Editing George VI (section)

==Early life==
[[File:Edward VII UK and successors.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1|Four kings: [[Edward VII]] (far right); his son George, Prince of Wales, later [[George V]] (far left); and grandsons Edward, later [[Edward VIII]] (rear); and Albert, later George VI (foreground), {{circa}} 1908]]

Albert was born at [[York Cottage]], on the [[Sandringham Estate]] in Norfolk, during the reign of his great-grandmother [[Queen Victoria]].<ref>Rhodes James, p. 90; Weir, p. 329</ref> His father was Prince George, Duke of York (later [[King George V]]), the second and only surviving son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later [[King Edward VII]] and [[Queen Alexandra]]). His mother, the Duchess of York (later [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]]), was the eldest child and only daughter of [[Francis, Duke of Teck]], and [[Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck]].<ref>Weir, pp. 322–323, 329</ref> His birthday, 14 December 1895, was the 34th anniversary of the death of his great-grandfather [[Albert, Prince Consort]].<ref>Judd, p. 3; Rhodes James, p. 90; Townsend, p. 15; Wheeler-Bennett, pp. 7–8</ref> Uncertain of how the Prince Consort's widow, Queen Victoria, would take the news of the birth, the Prince of Wales wrote to the Duke of York that the Queen had been "rather distressed". Two days later, he wrote again: "I really think it would gratify her if you yourself proposed the name ''Albert'' to her."<ref>Judd, pp. 4–5; Wheeler-Bennett, pp. 7–8</ref>

The Queen was [[:wikt:mollify|mollified]] by the proposal to name the new baby Albert, and wrote to the Duchess of York: "I am all impatience to see the {{em|new}} one, born on such a sad day but rather more dear to me, especially as he will be called by that dear name which is a byword for all that is great and good."<ref>Wheeler-Bennett, pp. 7–8</ref> Consequently, he was [[baptised]] "Albert Frederick Arthur George" at [[St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham]] on 17 February 1896.{{efn|His godparents were: [[Queen Victoria]] (his great-grandmother, for whom his grandmother the [[Alexandra of Denmark|Princess of Wales]] stood proxy); the [[Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg|Grand Duke]] and [[Princess Augusta of Cambridge|Grand Duchess]] of Mecklenburg (his maternal great-aunt and great-uncle, for whom his grandfather the [[Francis, Duke of Teck|Duke of Teck]] and his paternal aunt [[Princess Maud of Wales]] stood proxy); [[Empress Frederick]] (his paternal great-aunt, for whom his paternal aunt [[Princess Victoria of Wales]] stood proxy); the [[Frederik VIII of Denmark|Crown Prince of Denmark]] (his great-uncle, for whom his grandfather the [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Prince of Wales]] stood proxy); the [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|Duke of Connaught]] (his great-uncle); the [[Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife|Duchess of Fife]] (his paternal aunt); and [[Prince Adolphus of Teck]] (his maternal uncle).<ref>''[[The Times]]'', Tuesday 18 February 1896, p. 11</ref>}} Formally he was His Highness Prince Albert of York; within the [[British royal family|royal family]] he was known informally as "Bertie".<ref>Judd, p. 6; Rhodes James, p. 90; Townsend, p. 15; Windsor, p. 9</ref> The Duchess of Teck did not like the first name her grandson had been given, and she wrote prophetically that she hoped the last name "may supplant the less favoured one".<ref>Bradford, p. 2</ref> Albert was fourth in line to the throne at birth, after his grandfather, father and elder brother, [[Edward VIII|Edward]].

Albert was ill often and was described as "easily frightened and somewhat prone to tears".<ref>Wheeler-Bennett, pp. 17–18</ref> His parents were generally removed from their children's day-to-day upbringing, as was the norm in aristocratic families of that era. He had a [[stutter]] that lasted for many years. Although naturally [[left-handed]], he was forced to write with his right hand, as was common practice at the time.<ref>{{citation|first=Howard I. |last=Kushner |title=Retraining the King's left hand |journal=The Lancet |volume=377 |issue=9782 |year=2011 |pages=1998–1999 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60854-4|pmid=21671515 |s2cid=35750495 }}</ref> He had chronic stomach problems as well as [[knock knees]], for which he was forced to wear painful corrective splints.<ref name="matthew">{{cite ODNB|first=H. C. G.|last=Matthew|author-link=Colin Matthew|title=George VI (1895–1952)|year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/33370|mode=cs2}}</ref>

[[Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria|Queen Victoria died]] on 22 January 1901, and the Prince of Wales succeeded her as King Edward VII. Prince Albert moved up to third in line to the throne, after his father and elder brother.