View source for The Identity of The United Kingdom under the Ruling of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II

=The Identity of The United Kingdom under the Ruling of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth=
by [[User:Dmpayette|Dakota Payette]]

{{Infobox
|title = The Identity of The United Kingdom under the Ruling of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
|bodystyle  = width:25em
|image = [[File:TitlePicture.JPG|x450px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = King George VI and Family <ref>I. (2014, May 17). Ilovetheroyals1. Retrieved June 19, 2017, from http://ilovetheroyals1.tumblr.com/post/86027981221/they-royal-family</ref>
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
My goal for this milestone was to research more about pre and post World War II Great Britain and see how the monarchy changed when England transitioned from an Empire to a Commonwealth. I want to see the changes that  were made over the course of the transition and how that impacted Queen Elizabeth II's reign as Queen of England and Head of the Commonwealth. I previous took a British Empire class at WPI with Professor Hansen that covered Great Britain between the American Revolution and Brexit. One memorable piece of the class was writing an essay on ''The King's Speech'', which was about King George VI overcoming his stammer issue. It really got me thinking about how King George VI ruled during his time as king and how the change from an Empire to a Commonwealth impacted his ruling. Queen Elizabeth II was the first and so far only monarch to have her reign be completely under the changes made to the monarchy by the creation of the Commonwealth. I want to look at how those changes to the monarchy and how they affected the ruling between King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.<br>
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=Introduction=
This project is about exploring the lives of England's past two monarchs, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II, and looking at how they ruled England though a big transitional time period. King George VI had to lead his country and Empire through the abdication crisis when he first took the throne. Queen Elizabeth II had to maintain a stable Commonwealth despite outside issues trying to undermine the very heart of the Commonwealth. Others have created essays and biographies that explored the lives of these two monarchs, sometimes dividing the two monarchs into separate pieces or combining them into one big essay. I didn't want to write an essay or biography about them, but instead create an resourceful timeline. Timelines and biographies have the same merits behind them, but I prefer timelines because each important event is separated on to its own slide. It makes it easier to recognize important events by the dates when they occurred. The readers also have the option to look at different types of media outlets while reading the information on each slide. My goal for this project was to keep the reader interested in the material I had to present, and I achieved that by creating a useful timeline. For completing this project, I had to look at how to create timelines. I've tried in the past and failed using many different techniques at creating one. The last time I had to create a timeline was for a senior scrapbook project in high school and it came out badly. I didn't want to repeat that mistake, so I took my time and looked into the best way for creating a timeline. I found this amazing website that uses Google Spreadsheet and creates a timeline from that. I would highly recommend using that website for any future timeline projects. 
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=Section 1: The Life and Reign of King George VI=
{{Infobox
|title =  The Life and Reign of King George VI
|bodystyle  = width:25em
|image = [[File:IMG_1257.JPG|x450px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|label2='''Location'''
|data2=''King George VI and his wife Elizabeth's grave at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle''
|label3='''Photo taken by'''
|data3=''[[User:Dmpayette|Dakota Payette]]''
}}
King George VI did not expect to take to the throne so quickly. He was the second son of King George V, the reigning monarch of England during World War I. George VI fell into the same pattern as his father since both were the younger sibling and were not expected to take the throne. This project will look at the life of King George VI and how he rose to power in England. Once he became King, he had to deal with Nazi Germany and their aggression in Europe and later on World War II. He would ultimately face the unprecedented challenge that no one thought would happen when England changed from an Empire to a Commonwealth. <br>
<br><br>
==Life Before King of England==
King George VI was born in 1895 as the second son of King George V, but he was known as Albert until he ascended  to the throne. His older brother, who would later become King Edward VII, was the heir apparent as they were growing up. Albert lived in the shadows of his older brother for their entire childhood. Most of the spotlight was on Edward since he was directly next in line for the throne, and their father was already getting old. <br>
It was hard for Albert growing up however, since he was dealing with many different illnesses that hindered his public appearance. Even though he had these illnesses, he still battled against them and tried to display his courage. While he was serving as a naval cadet in Osborne, he came down with a severe attack of pneumonia. <ref>King George VI. (1952). ''The British Medical Journal'', 1(4754), 366-367.</ref> The illnesses almost made him stop serving as a cadet, but he was able to continue on once he beat the illness. During the early months of World War I, he had to take a leave of absence from duty to get treated for appendicitis. <ref>King George VI. (1952). ''The British Medical Journal'', 1(4754), 366-367.</ref> Even still after the appendicitis incident, he wanted to continue on serving in the war. Many other members of the royal family were helping serve for the war efforts and he wanted to help. However, in 1917, injuries and surgery would strike again for him. He was treated for a duodenal ulcer, but this operation would be the last for him. <ref>King George VI. (1952). ''The British Medical Journal'', 1(4754), 366-367.</ref><br>
