Most of us probably have heard about King George VI, also known as "the reluctant king". He is mostly known for his stammer and being reluctant to become a king. In this fictional blog which was created for a English writing lesson, you will have the chance to peek into the king's diary and you will be learning many things about his life as well as understanding his emotions and point of view toward the events that he has been through. I hope that you will enjoy reading these journals that I have written and meet with Bertie.
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December 14, 1909Dear Diary,
Today was a day of both happiness and grief. The day is 14th of December again. My fourteenth birthday and the fiftieth anniversary of my great grandfather Prince Albert, the Prince Consort’s death. Every December 14th, I feel a mix of opposite emotions since it is my birthday, but at the same time the death anniversary of a beloved. Everyone in the palace tries to behave as if they were happy for me, but the sadness and solemnity can be read from their faces. Although that makes me feel down and sometimes even disappointed sometimes, I understand them. I respect their act of mourning, because I also respect my great grandfather, but I still wish that I could spend my birthdays in a way that I would feel more special. Although today was my birthday, I thought that my parents and grandparents would be more tolerant with my stammer, but they kept trying to correct me again. They may be trying to help me get rid of my stammer, but the way they’re doing it isn’t helping me at all. Even today, they raised their voices towards me and forced me to talk properly, and eventually I cried, again. I can’t help it. Under that pressure and that much expectation, I don’t think I will be able to fix my speaking. March 23, 1911Dear Diary,
The previous few weeks, I had disappointed my parents and probably my whole family. I was dropped from school, because I had come the bottom of the class in the final examination. I feel so ashamed of myself for that. I had been going to the Royal Naval College in Osborne since 1909. Anyhow, today I think I restored faith in them, because I was accepted to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. I feel so relieved now. I was getting worried that I wasn’t going to get into another school again. Well, of course I was going to in the end, but still it was making me stressed. Even if being a prince sounds fascinating and intriguing, I personally think it is depressing and exhausting. I have to make everything almost perfect such as my posture, speaking, walking, grades… I don’t want to spend my life stuck between strict rules. I guess there’s nothing to do with that. Besides, my life is already established my other people. I don’t have the reins of my life. I will be a prince or a king, period. August 17, 1918Dear Diary,
I’m proud of myself. I think I have inflated my family too by becoming the first pilot of the royal family, the Windsors. Today, I was certified as a fully qualified pilot after working and training many years at the Royal Air Force and the Royal Naval Air Service. I was chaffed about my accomplishment and thought that I could make my father, or as I should call him, King George V proud and delighted as well. I guess my effort was just a waste of my energy. Whatever I do won’t make him happy or satisfied. When I was appointed Officer in Charge of Boys at the Royal Naval Air Service, or Officer Commanding Number 4 Squadron of the Boys' Wing at Cranwell, I was hoping that I would make him forget about my stammer just for a while and pat me on the back. I had failed to elate him with those accomplishments. So I was hoping that getting a fully qualified pilot certificate would elate him, but as usual, he continued seeing my brother Edward as his one and only child. He always emphasizes how good of a man and a king he will be. He even prays to the God that I won’t be able to get the throne. I heard him once say, "I pray God that my eldest son will never marry and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne." Well, I have to say that’s fine for me. I am reluctant about becoming a king anyways. June 4, 1921Dear Diary,
It has been a year since I have left college. During my education at the Trinity College, I had thought that college was exhausting and tough. Well, I was studying history, economics and civics at the same time! Taking those three major studies seemed not so hard at first, but apparently I was wrong. Anyways, I don’t have to struggle among those heavy hard-cover books anymore. Now the only struggle I own is running after my father to help him and other royal duties. Today, I was created the Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney. Even these titles are intimidating for me. Thinking of me becoming the king makes my hair stand on the end. Then I try to calm down by reminding myself that I’m only the heir presumptive to the throne. After my father, Edward will ascend the throne, just like how my father hopes it would be, if nothing misfortunate happens. April 26, 1925Dear Diary,
