- February 6, 1952
King George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George) was the King of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth from December 11, 1936, following the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII, until his death on February 6, 1952. His reign saw significant historical events, including World War II and the post-war reconstruction period.
Upon King George VI’s death on February 6, 1952, his eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, ascended to the throne as Queen Elizabeth II. She was in Kenya with her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the time of her father’s passing. Elizabeth’s accession marked the beginning of her long and historic reign as the current monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms.