By Philip Ziegler
Written via Philip Ziegler, considered one of Britain's such a lot celebrated biographers, George VI is a part of the Penguin Monarchs sequence: brief, clean, professional money owed of England's rulers in a collectible format
If Ethelred was once notoriously 'Unready' and Alfred 'Great', King George VI should still undergo the name of 'George the Dutiful'.
Throughout his existence, George committed himself to the pursuit of what he suggestion he needs to be doing instead of what he desired to do. Inarticulate and loathing any kind of public appearances, he authorised that it used to be his future to determine conspicuously within the public eye, gritted his the teeth, battled his crippling stammer and obtained on with it.
He used to be now not born to be king, yet he made an admirable one, and used to be the figurehead of the state on the time of its maximum trial, the second one global conflict. it is a impressive, touching and infrequently humorous booklet approximately this reluctant public determine, and the non-public man.
Philip Ziegler is the writer of the approved biographies of Mountbatten, Harold Wilson and Edward Heath. His different books contain The Duchess of Dino, William IV, The Black Death and so much lately Olivier. at first a diplomat, he labored for a few years in booklet publishing earlier than changing into a full-time author.
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Extra info for George VI: The Dutiful King (Penguin Monarchs)
Example text
I could say a great deal more on this subject, but fear I have been too tedious already. * * From a copy by the duchess of Marlborough. 23 CONTEXT Godolphin to Anne. Saturday Morning, at nine. I come this moment from opening and reading the letter which your majesty gave yourself the trouble to write to me last night. It gives me all the grief and despair imaginable, to find that your majesty shows inclination to have me continue in your service, and yet will make it impossible for me to do so.
It gives me all the grief and despair imaginable, to find that your majesty shows inclination to have me continue in your service, and yet will make it impossible for me to do so. I shall not therefore trouble your majesty with fruitless repetitions of reasons and arguments. I cannot struggle against the difficulties of your majesty’s business, and yourself at the same time; but I can keep my word your majesty. I have no house in the world to go to but my house at Newmarket, which I must own is not at this time like to be a place of much retirement, but I have no other.
And its powers were commensurate with its ambitions, as the rack standing in the Tower grimly testified. At The Exchequer Chamber at Westminster, the first of April, 1573 The Lord Treasurer. The Lord Admiral. The Lord Chamberlain. Mr. Secretary. Mr. Mildmay. The rack in the Tower. A letter to the Knight Marshall to deliver unto the Lieutenant of the Tower George Browne, to be further ordered as he shall receive from the Lords of the Council. A letter to the Master of the Rolls, Justice Southcote and Justice Manwoode, or any two of them, to examine George Browne and all others suspected to be contrivers of the murder of Saunders, upon such instructions as shall be given them by the brethren and friends of the said Saunders, to put Browne to torture if they find cause, to commit such to prison as they shall find touched with the facts, and to admit the brethren and friends of Saunders to be present at the examination, and to minister interrogatories if they find cause.