King George VI
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George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor) became King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions on December 11, 1936 after his older brother, Edward VIII abdicated the throne. His Majesty George VI reigned as king through WWII, and is known for boosting national moral by refusing to leave London for safer lodging. In the years after WWII his health began to deteriorate, perhaps due to a combination of stress and excessive smoking.
William Branham stated that he met and prayed for King George VI in 1950, although there appears to be no public record of this. William Branham also stated that the King was healed from multiple sclerosis at that time. There is no record that King George VI had this disease, although he did have arteriosclerosis.
The King was seen publicly in May 1950 which was shortly have William Branham visited England. However, the King's health was reported to have deteriorated significantly after that and he died February 6, 1952.
The life of George VI has been the subject of much public scrutiny, most recently in The King's Speech, a 2010 film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
William Branham's Version of the Events
A close friend of King George VI's personal secretary was in attendance at William Branham's meetings in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was during these meetings that this friend witnessed the healing of a man who had been bedridden with multiple sclerosis for 10 years. King George VI apparently learned about William Branham through this secretary, who relayed to him this story.
In the late 1940s, William Branham was shocked to received a cablegram from King George VI that said:
- "Brother Branham, I understand through my secretary that one of his friends was healed of multiple sclerosis. I desire of you to come pray for me, that our Lord Jesus will heal me."[1]
Feeling it was not the Lord's will to travel to England at that time, William Branham replied that he would not be able to come, but would pray for the King from America, which he did.
A while later, a second cablegram arrived from King George VI, again requesting William Branham to come and pray for him. In early April 1950, while en-route to a campaign in Finland, William Branham stated that he was able to finally meet and pray for King George VI in person and that the King was restored to health at that time, and played 28 holes of golf the next day.
Concerns with William Branham's story
Lack of evidence
- There are certainly no public records that William Branham visited King George VI.
- William Branham's indicates that his personal records contained a letter of thanks from King George VI for his prayers.[2] It is surprising that, given the amount of questions that have arisen on this website and others about the credibility of William Branham, the Branham family has not come forward with this letter as evidence as support.
Wrong disease
- While the public was informed of the King's health problems, there was never been any indication from any source that the King suffered from multiple sclerosis. Perhaps William Branham mixed up arteriosclerosis with multiple sclerosis. However, William Branham's followers claim that his discernment was exact.
- Why would William Branham pray for him for multiple sclerosis when he had been diagnosed in 1948 with severe heart disease and it was this disease which resulted in his death in 1952?
Like Donny Morton, the King died shortly thereafter
- What is striking is that William Branham pronounced the king healed, yet the King's health continued to deteriorate. This was most noticeable just after William Branham prayed for him, from one of his last public appearances that he made in early May 1950.
- Why would William Branham pronounce him healed, when King George VI died in early 1952?
- The press often reported every outing of the King. Why would William Branham say that King George played 28 holes of golf the next day, while there is no public record of this event?
The Health of King George VI
The King had suffered from a duodenal ulcer, for which he had an operation in November 1917.
In 1948 the public was advised that King George VI had a form of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) called Buerger's Disease, after which the King severely reduced his public appearances. Certain nerves to his legs were also severed in order to free him of some pain in standing.[3]
In 1949, the King suffered an arterial blockage in his right leg, which was operated on in March of that year.
The king opened the Festival of Britain from the steps of St Paul's on May 3 1950, but at subsequent public events that month, it was clear that he was not well. His condition deteriorated and on September 16, 1951, an exploratory operation showed he had cancer of the lung. He was not told of this conclusion, and believed the operation performed by Mr Price Thomas on September 23, 1951 was to remove his lung to free his bronchial tube. This series of operations occasioned intense public interest. [4]
King George VI slowly began to regain his strength, then quietly passed away in his sleep on February 8, 1952 as the result of coronary thrombosis.
Quotes
THE.PRINCIPLES.OF.DIVINE.HEALING JEFF.IN 51-0923
- And I was called to King George of England, to pray for him with those multiple sclerosis. I understand by the radio today, that he's got some kind of a lung trouble now.
TESTIMONY WEST.PALM.BEACH.FL 53-1129E
- And he was a friend to the king's private secretary, and through there King George of England sent word to me. I have his statements and have his letters of his fields and every... To come pray for him of multiple sclerosis, and so I couldn't go up that time. So I just wired back and told the king that I would pray for him here, that God would hear here just the same as he would over there. And so, then another telegram come through and wanted me to come on over immediately.
- Later when I went to England, over there, to see him, and the Lord healed him. He was--couldn't even stand up over five minutes at a time, and he... I believe the second day he played eighteen holes of golf, and never was bothered with it no more until the very day he died.
LAW CHICAGO.IL 55-0115
- And it was through this healing of this man out of the wheelchair, that I was called to pray for King George of England, which he was a--a friend to his private secretary that sent for, pray for him. And the king was healed with multiple sclerosis. And he could only, I believe stand up so long at a time, or something. I don't remember. I've got it in writing at home with his seal on it.
THE.GOOD.SHEPHERD.OF.THE.SHEEP PHOENIX.AZ 57-0308
- King George had stomach trouble, and he had multiple sclerosis. That's the one that sent for me to pray for him. And the Lord healed him of it.
JESUS.OF.NAZARETH.PASSETH.BY CONCORD.NH 58-0524
- King George of England with multiple sclerosis, when I went over and prayed for him. Couldn't even set but just a few minutes at a time. Next day, played twenty-eight holes of golf.
WHY BLOOMINGTON.IL 61-0413
- And as you know that when I went there and prayed for King George when he had multiple sclerosis and he was healed instantly; the next day he played eighteen holes of golf, and he couldn't even set up for just a few minutes at a time.
A.DOOR.IN.A.DOOR TUCSON.AZ 63-0223
- Some time ago the King George that I had the privilege of praying for, as you know, that had the multiple sclerosis. The Lord healed him.
A.PARADOX TAMPA.FL 64-0418B
- King George, who I had the privilege of praying for, you know, when he was healed with the multiple sclerosis.
DOORS.IN.DOOR FLAGSTAFF.AZ 65-0206
- Thinking about how little and insignificant, seeing that many of my Canadian friends sitting here. I remember I was in Canada when the King George... The one I had the privilege of going praying for, when he was healed, with that multiple sclerosis; he was suffering that day, from the sclerosis, and also he had a stomach trouble, an ulcer; as many of you Canadians know, and Americans, also.
Footnotes
- ↑ At Thy Word, Los Angeles California, May 6 1951
- ↑ Faith is the substance, Los Angeles, California, May 8, 1951
- ↑ Time Magazine: Hardening Arteries (King George VI)
- ↑ http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/printable/33370