Once the war was over, Albert realized the importance of staying fit and healthy and keeping in touch with the doctors and nurses who treated him. Keeping involved with medicine was a thing that his father knew the importance of since he was older when he accessed to the throne. King George V knew that he had to stay healthy as long as he was king. With Albert, he worked alongside the British Empire Cancer Campaign. During his short stint in the House of Lords, he led that campaign right up until he took the throne. <ref>King George VI. (1952). ''The British Medical Journal'', 1(4754), 366-367.</ref> That would occur in December of 1936, but not in the way many people thought it would happen. <br>
Being the second of two sons, Albert never really imagined he would become king. His older brother would inherit the throne before him and become king. However, Edward insisted on marrying a previously divorced American woman. Since the monarch is the head of both England and the Church of England, the monarch could not marry someone who was previously divorced. Edward picked his love over being king and the events that followed would be known as the abdication crisis. Edward abdicated the throne to be with the divorced American woman which left a clear path for Albert to become king. <ref>Cannadine, D. (1998). King George VI. In History in Our Time (pp. 59-67). New Haven; London: Yale University Press.</ref> <br>
By the time Albert, now King George VI, took the throne, Edward's short legacy blasted a huge blow to the monarchy in the public eye. Its public appearance had been damaged by Edward abdicating the throne and leaving it in the hands of a man with a sickly past who wasn't confident with himself. The monarchy was unstable as now three different kings had sat on the throne in one year which hindered the appearance of the monarch in the eyes of the citizens in the Empire.<ref>Cannadine, D. (1998). King George VI. In History in Our Time (pp. 59-67). New Haven; London: Yale University Press.</ref>
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==Transformation of The United Kingdom and The Crown into a Commonwealth under King George VI==
King George VI had a rough start his reign due to the fact that his older brother abdicated. It was not a good start for him at all. The other bad part about him coming into power was the impending issue of Germany which was gaining great power under Adolf Hitler. Germany was a scary threat to the rest of the world, and war would eventually break out in 1939.<ref>Okeeffe, S. (2017, March 19). The 1940s: The Queen Mother’s finest decade, from http://royalcentral.co.uk/blogs/history/queen-elizabeth-the-queen-mother-a-life-in-decades-1940s-44201</ref> Britain wouldn't be harmed during the first year of the war, but that changed in 1940 with the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe would terrorize London and the surrounding areas between the beginning of September of 1940 until the end of November. <ref>Okeeffe, S. (2017, March 19). The 1940s: The Queen Mother’s finest decade, from http://royalcentral.co.uk/blogs/history/queen-elizabeth-the-queen-mother-a-life-in-decades-1940s-44201</ref> <br>
The United Kingdom and the rest of the Allied Powers would prevail on May 8th, 1945, when Adolf Hitler committed suicide and Germany surrendered. <ref>Okeeffe, S. (2017, March 19). The 1940s: The Queen Mother’s finest decade, from http://royalcentral.co.uk/blogs/history/queen-elizabeth-the-queen-mother-a-life-in-decades-1940s-44201</ref> It was a celebratory day all over Europe. Victory in Europe caused a domino effect in England, however. After being victorious through two world wars in a span of 30 years, the wars had taken a toll on all the empires in Europe. England's Empire was no stranger to this as they started to lose power within their Empire. Nations like India and South Africa were started to gain strength and lean more towards independence<ref>Hall, H. (1953). "The British Commonwealth of Nations". ''The American Political Science Review'', 47(4), 997-1015.</ref>. With the United States and Soviet Union on the rise in power after World War II, it was time for England to take a step back and rethink their Empire. <br>
England changed from an Empire to a Commonwealth for the better. In context, the British change from an Empire to a Commonwealth of Nations was a long term effect of what happened during the American Revolution when England lost the American Colonies. <ref>Hall, H. (1953). "The British Commonwealth of Nations". ''The American Political Science Review'', 47(4), 997-1015.</ref> King George VI realized this after the World War II when India and South Africa started to rise in power. The British could no longer control other nations that were part of their Empire. If they did keep the Empire going, they ran the risk of repeating what happened in the American Revolution. He realized that instead of keeping the countries in their Empire separate from the outside world, it would hurt them in the long run as other countries started to develop. It would be better for them to have the ability to work alongside the United States with their new Commonwealth of Nations. <ref>Hall, H. (1953). "The British Commonwealth of Nations". ''The American Political Science Review'', 47(4), 997-1015.</ref><br>
The break up of the Empire and transition into a Commonwealth of Nations was the first time since the English Civil War in the 1650s where England was no longer an Empire. Oliver Cromwell tried to set up a provisional government with no monarch, but it wouldn't last after his death. Now that England was no longer an Empire, the monarch was no longer the King or Queen of the Empire. Instead, the head of state title was change to the Head of the Commonwealth. <ref>Hall, H. (1953). "The British Commonwealth of Nations". ''The American Political Science Review'', 47(4), 997-1015.</ref> Back in the British Empire, the King or Queen was the head of everything, but in the Commonwealth, they held little power. That power had been transferred to the Houses of Parliament and different new Cabinet positions while the King or Queen had become nothing more than a remembrance of the past.<ref>Hall, H. (1953). "The British Commonwealth of Nations". ''The American Political Science Review'', 47(4), 997-1015.</ref><br>
The Commonwealth, however, is not a political alliance of nations. Instead, it's a collection of nations formed out of the ashes of the old British Empire. Countries can leave the Commonwealth if they would like to. <ref>Hall, H. (1953). "The British Commonwealth of Nations". ''The American Political Science Review'', 47(4), 997-1015.</ref> It was more practical for Britain to transform into a Commonwealth because of the situation in India. Independence movements in India and Pakistan were happening more frequently as more people wanted independence from England. In order to prevent India and Pakistan to be swayed by their communist neighbors, England and the rest of the Western Bloc convinced India and Pakistan to join the Commonwealth when the British Empire collapsed.<ref>Hall, H. (1953). "The British Commonwealth of Nations". ''The American Political Science Review'', 47(4), 997-1015.</ref> The West didn't want more countries falling into the domino effect that was taking over southeast Asia spread into India and Pakistan.  <br>
A scenario for this was drawn up in 1917 when dominions of the Empire came together, and they stated that if the Empire should collapse, they would create a new constitution that "made it no longer constitutional for the King to act for the Dominions, or for the United Kingdom Parliament to legislate for them, without their advice and consent."<ref>Hall, H. (1953). "The British Commonwealth of Nations". ''The American Political Science Review'', 47(4), 997-1015.</ref> Even though they had agreed to this back in 1917, it didn't stick well with South Africa and Canada when the time came for the creation of the Commonwealth. They, along with Australia and New Zealand, didn't like the feeling of being tied to a written constitution for creating the foundation of the Commonwealth. <ref>Hall, H. (1953). "The British Commonwealth of Nations". ''The American Political Science Review'', 47(4), 997-1015.</ref> They would rather see the Commonwealth be a collection of nations that had the freedom to come and go as they please. King George VI acknowledged these terms with the countries who were once part of the Empire. Many nations had already decided to join up and form the first members of the Commonwealth even before the British Empire fell apart. Those nations are listed in the table below.
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<br>
{| class="wikitable" 
|+Countries who joined Commonwealth before 1953<ref>Site designed and built by Hydrant (http://www.hydrant.co.uk). (n.d.). Member countries. Retrieved June 15, 2017, from http://thecommonwealth.org/member-countries</ref>
|-
|1931
|Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and United Kingdom
|-
|1947
|India, Pakistan
|-
|1948
|Sri Lanka
|}
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<br>
England had formally transitioned from an Empire to a Commonwealth in 1949. King George VI would be the last British Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015). Elizabeth II: the steadfast. London: Allen Lane.</ref>The United Kingdom is at the head of the Commonwealth, and since 1949, many members have joined. In total, there are 52 member countries that are a part of the Commonwealth, and there are 18 countries from Africa, 13 from the Americas and Caribbean, 11 from the Pacific. seven from Asia, and three from Europe (including the United Kingdom).<ref>Site designed and built by Hydrant (http://www.hydrant.co.uk). (n.d.). Member countries. Retrieved June 15, 2017, from http://thecommonwealth.org/member-countries</ref> The major countries that are a part of the Commonwealth include Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and South Africa. <ref>Site designed and built by Hydrant (http://www.hydrant.co.uk). (n.d.). Member countries. Retrieved June 15, 2017, from http://thecommonwealth.org/member-countries</ref><br>
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=Section 2: The Life and Reign of Queen Elizabeth II=
<br>
{{Infobox
|title =  The Life and Reign of Queen Elizabeth II
|bodystyle  = width:25em 
|image = [[File:QueenElizPic.JPG|x450px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Queen Elizabeth II and Family at 90th Birthday<ref>Barber, Glen, "Queen Elizabeth II and her family marked her official 90th birthday [PHOTOS]", Denver Post (2016, June 12). Retrieved June 19, 2017, from http://www.denverpost.com/2016/06/11/queen-elizabeth-ii-and-her-family-marked-her-official-90th-birthday-photos/</ref>
}}
Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in English history and around the world. She took the throne after her father, King George VI, passed away in 1952 after a long battle with illnesses. She was the first monarch to inherit the title Head of The Commonwealth from her father. Her reign as Queen of England and Head of the Commonwealth has been very fortunate for all of England.
