertheless in the Navy and, true to the traditions of his House, proved his mettle in the greatest sea battle of his time, just as later he was to.demonstrate it among his troops in France and when in the Battle of Britain he insisted on sharing the perils of his London people. He was the first of his family to enter the Royal Air Force, a service which had already revived the knightly spirit of the past, and, thorough in all things, to learn flying in it. Naturally enough, the KING was in his earlier years overshadowed by his elder brother, who in his training for the throne was afforded far wider opportunities than his. For all that he was to register his own distinctive mark. His mixed camps for public school and working boys were entirely his own idea, and their immense success was due to his enthusiasm, energy, and knowledge of human nature. Then at twenty- eight he made a marriage which delighted the nation and enabled him completely to fulfill himself. The duties of an heir presumptive were to keep the DUKE of YORK principally at home; but when he went on his Imperial mission to Australia his own qualities, illuminated rather than out- shone by the radiance of his duchess, made it an immense success. It seemed his modest destiny, on his brother's accession, to find his sphere of service in discharging those royal duties which every Sovereign is compelled to delegate. He was called instead suddenly, and in unprecedented circumstances, to fill a vacant throne. It was not only, as he said, " a moment of great personal distress " to him, but also one of profound anxiety. By the abdication the Empire had suffered a severe shock and at first it was difficult to be certain that the acceptance by all its peoples was as complete and final as it seemed. The fact that the throne emerged unshaken was due in very great degree to the character and record of the Prince to whom the succession passed-not automatically, but by deliberate act of acceptance of a burden from which, on all personal grounds, he was disposed to recoil. The royal visit to France in the summer after the coronation was comparable in its achievement with those of his own father and grandfather. On his return he must have learned from the reception of his subjects how deeply they were gratified When, therefore, he and the queen -started in 1939 for Canada and the United States high hopes went with them. They were to be fulfilled abundantly. The unaffected dignity, simplicity, and kindness of the KING created an immense impression. Th.I peoples of North America, swift to appraise human values, recognized his true quality,'and thus once again through his own character he was enabled to render immense services to the stability of the Empire and to Anglo-American relation. ship. It was, however, in the ordeal -of war that he was to come entirely into his own. His training in the Navy and Royal Air Force, together with his long association with the Army, made, him more than the titular head of his armed forces, and a -wide knowledge of industrial conditions and a real feeling for the working classes deepened his intimacy with his people and their life. He spared himself nothing. In spite of the pressure of affairs and the unceasing claims of his desk he managed to be wherever he was needed. Thus in his many journeyings about the country and his visits to his forces in the field in Africa and Europe, he acquired a first-hand knowledge of the whole of the national war effort. Consequently, as MR. CHURCHILL testified, he was able through years of crisis; to render aid to his administrations. By being always ready to take sound advice he had prepared himself to give it. in this way as in many others he fulfilled the highest duty of a British monarch-namely, to be the continuous and stabilizing factor, not merely in the political constitution, but in the many sided life of his people, and the guardian of their interests. Furthermore, under a new dispensation the KING was not only the supreme head, but the living and magnetic centre of the British Commonwealth. From the - beginning of his reign he perceived that the emergence of the Crown as the sole remaining formal' link between a' group of independent nations gave a new urgency to the need of its wearer to know personally and be known by his subjects all round the globe. 'The visit to Canada had been the first step in this process of mutual introduction, which was then immediately interrupted by the war. But the first possible moment after victory it was resumed, with a tour of South Africa which was justly described by GENERAL SMUTS as a triumphal progress. He was also completed the cycle of the old-established Dominions by a journey to Australia and New' Zealand. The KING was in all things a devoted, son, husband, and father, and in his own home, by precept and example, he has ensured the continuity of his own ideals. It is a thought on which in their sorrow his former subjects will like to dwell. To the widowed queens , the partner and support of all his labours in their service, and to QUEEN MARY, whose venerable age has been saddened by so many bereavements, they will extend their deepest sympathy and continuing devotion. Yet profoundly as they sympathize with all who in life were near the KING, their hearts and thoughts turn first to her who is now their SOVEREIGN. Though strong in all her father taught her, she enters-in spite of all the strength and solace the support of a gallant and devoted CONSORT can afford-on a lonely path. Yet for other women called in their young days to follow it that path has proved a way of glory for them and for their nation. For her, the inheritor of a firmly set tradition, it. opens out more smoothly and more fairly than for them. Even in these first hours of her reign she can count not only on the unquestioning acceptance but on the enthusiastic loyalty of an Empire. KING GEORGE VI. |
