New York Times bestselling author Sally Bedell Smith has created a panoramic portrait of Britain’s King George VI and his chosen bride, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. In GEORGE VI AND ELIZABETH, she makes the case that their strong and loving alliance shored up and saved a shaken tradition --- the British monarchy.

Albert was named for his great-grandfather, the husband of Queen Victoria, and was not expected to become king. But when his older brother, Edward VIII, abdicated to marry a divorced commoner, he assumed that weighty role, designated as George VI. Albert was a slender man with numerous health problems and had a pronounced stutter, but he was strong within. He insisted on serving actively in the Navy and the Air Force, which he easily could have avoided.

"...an often daily, sometimes even hourly, chronicle that will doubtless garner further praise for [Smith's] already well-established abilities as both a prodigiously talented wordsmith and a diligent historian."

He had met Elizabeth before becoming king and began to woo her, but she held back for several years. She was concerned that she would not wish to be part of the royal entourage, which would include many taxing duties and restrictions. But with mutual love a primary motivator, the two were wed in 1923.

Albert became Britain’s sovereign in 1937, a time of looming portent. The new royals faced rumors that Albert’s health would affect his ability to rule and were plagued by the scandals of his predecessor. But when the country was plunged into World War II, the couple proved their personal grit and worth as examples to their people.

They visited the wounded, worked closely with Churchill, traveled to the United States to ally themselves more deeply with that nation, and were present at Buckingham Palace when it was bombed by Germany during the Blitz, endowing them with the camaraderie and confidence of the British public. They became, as Smith so boldly states, the saviors “of the centuries-old British monarchy.”

Albert passed away in 1952 after years of suffering from chronic ailments that often defied diagnosis, while Elizabeth would live another 50 years. She and her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, were much admired and beloved figures both at home and abroad.

Smith, who has written other highly acclaimed biographies of the British royals --- including ELIZABETH THE QUEEN and PRINCE CHARLES --- was privileged to be allowed access to the Royal Archives at Scotland’s Glamis Castle in researching Albert and Elizabeth. She also was able to interview relatives and friends of this dynamic couple. Her depiction of them comprises an often daily, sometimes even hourly, chronicle that will doubtless garner further praise for her already well-established abilities as both a prodigiously talented wordsmith and a diligent historian.