How King George VI and Queen Elizabeth saved the monarchy

George VI should never have been king. But when Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, his younger brother – shy, sensitive, and afflicted with a stutter – found himself on the throne. Only with his confident wife Elizabeth’s support, guidance, and love, was he was able to overcome his insecurities and become the exceptional leader the British needed in this, their darkest hour. Not only did they steer the monarchy out of crisis but the royal couple also raised their daughter Princess Elizabeth to become a beacon of inspiration, devotion and duty.

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‘George VI and Elizabeth is a vivid history that captures the courage of a couple whose actions saved a monarchy. It is also a largely unknown love story. A deeply moving marvel’ Peggy Noonan, columnist for The Wall Street Journal

‘Sally Bedell Smith takes us into the inner sanctum of the Windsors, giving us an intimate and gripping portrait of a royal marriage that survived betrayal, tragedy, and war. Unputdownable’ Amanda Foreman

"An excellent account" - Spectator