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The King's Speech Trivia Quiz

Most excellent film based on the true story of king george vi of britain and his speech therapist. this may prove difficult if you have not seen the movie..

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Top Films: The King's Speech

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The King's Speech Summary

Lights, camera, action.

In the opening scene, we find out that King George V rules over a quarter of the world's population and that his second son, the Duke of York, is supposed to give a speech in front of tens of thousands of people. 

Of course, the speech doesn't go well at all. Why? Cecause "Bertie" can't string two words together without falling into a bad stutter.

Flash forward to eight years later, and we find Bertie sitting in the office of a speech therapist who's trying all sorts of cockamamie ideas to cure his stutter. Marbles in the mouth? Doctor-approved cigarettes? Who are these quacks? Frustrated, Bertie gives up and tells his wife Elizabeth that he's finished with trying to cure his stutter.

Elizabeth doesn't give up, though. She visits one last controversial therapist named Lionel Logue and asks him if he can help her husband. He insists that he can, but he'll require total equality whenever Bertie is in his office.

Logue convinces Bertie to keep seeing him after he tricks Bertie into giving a stutter-free reading of Hamlet . Logue and Bertie work closely together, but no matter how much progress they make, all of it seems to evaporate as soon as Bertie gets into a stressful situation. That's why Logue insists on delving into Bertie's personal life; he's convinced that Bertie's stutter is connected to childhood trauma—which it probably is.

Things are already pretty bad, but they quickly get even worse. Bertie's father, King George V, passes away and leaves the throne to Bertie's irresponsible brother David. 

At least Bertie won't have to be king, right?

One day, Bertie gets the horrible news that his brother David is going to leave the throne of England in order to marry an American divorcée named Wallis. That means that Bertie will have to step up and become king. And if things weren't bad enough, England is about to go to war with Germany, which means the king (Bertie) will have to give speeches to rally his country.

This is a nightmare for Bertie, but Logue promises to help him deliver his speeches. In a dramatic scene at Westminster Abbey, Logue also makes Bertie realize that he deserves to be heard—not as a king, but as a human being.

In the movie's final scene, Logue steps into a broadcasting room with Bertie and helps him get through his first wartime speech. With Logue's help and friendship, Bertie gives a killer speech, and people all over England are inspired by his words. 

A final set of 411 tell us that Bertie and Logue would go on to be friends for the rest of their lives and that Logue would help Bertie with all of his wartime speeches. Bertie would go on to be known to all British subjects as "The Good King."

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W hy's T his F unny?

The True Story Behind "The King's Speech"

"The King's Speech" is a 2010 dramatic biographical film, recounting the friendship between King George VI of England and his Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue. The film also covers Edward VIII's 1936 abdication, and George VI's subsequent coronation and shouldering of responsibility during World War II. George VI ultimately must conquer his stammer to assist and guide Britain during the war.

As a film, "The King's Speech" takes a few liberties with the historical timeline and in regards to simplifying certain characters. One element historians took particular umbrage with was the depiction of Winston Churchill . However, overall it is fairly faithful to the historical record. For one thing, George VI really did have a speech impediment since the age of eight, and Lionel Logue did work with him for several years. They did stay friends until they both died. Certain scenes, such as George VI's coronation, were praised for their accurate recapturing of the feel of the 1930s.

The main concept the film changed was simply adding drama to certain scenes, such as the speech announcing war with Germany towards the end. It also condensed the historical timeline significantly, shortening events. This was mostly done for the sake of keeping the narrative moving. Overall, however, " The King's Speech " is a fairly accurate, heartwarming rendering of George VI and Lionel Logue's friendship.

Prince Albert had a stutter as a child

Prince Albert, later George VI, developed a stutter when he was eight that he carried through to his early adult life. His parents were not terribly affectionate with him, and he was susceptible to tears and tantrums – traits he also carried through his adult years, writes Biography . Given that many of his public duties required speeches, Albert needed to – and worked tirelessly – to fix his stammer with multiple doctors and therapists, writes Stuttering Help . He wasn't successful with any speech therapies until he worked with elocutionist and informal speech therapist Lionel Logue, beginning in the 1920s.

When Logue saw the then-Duke of York give a speech, he said to his son, "He's too old for me to manage a complete cure. But I could very nearly do it. I'm sure of that." (via Stuttering Help ). He was right, and his positive attitude helped the duke recover from previous failures that had made him believe the problem caused him to be mentally deficient instead of simply physically injured. Despite how long they worked together, the duke's speech issues had more to do with how held his jaw and pronounced words; the result was that his stammer was mainly cleared up in a matter of months as opposed to years.

Lionel Logue was a self-taught speech therapist

Lionel Logue was an Australian speech therapist who, not being formally trained, used methods he had discovered and created on his own. He worked as an elocutionist first, but fell into helping Australian World War I veterans with speech defects, writes The ASHA Leader . No one else was doing what he was with the veterans, and speech therapy and audiology programs didn't even get off the ground until the 1940s (via UNC Health Sciences Library ). Logue was even a founder of the College of Speech Therapists.

Just before World War I, Logue worked a variety of jobs as a teacher of elocution and drama, theater manager, and reciter of Shakespeare and Dickens (via Speech Language Therapy's Caroline Bowen, a speech language pathologist ). Logue worked with patients on their speech, but also on confidence and the self-belief that they could accomplish what they set out to do. He was empathetic with his patients, and learned from each case he worked on. Logue originally tried out as an actor, and as a result, his manner was somewhere between a teacher and an artist. He was serious about his life's work and resolved to avoid cheapening it by writing a book about his efforts with the king.

Logue began working with Prince Albert in 1926

Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, first encouraged her husband to work with Lionel Logue, though the meeting as depicted in the film between Elizabeth and Logue likely didn't happen (via Logue and Conradi's "The King's Speech" ). Logue thus began working with the Duke of York in October 1926, soon after he opened his London practice on Harley Street. Logue first diagnosed the Duke with, according to CNN , acute nervous tension and the habit of closing the throat, which caused him to clip words out.

Logue met with him daily for the next two or three months (in advance of a visit to Australia), and his stammer was gone (for the most part) within that time frame; it didn't take years of treatment (via Speech Language Therapy ). Unlike in the film, in reality, the Duke and Logue weren't necessarily aiming for complete fluency. However, they did continue to work together for the next two decades, mainly on the royal's speeches.

Logue worked with Albert for over 15 years

Though the film condenses the timeline to make it seem as though everything takes place over just a few years, Logue and Albert worked together for decades (via CNN ). "The King's Speech" begins in 1925 with the close of the British Empire Exhibition, which would be historically accurate, but time simply speeds by until the film depicts the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936 and later the outbreak of war in 1939 in just a few hours; it doesn't really feel as though a decade and a half have passed.

Regardless, Logue and the duke worked together on speeches even after the duke had mostly mastered his stammer. Lionel Logue's methods were unorthodox and primarily self-taught. He never specifically said what course of treatment he worked on with the duke, saying, according to The ASHA Leader : "...on the matter of Speech Defects, when so much depends on the temperament and individuality, a case can always be produced that can prove you are wrong. That is why I won't write a book." Much of the ideas for the therapy sessions depicted in the film come from Logue's diaries (though plenty of the dialogue was invented), which were inherited by his grandson Mark. They were used in the film, though the director only saw them late in the film's production.

Any sort of therapy is inherently individual, not to mention personal (via Psychiatric Times ). It's no wonder that Logue decided to avoid writing about his work.

Wallis Simpson was a more complex person than the film indicates

King Edward VIII was crowned in January 1936 and abdicated in December of the same year in order to marry Wallis Simpson , who had been twice divorced (via History ). His younger brother was proclaimed king the next day. The film is sympathetic to George VI and Elizabeth, and Wallis Simpson is cast as a vaguely Nazi-supporting villain; there is little depth to her character. However, her life and motivations were shrouded in rumors from the British upper classes and the media.

The upper classes, who learned about the Edward-Wallis romance before the British media, in particular saw her as an uncouth American divorcee, and had a hard time figuring out why Edward wanted to be with her. When the media did find out, in December 1936, she was both ruined and revered by them, according to History Extra . However, after moving overseas more-or-less permanently she faded from the spotlight. Her unfortunate reputation from the nobles stuck with her.

Ultimately, George VI didn't allow his brother and sister-in-law, who had moved to France, to be productive for the royal family; they asked multiple times for jobs and were denied (via History Extra ). Awful rumors followed Wallis Simpson even past her death in the 1980s, including one that stated she would do anything to become queen of England. Though it's clear both on and off screen that she and Elizabeth disliked each other, Wallis was more than a king-stealing villain.

Churchill was actually opposed to Edward VIII's abdication

One major element of the film that historians had trouble with is Churchill's abrupt support of George VI, writes Daily History . In real life, he encouraged Edward VIII not to abdicate in 1936, and remained a supporter of the royal, believing something could be worked out without having to resort to abdication. George VI and Elizabeth didn't fully support Churchill later in life due to his actions during the abdication. However, Churchill was later knighted by Elizabeth II (via Biography ).

