FILE- Members of the British royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London after the coronation of King George VI, in this May 12, 1937 file photo. Princess Margaret, front right, died peacefully in her sleep at King Edward VII Hospital in London on Saturday Feb. 9, 2002, aged 71. Others shown on balcony are Queen Elizabeth (now the Queen Mother) with crown second left, Princess Elizabeth (now Britain's Queen Elizabeth II) at front center waving. Others are unidentified.The Associated Press
May 12, 1937: The date was originally set for the coronation of Edward VIII – George's elder brother, who had relinquished the throne six months earlier – and the pomp and circumstance of the crowning of George VI represented a return to normal after the abdication crisis. Public sentiment was warm toward the entire Royal Family, particularly the 11-year-old heir-apparent, Princess Elizabeth – now Queen Elizabeth II. Affection was also pronounced for the obviously shy George. What his subjects didn't know was how anxious he was: A lifelong stutter made the task of oath-taking a frightening prospect. But all went smoothly amid the flowers and finery, and millions listened to the four-hour ceremony on the radio, direct from Westminster Abbey – the first truly global live news event.