![]() |
|
| Great Britain | Sep 7 2008, 02:36 AM Post #2 |
![]()
Land of Hope and Glory
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
In Remembrance of His Late Majesty and to Commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II When the death of the King was announced to us yesterday morning there struck a deep and solemn note in our lives which, as it resounded far and wide, stilled the clatter and traffic of twentieth-century life in many lands, and made countless millions of human beings pause and look around them. A new sense of values took, for the time being, possession of human minds, and mortal existence presented itself to so many at the same moment in its serenity and in its sorrow, in its splendour and in its pain, in its fortitude and in its suffering. The King was greatly loved by all his peoples. He was respected as a man and as a prince far beyond the many realms over which he reigned. The simple dignity of his life, his manly virtues, his sense of duty - alike as a ruler and a servant of the vast spheres and communities for which he bore responsibility - his gay charm and happy nature, his example as a husband and a father in his own family circle, his courage in peace or war - all these were aspects of his character which won the glint of admiration, now here, now there, from the innumerable eyes whose gaze falls upon the Throne. We thought of him as a young naval lieutenant in the great Battle of Jutland. We thought of him when calmly, without ambition, or want of self-confidence, he assumed the heavy burden of the Crown and succeeded his brother whom he loved and to whom he had rendered perfect loyalty. We thought of him, so faithful in his study and discharge of State affairs; so strong in his devotion to the enduring honour of our country; so self-restrained in his judgments of men and affairs; so uplifted above the clash of party politics, yet so attentive to them; so wise and shrewd in judging between what matters and what does not. All this we saw and admired. His conduct on the Throne may well be a model and a guide to constitutional sovereigns throughout the world today and also in future generations. The last few months of King George's life, with all the pain and physical stresses that he endured - his life hanging by a thread from day to day, and he all the time cheerful and undaunted, stricken in body but quite undisturbed and even unaffected in spirit - these have made a profound and an enduring impression and should be a help to all. He was sustained not only by his natural buoyancy, but by the sincerity of his Christian faith. During these last months the King walked with death as if death were a companion, an acquaintance whom he recognized and did not fear. In the end death came as a friend, and after a happy day of sunshine and sport, and after "good night" to those who loved him best, he fell asleep as every man or woman who strives to fear God and nothing else in the world may hope to do. The nearer one stood to him the more these facts were apparent. But the newspapers and photographs of modern times have made vast numbers of his subjects able to watch with emotion the last months of his pilgrimage. We all saw him approach his journey's end. In this period of mourning and meditation, amid our cares and toils, every home in all the realms joined together under the Crown may draw comfort for tonight and strength for the future from his bearing and his fortitude. There was another tie between King George and his people. It was not only sorrow and affliction that they shared. Dear to the hearts and the homes of the people is the joy and pride of a united family. With this all the troubles of the world can be borne and all its ordeals at least confronted. No family in these tumultuous years was happier or loved one another more than the Royal Family around the King. No Minister saw so much of the King during the war as I did. I made certain he was kept informed of every secret matter, and the care and thoroughness with which he mastered the immense daily flow of State papers made a deep mark on my mind. Let me tell you another fact. On one of the days when Buckingham Palace was bombed the King had just returned from Windsor. One side of the courtyard was struck, and if the windows opposite out of which he and the Queen were looking had not been, by the mercy of God, open, they would both have been blinded by the broken glass