This element is likely written as such for the film due to the writers having a hard time writing someone as beloved as Churchill with actual flaws. The writers of "Saving Mr. Banks" had a similar issue with Walt Disney and his flaws. As a result, it is one of the only concrete historical aspects that left historians scratching their heads in confusion. Everything else that is changed in the film is mainly done for the sake of adaptation, drama, and the good of the narrative. This change seems to be for the sake of preserving Churchill's reputation. Considering the film's lead-up of events to World War II, and Churchill's role in Britain's survival, it isn't that surprising.

King George VI's coronation was less fraught than the film depicts

Logue worked with George VI on his coronation speech in 1937. Five days afterward, the king wrote a heartfelt thank you letter for the assistance (via Tatler ), attributing the success to Logue's "expert supervision and unfailing patience." Just as in the film, Logue and his wife are seated in the royal box, so high up that Myrtle Logue needed to use opera glasses in order to see, writes CNN .

However, by this time, the king had mostly mastered his speech impediment, and the dramatic scene in the film with Logue and St. Edward's chair is likely fictional. It was written for the sake of the narrative of George VI realizing he does have a voice. Reality isn't necessarily so cinematic, and after weeks of working on the speech with Logue, George VI delivered it flawlessly. Regardless, according to Daily History , the film accurately conveys the atmosphere of the 1930s and the coronation of a new king. In reality, the king and Logue likely didn't have the same miscommunication as they do in the film, and it is doubly heartwarming that Logue and his wife were seated with the royal family, just because of the services Logue had rendered the new king.

Logue was more deferential to his royal patient

Geoffrey Rush's portrayal is much more animated than Logue likely was in reality. Logue certainly addressed Prince Albert respectfully, and the scenes of swearing in Logue's office are likely invented. Logue also never referred to the prince by a nickname, much less one used exclusively by the family. They were friends in real life, but their relationship was more realistically distant.

According to CNN , the letters Logue wrote to the king are addressed to "Your Royal Highness". On the other hand, the king signed his letters with his first name, indicating a measure of friendship between the two men. Logue also apparently allowed George VI to set treatment goals due to his position. Though they did end up being friends, Logue never forgot who exactly his patient was, and treated him accordingly (via Daily History ). Historical films always add heart-to-heart speeches between people which probably never actually happened but work for the sake of drama and the narrative. "The King's Speech" is no exception.

The speech announcing war with Germany was less dramatic

Lionel Logue further assisted George VI during the 1939 speech when he announced Britain was at war with Germany. However, Logue wasn't actually in the room with him, as the film depicts, and only wrote notes on places for the king to pause to collect himself when speaking or on which words to stress, according to CNN . Keep in mind that by this point in time, 13 years after meeting Logue, the king had essentially mastered his stammer. George VI also stood to give the speech, though photographs show him in full military uniform and sitting down.

Lionel Logue's diaries also answered a previously unknown question about the speech that was added to the film. George VI stammered on some of the W's in the speech, and according to a comment he made to Logue, it was so the people would recognize him, writes CNN .

The film turns the event into a climactic event, as a culmination of the years of work the king and Logue have put into his affliction – and which the audience has just watched on screen for the past two hours. Also, though it is unlikely the information was revealed at this exact time in real life, the character of Winston Churchill tells the king just before this speech that he, too, was a stammerer as a child, writes The Lancet . This element is true, though it is positioned for the sake of cinematic drama.

George and Logue's friendship didn't fracture over credentials

In the film, coronation preparations pause when the archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang, mentions that Logue doesn't have any formal training. Not having known this beforehand, George VI becomes outraged and only calms after Logue provokes him into speaking without stammering, causing him to realize that he actually can speak accurately. This entire element is invented for the film, presumably for the sake of drama (and humor).

By this point, the two men had known each other for over a decade and were friends. Though their relationship was primarily professional, in scouting out Logue's help, the king must have understood his credentials and it didn't bother him; after all, he worked with Logue, voluntarily, for decades (via Daily History ). Logue's formality likely kept their friendship professional enough that they probably had few personal disagreements.

Logue and the king wrote letters back and forth for years; the earlier letters were signed "Albert" and the later letters "George" by the king, according to CNN , indicating a measure of friendship that was likely meted out to few people. When Logue asked the king in 1948 if he would serve as patron of the College of Speech Therapists, George VI immediately agreed and it became known as the Royal College of Speech Therapy, writes The ASHA Leader .