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==Life Before Queen of England==
Queen Elizabeth was born in 1926 as the first of two daughters by King George VI. Her sister, Margaret Rose,was born in 1930, but the spotlight was on Elizabeth. The family wasn't involved in many royal duties since George was the younger of two brothers, but that all changed when his older brother, Edward VII, abdicated the throne in 1936. That put Elizabeth second in line for the throne, and that is when she realized that life was about to change for all of them. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015). ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 11.</ref><br>
It was at her father's coronation that she realized just how important she had become. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 11.</ref>Elizabeth and her sister were now firmly in the spotlight with their father being the King of England. <br>
When it came to education, she and her sister were taught privately by a two tutors, one a French resident by the name of Vicomtesse de Bellaigue who taught the girls French. The other was Sir Henry Marten, the Vice Provost of Eton College. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, pages 11-12.</ref>Together, these two would help the sisters with their education while staying away from the public view. This was decided upon by their mother, who thought it would be better for her daughters to be taught in private rather than be faced with going to public schooling. <br>
With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the sisters lived with their parents in Buckingham Palace, riding out the Luftwaffe in 1940 in central London with everyone else. King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, wanted to stay in central London to keep public morale high during the troubling times. Towards the end of the war, Elizabeth joined Auxiliary Territorial Service, which was the women's division of the British Army. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 17.</ref>She would stay in England however since her parents wouldn't allow her to travel into mainland Europe. <br>
While the whole of Europe was celebrating victory over Germany, Elizabeth and her family were planning her wedding. Elizabeth had fallen in love with Prince Philip of Greece. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 14.</ref> He had taken her and Margaret under his protection when he guided them through Royal Navy Academy in Dartmouth. He was a long distant cousin with their only common relative being the late Queen Victoria. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 14.</ref>He ended up proposing to her during the war, but was later told that the ceremony would have to wait until after the war was over. The Royal Family had planned a trip to South Africa during 1947, and Elizabeth and Philip needed the blessings from King George VI before the wedding could be announced to the public. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, pages 14-15, 17.</ref><br>
Elizabeth and Philip, along with Margaret, began shouldering some of the responsibilities that were reserved for the King when his health started to decline in the later 1940s. Eventually, King George VI was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1951 and had to cancel state trips that were planned across the Commonwealth. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 19.</ref> Being next in line for the throne, Elizabeth and Philip insisted the trip be rescheduled so they could go on it. The trip was eventually rescheduled for the beginning of 1952. The first country that they had planned to visit was Kenya, but they had to cut their trip much shorter than planned. Only a few days into their trip, King George VI died in his sleep. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 19.</ref> It was a solemn plane ride home from Kenya. Elizabeth was now Queen Elizabeth II, and she was greeted by Lord Woolton, Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, and Winston Churchill when she and Philip returned from Kenya. <ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 22, picture 5.</ref>The length of her reign as Queen of England and Head of the Commonwealth is a reign that no one expected. <br> 
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==Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth==
Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 2nd, 1953, over a year after the death of her father, the late King George VI.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 22, picture 7.</ref> He reign would end up lasting a lot longer than most people would expect, going all the way from her coronation in 1953 until the present day.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 91.</ref><br>
Her reign presided over an interesting time for England as they continued their transition from an Empire to a Commonwealth. The Commonwealth had started in 1947, but not many countries had joined the Commonwealth. Still there were some connected to the British Empire and joined after the formation of the Commonwealth. The countries that joined after the formation of the Commonwealth during Queen Elizabeth II's reign are listed below in the table.
