List of titles and honours of George VI Facts for Kids

King George VI (14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) received numerous decorations and honorary appointments, both during and before his time as monarch of the United Kingdom and the dominions. Of those listed below; where two dates are shown, the first indicates the date of receiving the award or title, and the second indicates the date of its loss or renunciation.

George VI

Titles, styles, and honours
Military ranks
Foreign honours
Freedom of the City
Honorific eponyms
See also

Titles, styles, and honours

A foundation plaque at Manchester Town Hall records the titles of George VI as King-Emperor

Quick facts for kids Styles of King George VI

Reference style	His Majesty
Spoken style	Your Majesty

Titles and styles

George VI was from birth a Prince of the United Kingdom, and was subsequently created a royal duke. It was as a duke that he succeeded his brother, King Edward VIII, to the throne.

14 December 1895 – 28 May 1898: His Highness Prince Albert of York
28 May 1898 – 22 January 1901: His Royal Highness Prince Albert of York
22 January 1901 – 9 November 1901: His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Cornwall and York
9 November 1901 – 6 May 1910: His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Wales
6 May 1910 – 3 June 1920: His Royal Highness The Prince Albert
3 June 1920 – 11 December 1936: His Royal Highness The Duke of York
- Subsidiary titles: Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney
11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952: His Majesty The King

Titles vested in the Crown

Certain titles are borne and held by the reigning sovereign.

Isle of Man

11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952: His Majesty The King, Lord of Mann

Church of England

11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952: Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England

Other titles traditionally attributed to the reigning sovereign are Duke of Lancaster, to reflect that the Duchy of Lancaster is a private estate of the sovereign, and Duke of Normandy in the sovereign's capacity as head of state of the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey.

Titles held personally

George VI has held certain titles in a personal capacity, either by virtue of birth, or otherwise.

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

14 December 1895 – 17 July 1917: Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Saxony

Commonwealth of Nations

Late April 1949 – 6 February 1952: Head of the Commonwealth

Title in the dominions and India

The Dominions were self-governing entities which had the as their respective head of state the same person as was the British sovereign. These Dominions typically used the style and title of the sovereign as proclaimed in the United Kingdom, which, from the reign of Edward VII came to include the phrase, “and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas”, signifying their reign over said Dominions. However, the sovereign reigned in these Dominions in a capacity independent from their position as monarch of the United Kingdom, similar in meaning and usage to, but not the same as modern-day Commonwealth realms, in that they lacked a separate title for each Dominion, until the reign of Elizabeth II. George VI's reign in the Dominions does not completely match his reign in the United Kingdom and his role as monarch in the Irish Free State is debated.

Per the terms of the Indian Independence Act, the imperial title was to be abolished. However, George VI issued a royal proclamation for that purpose and to that effect only on 22 June 1948, effectively reigning as king in the newly created Dominions of India and Pakistan whilst still bearing the imperial title for himself and his consort.

The title of Kaisar-i-Hind was coined in 1876 by the orientalist G. W. Leitner as the imperial title for the sovereign and was also employed in an official capacity, most notably to denote Crown property in India. This title continues to persist as a placeholder to the modern day in official records dating to the British era, despite the prohibition and deprecation of the use of the said title and all its variants for any and all purposes. Its usage is to be so understood as to denote the Government of India per the relevant provisions of the Government Grants Act, read alongside and in the context of the Transfer of Property Act and the Repealing and Amending (Second) Act.

Military ranks

United Kingdom

15 May 1916 – 1918: Sub-Lieutenant, Royal Navy
29 December 1918 – 1919:Temporary Captain and Staff Officer (3rd Class, Air), Royal Air Force
3 June 1919: Personal Aide-de-Camp to the King
1 August – 1 November 1919: Flight Lieutenant, Royal Air Force
1 November 1919 – 1 June 1920: Squadron Leader, Royal Air Force
31 December 1920 – 1925: Commander, Royal Navy
1 June 1920 – 30 June 1921: Wing Commander, Royal Air Force
30 June 1921 – 3 June 1932: Group Captain, Royal Air Force
3 June 1932 – 1 January 1936: Rear-Admiral, Royal Navy
3 June 1932 – 1 January 1936: Major-General, British Army
3 June 1932 – 1 January 1936: Air Vice-Marshal, Royal Air Force
1 January – 21 January 1936: Vice-Admiral, Royal Navy
1 January – 21 January 1936: Lieutenant-General, British Army
1 January – 21 January 1936: Air Marshal, Royal Air Force
21 January – 11 December 1936: Admiral, Royal Navy
21 January – 11 December 1936: General, British Army
11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952: Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy
11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952: Marshal of the Royal Air Force
11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952: Field Marshal, British Army

Australia

2 June 1938 – 6 February 1952: Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Australian Navy
2 June 1938 – 6 February 1952: Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force
2 June 1938 – 6 February 1952: Field Marshal, Australian Army

Foreign honours

Appointments

Country	Date	Appointment	Post-nominal letters
Russia	5 June 1917 – 14 September 1917	Knight 4th Class with Swords of the Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir
Italy	11 August 1917 – 2 June 1946	Knight of the Military Order of Savoy
Yugoslavia	1918 – 2 December 1945	Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the White Eagle
France	1919 – 6 February 1952	Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
Denmark	30 November 1920 – 6 February 1952	Knight of the Order of the Elephant	RE
Romania	18 October 1922 – 10 September 1944	Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Carol I
Norway	26 April 1923 – 6 February 1952	Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav	StkStOO m kjede
San Marino	20 February 1937 – 6 February 1952	Grand Cross of the Civil and Military Equestrian Order of Saint Marinus
Sweden	10 May 1937 – 6 February 1952	Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim	RSerafO
Thailand	2 February 1938 – 6 February 1952	Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri	MCK
Portugal	2 May 1939 – 6 February 1952	Grand Cross of the Riband of the Three Military Orders	BTO
Yugoslavia	19 July 1939 – 2 December 1945	Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Karađorđe
Netherlands	1 July 1946 – 6 February 1952	Grand Cross of the Military William Order	MWO
Monaco	13 November 1947 – 6 February 1952	Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles
Denmark	8 May 1951 – 6 February 1952	Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog	SKmd
France	2 April 1960 (posthumous)	Member of the Ordre de la Libération

Freedom of the City

Commonwealth realms

28 October 1919: London.
1924: Derry.
26 October 1926: Glasgow.
29 August 1928: Stirling.
1929: Ilford.
10 August 1935: Perth.

Honorific eponyms

A number of geographical features, roads, and institutions are named after George VI. These include King George Hospital in London; King George VI Reservoir in Surrey, United Kingdom; King George Highway and King George Boulevard in Surrey, British Columbia; Kingsway in Edmonton; George VI Sound in Antarctica; and the King George VI Chase, a horse race in the United Kingdom.

The fourth future Dreadnought-class submarine will be named as HMS King George VI.

List of titles and honours of George VI facts for kids

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