It has been two years since I had married the love of my life, Elizabeth. Two year ago today, I was so chuffed to call the woman I loved my wife. Despite the other kings and royals who are expected to marry other royal fellows, I actually had the freedom of choosing my prospective wife. Elizabeth had rejected my proposal twice before, but I was so determined to marry her that I proposed her one more time when she accepted marrying me. At first, she had told me that she wasn’t ready to make the necessary sacrifices to join the royal family, but I believe that she can overcome that. Tomorrow, I and Elizabeth are going to the new therapist that she has found. After my awfully given speech in the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, everyone tried to fix my stammer, but none of them worked well with me. I guess most of the people, including my family has given up hope on me. It seems like only Elizabeth has remained her faith in me. April 27, 1925Dear Diary,
Today, my wife and I went to the new therapist that she had found, Lionel Logue. I am tired of changing therapists and taking session for fixing my stammer. It’s not worth it. None of the therapies are helping. I haven’t improved even a bit since the first day I started these sessions. Well, I wasn’t expecting those stupid, useless methods to fix my stutter. How on earth talking with marbles in my mouth can help me talk properly? In our first session, Mr. Logue told me what we were going to do in our lessons and then we started the exercises. First, he told me that I had to tell tongue twisters and strengthen my diaphragm. When he said that his methods were a shilling’s worth, I blew up and shouted. I was nervous and only cared if his methods were going to help me, not the money. I was planning on having him assist me on minor events and train with him once a week, but actually he said that he wanted to see me every day. I’m not sure how these methods are going to be effective since the only things I did today were jumping, rolling, shouting and as he says “loosening” myself. May 11, 1937Dear Diary,
Today was supposed to be Edward’s coronation. He was going ascend to the throne and become King Edward VIII, but he abdicated. None of us were waiting or hoping this to happen. Especially me. I can say that it was one of my biggest fears, my brother to abdicate. Now I have to raise to the throne. I don’t feel ready to become a king and I don’t think I will ever be ready. After the unforeseen event, or maybe even tragedy, confusion occurred among people about how they were going to call Edward. At the abdication broadcast, they called him as “His Royal Highness Prince Edward”. Hearing that makes me feel sore. He doesn’t deserve that name. After renouncing his succession for Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee with one old husband and one waiting to be divorced, he has lost the right to bear royal titles, including “Royal Highness”. May 12, 1937Dear Diary,
The day I was praying to God that wouldn’t come is today. After less than an hour, I will be in front of thousands of royal and British people, and will become the king of the United Kingdom. I have never felt more nervous in my life than I am now. At least my mother, Queen Mary has come to support me. Yesterday, I went to London to see my mother. I was feeling so vulnerable. When I told her what had happened, I broke down and sobbed like a child. I don’t know if I’m glad or wistful about my father, George VI is not here with us. Of course I feel mournful about my father passing away, but maybe him not being here at my coronation is better for me. I already feel like all of my muscles are tightened up. This much tension is enough for me. I don’t need my father’s shameful and disappointed looks on me while I will be ascending to the throne. July 29, 1937Dear Diary, Lionel and I are starting to become really good friends. He called me Bertie from the first day we met, but I called him Mr. Logue. Now I feel comfortable with calling him Lionel. Our sessions are still continuing. During the previous therapy, he made me recite Shakespeare. At first, I felt angry and thought that this was stupid, because how a man who cannot tell a single sentence without hesitating recite Shakespeare fluently? I was right. We made a bet that if I could recite the writing fluently, he was going to ask me other questions. I told him that wasn’t going to happen. I was right. I couldn’t recite Shakespeare fluently. Then he gave me some headphones and told me to keep reading while he was going to record my voice. I did what he told me, but left his place after reading a paragraph. I thought this was worthless, but at that night, when I played the record that Lionel had given me, I understood that I was actually wrong. Lionel had won the bet. In the record, I sounded fluent and recited the paragraph without hesitating. |
AuthorHello everyone! I'm Zeynep Baykam, a student from ACI, and I created this blog which consists of twelve fictional journals that I've written as George VI for an English assignment. ArchivesCategories |
Fictional Blog | the reluctant king's journal |