George VI 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.
Styles of King George VI | |
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Reference style | His Majesty |
Spoken style | Your Majesty |
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.
Certain titles are borne and held by the reigning sovereign.
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,[2][a] and Duke of Normandy in the sovereign's capacity as head of state of the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey.[4][b]
George VI has held certain titles in a personal capacity, either by virtue of birth, or otherwise.
See also: Dominion and British Raj |
The Dominions were self-governing entities which had the as their respective head of state the same person as was the British sovereign.[12][13] 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”,[d] signifying their reign over said Dominions.[15] 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.[16]
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.[17]
The title of Kaisar-i-Hind was coined in 1876 by the orientalist G. W. Leitner as the imperial title for the sovereign[18] and was also employed in an official capacity, most notably to denote Crown property in India.[19] 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.[20] Its usage is to be so understood as to denote the Government of India per the relevant provisions of the Government Grants Act,[21] read alongside and in the context of the Transfer of Property Act and the Repealing and Amending (Second) Act.[22][23]
Country | Date | Appointment | Ribbon | Post-nominal letters |
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5 June 1917 – 14 September 1917 | Knight 4th Class with Swords of the Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir[38] | ![]() |
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11 August 1917 – 2 June 1946 | Knight of the Military Order of Savoy[39] | ![]() |
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1918 – 2 December 1945 | Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the White Eagle[40] | ![]() |
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1919 – 6 February 1952 | Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour[41] | ![]() |
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30 November 1920 – 6 February 1952 | Knight of the Order of the Elephant[42] | ![]() |
RE |
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18 October 1922 – 10 September 1944 | Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Carol I[43] | ![]() |
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26 April 1923 – 6 February 1952 | Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav[44] | ![]() |
StkStOO m kjede |
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20 February 1937 – 6 February 1952 | Grand Cross of the Civil and Military Equestrian Order of Saint Marinus[45] | ![]() |
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10 May 1937 – 6 February 1952 | Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim[46] | ![]() |
RSerafO |
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2 February 1938 – 6 February 1952 | Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri[47] | ![]() |
MCK |
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2 May 1939 – 6 February 1952 | Grand Cross of the Riband of the Three Military Orders[48] | ![]() |
BTO |
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19 July 1939 – 2 December 1945 | Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Karađorđe[49] | ![]() |
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1 July 1946 – 6 February 1952 | Grand Cross of the Military William Order[50] | ![]() |
MWO |
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13 November 1947 – 6 February 1952 | Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles[51] | ![]() |
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8 May 1951 – 6 February 1952 | Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog[52] | ![]() |
SKmd |
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2 April 1960 (posthumous) | Member of the Ordre de la Libération[53] | ![]() |
Further information: Royal eponyms in Canada |
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.[62]