King George VI's Real Name: Albert Frederick Arthur George

Quick answer: King George VI's real name is Albert Frederick Arthur George. He was born on December 14, 1895, at Sandringham, Norfolk, England. He died on February 6, 1952, at Sandringham.

Real name and early life

Britannica and Biography.com record his birth name as Albert Frederick Arthur George. As a prince he was known as Albert, and to his family as "Bertie." He was the second son of the future King George V and was not expected to become king.

Britannica notes that he served in the Royal Navy (1913–17), the Royal Naval Air Service, and the Royal Air Force, then attended Trinity College, Cambridge. On June 3, 1920, he was created Duke of York. In 1923 he married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon; their daughters were Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, and Princess Margaret.

Quick facts

• Real name: Albert Frederick Arthur George
• Known as: King George VI
• Born: December 14, 1895, at Sandringham, Norfolk, England
• Died: February 6, 1952, at Sandringham
• Known for: British monarch
• Sources checked: Britannica, Biography.com

Career highlights

The Duke of York became king on December 11, 1936, after his brother Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson. He took the name George VI and was crowned on May 12, 1937. During the Second World War he stayed in Britain instead of moving his family to Canada, and he visited troops at the front.

His lifelong struggle with a severe stammer, and his work with Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue, were dramatized in the film The King's Speech (2010). In 1949 he was recognized as head of the Commonwealth. His health declined from 1948, and he died a few months after an operation for lung cancer. His daughter succeeded him as Elizabeth II.

Name notes

British monarchs choose a regnal name when they accede. Albert chose George, his fourth given name, rather than reigning as "King Albert." So George VI is a royal title built from one of his real names, not a different identity. Fan sites often copy names from one another, so we checked this page against Britannica and Biography.com. Where sources disagree, we say so rather than guess. We also leave out middle names, nicknames, and origin stories that we couldn't confirm in a reliable source. A popular claim isn't enough to earn a place on this page if no encyclopedia, official record, or major news outlet backs it up.