instead of being only hurled back by the explosion. Amid all that was then going on, although I saw the King so often, I never heard of this episode till a long time after. Their Majesties never mentioned it or thought it of more significance than a soldier in their armies would of a shell bursting near him. This seems to me to be a revealing trait in the royal character. There is no doubt that of all the institutions which have grown up among us over the centuries, or sprung into being in our lifetime, the constitutional monarchy is the most deeply founded and dearly cherished by the whole association of our peoples. In the present generation it has acquired a meaning incomparably more powerful than anyone had dreamed possible in former times. The Crown has become the mysterious link, indeed I may say the magic link, which unites our loosely bound, but strongly interwoven Commonwealth of nations, states, and races.... For fifteen years George VI was King. Never at any moment in all the perplexities at home and abroad, in public or in private, did he fail in his duties. Well does he deserve the farewell salute of all his governments and peoples. It is at this time that our compassion and sympathy go out to his consort and widow. Their marriage was a love match with no idea of regal pomp or splendour. Indeed, there seemed to be before them only the arduous life of royal personages, denied so many of the activities of ordinary folk and having to give so much in ceremonial public service. May I say - speaking with all freedom - that our hearts go out tonight to that valiant woman, with famous blood of Scotland in her veins, who sustained King George through all his toils and problems, and brought up with their charm and beauty the two daughters who mourn their father today. May she be granted strength to bear her sorrow. To Queen Mary, his mother, another of whose sons is dead - the Duke of Kent having been killed on active service - there belongs the consolation of seeing how well he did his duty and fulfilled her hopes, and of knowing how much he cared for her. Now I must leave the treasures of the past and turn to the future. Famous have been the reigns of our queens. Some of the greatest periods in our history have unfolded under their sceptre. Now that we have the second Queen Elizabeth, also ascending the Throne in her twenty-sixth year, our thoughts are carried back nearly four hundred years to the magnificent figure who presided over and, in many ways, embodied and inspired the grandeur and genius of the Elizabethan age. Queen Elizabeth II, like her predecessor, did not pass her childhood in any certain expectation of the Crown. But already we know her well, and we understand why her gifts, and those of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, have stirred the only part of the Commonwealth she has yet been able to visit. She has already been acclaimed as Queen of Canada. We make our claim too, and others will come forward also, and tomorrow the proclamation of her sovereignty will command the loyalty of her native land and of all other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire. I, whose youth was passed in the august, unchallenged and tranquil glories of the Victorian era, may well feel a thrill in invoking once more the prayer and the anthem, "God save the Queen!" WINSTON S. CHURCHILL |
![]() |
|
| Argentina | Sep 7 2008, 02:46 AM Post #3 |
![]()
The Third Way
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Argentina sends its deepest condolences to the United Kingdom, and wishes the Royal Family well. |
| Viva Perón! | |
![]() |
|
| Australia | Sep 7 2008, 02:49 AM Post #4 |
![]()
Prime Minister
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
When the country of Australia woke up to the news of our monarchs death, we were grieved to a person, and we wish to send united condolences on the death of the illustrious King George VI |
![]() |
|
| United States | Sep 7 2008, 02:58 AM Post #5 |
![]()
Land of the Free and Home of the Brave
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Our sincere condolences. |
| Signatures are broken... | |
![]() |
|
| Canada | Sep 7 2008, 03:08 AM Post #6 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
OOC: I (George Drew) would like to send my condolences, although I had not yet met the King I felt as though I knew him. King George was the kind of fellow who was warm and inviting in his appearance, I felt as though he would make a marvelous neighbour. "George!" I'd shout over the picket fence to him while he stood on his green, healthy grass and looked over his grill while the hotdogs began to plumpen. "Yes, George?" he would say and begin to laugh, I too would laugh and a great time would be had by all due to such fortune that our names were the same. "May I borrow some petrol?" I would yell back once the laughter subsided, I would normally say gas but the King was British so I would hate to confuse him. he would smile his kind smile and walk over to his shed, bringing out his jerry can and hoisting it over the fence so that I could grab it. "George! it appears you should have watched your hotdogs instead of so hastily coming to my aid!" I would have said in a cheeky fashion upon noticing his dinner becoming black and unedible "well George... thats just the kind of guy I am" he would have said, flashing me his million dollar smile. and that is why the government and people of Canada will truly morn the death of their monarch. |
