Evening star., 1952-02-06
BY the A,soeiosed Press.

By the Assoeiated Press.
George VI. more perhaps thar
any British Sovereign before him
was. the common mans King. Th'
people at home and in the diStan
commonwealths esteemed him TO
his personification Of that idea
as well as for his reign in ex'
stremely difficult times. The pub
lic esteem reached new heights
in World War II.
But while he was making his.
tory as a man Of great persona
popularity, so was his reign tx
parallel the decline of the British
Empire. sA.
Two great World Wars sappet
her Of vitality and at the same
time inculcated ideas of freedom
In her many possessions.
Empire Shrank.
What was an empire Of 45t
million people SO years ago sarl
to one Of 100 million. Freed from
the crown were such areas a.
India. Pakistan, Ceylon and Bur-
ma.
Other major problems rose ir
Asia, and then came the oil crisi:
IN Iran. all heaping fresh burdens
on British people already car
rying a heavy financial load. =
King George was stricken with
an illness in November, 1948. thai
resulted in an operation ano
forced him and Queen Elizabeth
to cancel plans for a voyage. to
Australia and New Zealand II
March. 1949.
Surgeons Sever Nerve.
About the time he was to have
sailed, royal surgeons severed q
nerve near his spine to allow free
fiow Of blood to his legs. A blocked
condition had threatened gang
rene to the extremities and posi-
BILE loss of the right foot.
King George rallied from this
condition sufficiently to dance
with the queen at a sdebutante
party in July.
His reputation as the common
mans king was underscored on
October IS, 1850 when he paid an
unheralded visit to the new House
Of Commons building. English
law forhids the king to visit Com
mons, for tt was here in 1912 that
King Charles I appeared to arrest
his political enemies.
Long Tradition Broken.
King George, who dedicated
the new building next day from
Westminster Hall, thus was the
first king to visit Commons since
King Charles.
The times were perilous when
he ascended the throne. The die
tator nations were in the aScen-
dancy. There were grave fore
bodings of threats to the British
way Of life. even to the nations
very survival. ~
Albert. Duke OF York, had been
an unassuming prince For years
he had insisted he was not palaces
minded. He detested sycophancy
he rejoiced in simple. quiet every
day things. He had never minded
playing second fiddle to his dash.
ing brother. Edward V11I g
months older than he.
! Then on December II, 1886. Ed
ward abdicated the throne in or
der to wed 1.-The woman Love = and
the vast weight of the British
crown, with many Of the problems
Of troubled world. was trans
ferred to him. IL
40 him fell the task Of being
the nominal ruler Of an Empire
With total population in excess
Of SOC, 900 900, approximately a
quarter Of the people Of the globe.
He lacked three days OF being Il
years old at the time.
~ Wife of Ancient Line.
At his side was Elizabeth, his
wife. an ancient line Of noble
Scottish thames, her cheeks flushed
with health and her smile broad
and unfailing, winning everybody.
There were also two young chill
dren. Elizabeth the elder, and
Margaret Rose. These seemed
more like ordinary children than
princesses. It became the vogue
TO compare their traits with those
Of ones own small daughters.
Plans for the coronation, with
Edward as chief actor, had been
under way for year. George
was like the understudy Of a
stage star suddenly called to en-
act a chief role. OF a natural re-
tiring nature he found the pomp
and pageantry strenuous and
wearing.
The exacting days eliminated
on May IL, 1897. with the ira
ditionally brilliant enthronement
in Westminster Abbey.
Named Duke of Windsor.
A few hours after Edwards
abdication, King George had Gre
ated him the Duke of Windsor
g, On May 20, the King decreed
that the Duke of Windsor's in
tended wife would not be entitled
to the designation or rank OF
t.Royal Highness." When Edward
married Mrs. Wallis Warf1eld
Simpson, twice-divorced ,Ameri-
can, on June 8, no member of the
royal family or official British
representative was among the IL
witnesses of the ceremony.
After Edward, the bold. the un-
predictable, the prime favorite
who had taken his leave histori-
cally in moving syllables and ir
an atmosphere charged with high
drama, George semed rather tame
almost commonplace.
Dull Reign Predicted.
"This one Will never set the
sy1r.S.oz ~ S1,.o ~ Yoaoaaln uyarp