King George VI

George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George, Duke of York) was born on 14 December 1895 in Sandringham, Norfolk, and was King of the United Kingdom from 1936 to 1952.

George VI was initiated in Navy Lodge No. 2612 on 2 December 1919 and was installed as its Master in 1921. An enthusiastic Freemason, he joined several Lodges and different masonic orders. He was the Senior Grand Warden of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1923 and Provincial Grand Master of Middlesex from 1924 until 1937.

He was elected Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1936 and was appointed a Past Grand Master of England in 1937. Although he formally withdrew from Freemasonry after he was crowned King of England in 1937, he personally installed his brother, George, Duke of Kent, as Grand Master in 1939, the Earl of Harewood in 1943 and the Duke of Devonshire in 1948.

The Museum of Freemasonry owns several items of regalia that belonged to King George VI including aprons, jewels and sashes. An oil painting of George VI is also housed in Freemasons' Hall by Sir James Gunn alongside several photographs in the Museum collection.