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<br>
{| class="wikitable" 
|+Countries who joined Commonwealth after 1953<ref>Site designed and built by Hydrant (http://www.hydrant.co.uk). (n.d.). Member countries. Retrieved June 15, 2017, from http://thecommonwealth.org/member-countries</ref>
|-
|1960
|Nigeria
|1961
|Cyprus, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania
|1962
|Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda
|-
|1963
|Kenya
|1964
|Malawi, Malta, and Zambia
|1965
|Singapore
|-
|1966
|Barbados, Botswana, Guyana, and Lesotho
|1968
|Mauritius, Nauru, and Swaziland
|1970
|Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga
|-
|1972
|Bangladesh
|1973
|Bahamas
|1974
|Grenada
|-
|1975
|Papua New Guinea
|1976
|Seychelles
|1978
|Dominica
|-
|1979
|Kiribati, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|1980
|Vanuatu
|1981
|Antigua and Barbuda and Belize
|-
|1983
|Saint Kitts and Nevis
|1984
|Brunei
|1990
|Namibia
|-
|1995
|Cameroon and Mozambique
|2009
|Rwanda
|}
<br>
With the entrance of Mozambique in 1995 and Rwanda in 2009, it broke a tradition that had held true for all member nations in the Commonwealth. Mozambique and Rwanda had no previous ties to England and they were not part of the British Empire when it existed.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 59.</ref> Queen Elizabeth II permitted the entrance of Mozambique and Rwanda even though other member nations didn't like it. The entrance of countries without historical ties to Britain would dilute and weaken the bonds between nations in the Commonwealth because every nation in the Commonwealth was either part of the British Empire or had very close ties to England.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 59.</ref> Even though all other member nations didn't like the entrance of Mozambique and Rwanda, the Queen allowed them in. <br>
Even though the Queen was no longer Head of the Empire, her new title was Head of the Commonwealth, which came with the responsibilities of maintaining the integrity of the Commonwealth. Many countries who had previously joined the Commonwealth before the official introduction of the Commonwealth held a good amount of power before the World War II.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 58.</ref> After the war, their power began to diminish as the monarch took increasing power over the Commonwealth as more countries applied to be in the Commonwealth. It should be noted, however, that the Commonwealth is not a political alliance like North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nor like the European Union (EU), but more of a collection of nations. It's a proud group of nations to be a part of, but they don't share critical information to other countries at their meetings like a NATO summits.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015). ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 60.</ref><br>
The Queen attends meetings called the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings where all the heads of state from each member country attend meetings to discuss the Commonwealth.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 60.</ref> Since England is the main country in the Commonwealth, the Queen has the most power when it comes to these meetings. This was set up by her father, King George VI, when creating the rules for the Commonwealth. She doesn't support one side if an argument breaks out, but will rather try to fix the argument with common ground and political neutrality.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 61.</ref><br>
When England entered negotiations with the EU about terms of entrance, the notion of them joining the EU was an uncomfortable feeling felt by other members of the Commonwealth. They were concerned over their trading goods with England and thought that their entrance into the EU would slow down trade with their longtime trading partners.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 62.</ref> It wasn't expected however, that the Commonwealth would break up if and when England joined the EU, which they eventually did at the beginning of 1973.<ref>A. (2017, May 10). Countries. Retrieved June 16, 2017, from http://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/countries_en#tab-0-1</ref><br>
However, trade issues would eventually arise between England, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia when a wave of conservative ideals and thoughts spread through many countries in the Commonwealth during the middle of Queen Elizabeth's reign.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 62.</ref> Canada and Australia were aligning themselves to be more like the United States than England, and that hurt the trading between the different countries.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 63.</ref> New Zealand wasn't enabled to do what Canada and Australia did because they weren't strong or a big enough country to make a powerful move and change away from England. It was a tricky situation for the country, but in the end they decided to remain loyal to England and the Commonweath.<br>
The Commonwealth would be tested greatly in 1987 with the issue over South Africa and Nelson Mandela.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane,
 page 64.</ref>Many riots were taking place all over South Africa between the different races that had settled there. The whites believed they were superior over the black residents and felt that no blacks should be allowed to hold public office. Margaret Thatcher, the sitting Prime Minister at the time and outspoken conservative, sided with the white population while holding a white's only election.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 65.</ref> However, Thatcher's original statement was misinterpreted by many media outlets when they twisted her words. To many Commonwealth nations, she seemed like the enemy when it came to the issue of South Africa. She wanted the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and fair elections set up in the unstable country. Thatcher would eventually recant her previous statement and replace it with what she actually meant to say regarding the unstable situation in South Africa.<ref>Hurd, D. (2015).  ''Elizabeth II: the steadfast''. London: Allen Lane, page 65.</ref> Many Commonwealth nations were relieved that Thatcher said what she actually meant to say in another statement.<br>
