To the Children of Britain | A WWII Letter from King George VI (1946)

On 8 June 1946, millions of British schoolchildren received a message from King George VI as part of Britain’s Victory Celebrations following the Second World War.One of those children was a ten-year-old girl.Today, eighty years later to the day, she is ninety years old—and she still has the letter.In this special episode of The Letterbox Podcast, we share a remarkable piece of post-war British history preserved alongside wartime letters, ration books and memories of life during World War II.Though the King’s message is brief, it captures an extraordinary moment in time. In just a few sentences, it reflects a nation emerging from war, acknowledges the children who had lived through it, and looks towards the future they would help shape.This episode explores childhood during WWII, post-war Britain, family history, remembrance, resilience, and the power of letters to connect us across generations.A short letter. Eighty years of history. A story shared by millions.If you’d like to see the original letter, visit our social media pages where we’ve shared photographs from this remarkable piece of history.You never know, you too might find a letter like this is the memories boxes of you elderly loved ones. And if you have a letter and story of your own to share—whether personal, historical, joyful, heartbreaking, or somewhere in between—we’d love to hear from you. Send your letter to [email protected] you enjoy The Letterbox Podcast, please consider following or subscribing, leaving a rating or review, and sharing the podcast with someone who might enjoy it too. Every follow, review and recommendation helps these stories and letters find their way to new listeners.Because every letter carries a story worth preserving.