During the Second World War, which broke out in 1939, the palace was bombed nine times.
The most serious and publicised incident destroyed the palace chapel in 1940. One bomb fell in the palace quadrangle while George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother) were in the palace, and many windows were blown in and the chapel destroyed.
The King and Queen were filmed inspecting their bombed home, and the newsreel footage was shown in cinemas throughout the United Kingdom to show the common suffering of rich and poor.
Advertisement