However, Queen Elizabeth II was left in doubt over whether Thatcher could continue the job as Prime Minister without scrutiny from other heads of state within the Commonwealth if she made another bad comment about a struggling country within the Commonwealth The Queen would continue her distrust for Thatcher privately until she was replaced by Sir John Major as Prime Minister in 1990.<ref>Past Prime Ministers. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2017, from https://www.gov.uk/government/history/past-prime-ministers</ref><br>
Overall, the Commonwealth has stayed whole during Queen Elizabeth's reign. It has not fallen apart, but rather grown and adapted to today's nature. The Queen has done a marvelous job at keeping the Commonwealth whole. She hasn't had the ability to look back at predecessors to see what their actions were in a time of need because she was the first to inherit the title Head of the Commonwealth.<br>
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=Deliverable: Timeline of Important Events=
For the deliverable part of this milestone, a timeline was created. This timeline goes into the lives of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II, the previous and current monarch of England and looks at how the creation of the Commonwealth affected their reigns. When King George VI took the throne in 1936 after the abdication crisis with his brother, his Empire overcame Nazi Germany, but it came at a cost. When the war was over, England started the process of dismantling their Empire and converting into a Commonwealth. He was the last English monarch to use the title Emperor of India, but the first to use the title Head of The Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II was the first monarch to inherit the title Head of the Commonwealth. Her job was to make sure that the Commonwealth remained stable even through tough times. The entrance of Mozambique and Rwanda questioned what values are needed to enter the Commonwealth. The trading issue between Commonwealth nations and the EU proved to be troubling during their negotiations.<br>
Together, these two monarchs are important monarchs for England. They almost reigning for the entire part of the 20th century. The timeline that was created looks at their lives and investigates the turbulent times they endured through. The background goes through and describes their lives in detail while the timeline takes that information and transfers it onto slides that people can learn from. Others might also grab and essay or biography about the monarchs, but the timeline is just as useful. The background is the backbone for the information on the timeline, but it's much easier to look at the timeline for information than search through an essay.
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==Timeline of King George VI==
Linked below is the timeline for King George VI.
<br>
https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1IFddcqd1BXQttSc6tFE-p1Zt0AqcSumAB_9r-HTJHV0&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=950
<br><br>

==Timeline of Queen Elizabeth II==
Linked below is the timeline for Queen Elizabeth II.<br>
https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1TfXOud8_VtpclR-wr5FlsJd0s1KC7XcTEdftS3hUr0Q&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=950
<br><br><br>

=Gallery=
<gallery mode="packed">
IMG_1257.JPG|Grave of King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth
TitlePicture.JPG|King George VI and Family <ref>I. (2014, May 17). Ilovetheroyals1. Retrieved June 19, 2017, from http://ilovetheroyals1.tumblr.com/post/86027981221/they-royal-family</ref>
QueenElizPic.JPG|Queen Elizabeth II and Family at 90th Birthday<ref>Barber, Glen, "Queen Elizabeth II and her family marked her official 90th birthday [PHOTOS]", Denver Post. Retrieved June 19, 2017, from http://www.denverpost.com/2016/06/11/queen-elizabeth-ii-and-her-family-marked-her-official-90th-birthday-photos/</ref>
</gallery>
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=Conclusion=
Upon completing the background and timeline for this milestone, it has been very rewarding to work on this project. I'm very happy with the information that I was able to gather and how it all fit on the timeline. I picked the timeline for my deliverable since it was easier for me to convey my research on the timeline than writing an essay or biography. Timelines are helpful for looking for quick information about a person or event while essays and biographies take a much deeper look into people and events. Writers can spend years devoted their research and writing towards an essay or biography about something. They are worth the read. But for this milestone, I felt that creating a timeline would be the best approach for completing this milestone. For potential further areas of inquiry, one might be able to either look deeper into the lives of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II or even introduce more influential monarchs over time into the timeline. That will create a resourceful timeline for people to look at and learn more about each monarch individual, how they came to the throne, and important events that happened during their reign as King or Queen of England. <br>
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=References=
[[Category:History Projects]]
[[Category:2017]]