| We'll explain the appeal of curling to you if you explain the appeal of the National Rifle Association to us | |
![]() |
|
| South Africa | Sep 7 2008, 03:34 AM Post #7 |
![]()
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
It is truely a sad day for the British Commonwealth and all of the world. We give our most sincere condolences and wish Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II a long and prosperous reign. |
![]() |
|
| Switzerland | Sep 7 2008, 03:43 AM Post #8 |
![]()
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
The Swiss Confederation would like to give out their most sincere condolences, as well as best wishes for the new reigning Monarch. Robert Karr, Swiss Spokesperson |
| "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno." | |
![]() |
|
| Peoples Republic of China | Sep 7 2008, 10:25 AM Post #9 |
![]()
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
The People's Republic of China, all its people, members and integral parts wishes to express to the British Government, People and particularly Royal family its sincerest and most heartfelt condolences. While a monarchy is a tradition of a long lost age, it is a grievous loss to the Human race when a good and decent man passes onward, and it is with this spirt that we send our condolences. A man of the people should be mourned, so it is right and proper. As we in China mourn the loss of our comrades on the field of battle, who fought and died for our freedom, so we mourn the passing of an honorable man, who stood for his people. To the new monarch, we wish the best, and hope that a tradition of serving the people may emerge, that a strength stemming from unified royalty and people can emerge, a strength that has been lost to many. Comrade Mao Zedong, in particularly, expressed his best wishes, in the company of many senior members of the People's Republic, noting that "although on opposite sides, loss of valued life should bring grief to all, as the dying of a petal brings sorrow of approaching winter." With kindest regards, signed by, Comrade Heng, Representative of the People's Assembly Zhou Enlai, Minister of Foreign Affairs, In the presence of the Central Committee and the People's Assembly. |
| [URL=http://z15.invisionfree.com/World1945/index.php?showtopic=1336&st=0]Embassy of the People's Republic of China[/URL] | |
![]() |
|
| Japan | Sep 7 2008, 11:49 AM Post #10 |
![]()
Särkyä
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
The Japanese government wishes to send its deepest condolences to the English Royal Family and hopes that the hole which is left behind by the king will soon be overcome. |
![]() |
|
| France | Sep 7 2008, 01:07 PM Post #11 |
![]()
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to the English people and the English royal family, and i speak on the behalf of the French Republic and its people when i say that we will all mourn the loss of such a great man. - Charles De Gaulle |
|
Tremblez, tyrans et vous perfides L'opprobre de tous les partis Tremblez ! vos projets parricides Vont enfin recevoir leurs prix ! Tout est soldat pour vous combattre S'ils tombent, nos jeunes héros, La terre en produit de nouveaux, Contre vous tout prêts à se battre ! | |
![]() |
|
| Sweden | Sep 7 2008, 02:38 PM Post #12 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I would like to offer my and my family's sincerest condolences to the British Royal Family on this terrible loss. Although not born to inherit the throne His Britannic Majesty King George VI showed himself most worthy, and earned the love of the Commonwealth peoples and the respect of the world. He will be missed, also by his Scandinavian relatives. Signed Gustaf Adolf King of Sweden, Goths and Wends |
![]() |
|
| New Zealand | Sep 7 2008, 03:37 PM Post #13 |
![]()
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
We were quite saddened by this unfortunate news, for it was to King George we looked, along with Mr Churchill, for stability during the trying times just behind us. We send our best wishes to the family, and we are most willing to support the new monarch in whatever she endeavors. |
![]() |
|
| USSR | Sep 7 2008, 04:39 PM Post #14 |
![]()
Proletarii vsekh stran, soyedinyaytes!
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
The people of the Soviet Union send our deepest condolences for this tragic lost of George V. |
| Soviet Union | |
![]() |
|
| South Korea | Sep 7 2008, 07:30 PM Post #15 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
The government and people of Korea send our deepest condolences to the British people |
![]() |
|
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Political News Bulletins · Next Topic » |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2






![]](http://z4.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)















7:01 PM Jul 11