The film has an obvious pro-George VI bias

Due to being written from a historical perspective, "The King's Speech" supports George VI, Logue, Elizabeth, and even Winston Churchill as characters and historical figures much more than it does George V, Edward VIII, or Wallis Simpson. The film has an agenda and a narrative it set out to tell: the story of how George VI overcame his stammer and led a nation successfully through a war.

According to The Gazette , the film's textual inclusion of Logue's appointment as a Member of the Royal Victorian Order is accurate. The king appreciated his services enough to reward him with a title for them, and this element certainly adds to the theme of friendship the film is so fond of.

In another interesting example of bias, however, the film omits Edward VIII's Nazi sympathies entirely, though Simpson is written to seem like an outsider to the royals. This was likely done for the sake of Edward's surviving family, though it was a slightly odd omission considering the context of the film. Edward isn't cast as a villain, however, he doesn't quite seem to realize what he's forcing his brother to step into. Though he immediately supports George, Edward doesn't seem to comprehend the royal family's – and the film's – endless demand of duty.

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The King's Speech

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The King's Speech

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Colin Firth gives a masterful performance in The King's Speech , a predictable but stylishly produced and rousing period drama.

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Colin Firth

King George VI

Geoffrey Rush

Lionel Logue

Helena Bonham Carter

Queen Elizabeth

King Edward VIII

Timothy Spall

Winston Churchill

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The rain in Sp…Sp…Sp…

Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter.

“The King’s Speech” tells the story of a man compelled to speak to the world with a stammer. It must be painful enough for one who stammers to speak to another person. To face a radio microphone and know the British Empire is listening must be terrifying. At the time of the speech mentioned in this title, a quarter of the Earth’s population was in the Empire, and of course much of North America, Europe, Africa and Asia would be listening — and with particular attention, Germany.

The king was George VI. The year was 1939. Britain was entering into war with Germany. His listeners required firmness, clarity and resolve, not stammers punctuated with tortured silences. This was a man who never wanted to be king. After the death of his father, the throne was to pass to his brother Edward. But Edward renounced the throne “in order to marry the woman I love,” and the duty fell to Prince Albert, who had struggled with his speech from an early age.

In “The King’s Speech,” director Tom Hooper opens on Albert ( Colin Firth ), attempting to open the British Empire Exhibition in 1925. Before a crowded arena and a radio audience, he seizes up in agony in efforts to make the words come out right. His father, George V ( Michael Gambon ), has always considered “Bertie” superior to Edward ( Guy Pearce ), but mourns the introduction of radio and newsreels, which require a monarch to be seen and heard on public occasions.

At that 1925 speech, we see Bertie’s wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), her face filled with sympathy. As it becomes clear that Edward’s obsession with Wallis Simpson (Eve Best) is incurable, she realizes her Bertie may face more public humiliation. He sees various speech therapists, one of whom tries the old marbles-in-the-mouth routine first recommended by Demosthenes. Nothing works, and then she seeks out a failed Australian actor named Lionel Logue ( Geoffrey Rush ), who has set up a speech therapy practice.

Logue doesn’t realize at first who is consulting him. And one of the subjects of the film is Logue’s attitude toward royalty, which I suspect is not untypical of Australians; he suggests to Albert that they get on a first-name basis. Albert has been raised within the bell jar of the monarchy and objects to such treatment, not because he has an elevated opinion of himself but because, well, it just isn’t done. But Logue realizes that if he is to become the king’s therapist, he must first become his friend.

If the British monarchy is good for nothing else, it’s superb at producing the subjects of films. “The King’s Speech,” rich in period detail and meticulous class distinctions, largely sidesteps the story that loomed over this whole period, Edward’s startling decision to give up the crown to marry a woman who was already divorced three times. Indeed, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (as they became) would occupy an inexplicable volume of attention for years, considering they had no significance after the Duke’s abdication. The unsavory thing is that Wallis Simpson considered herself worthy of such a sacrifice from the man she allegedly loved. This film finds a more interesting story about better people; Americans, who aren’t always expert on British royalty, may not necessarily realize that Albert and wife Elizabeth were the parents of Queen Elizabeth II. God knows what Edward might have fathered.

Director Tom Hooper makes an interesting decision with his sets and visuals. The movie is largely shot in interiors, and most of those spaces are long and narrow. That’s unusual in historical dramas, which emphasize sweep and majesty and so on. Here we have long corridors, a deep and narrow master control room for the BBC, rooms that seem peculiarly oblong. I suspect he may be evoking the narrow, constricting walls of Albert’s throat as he struggles to get words out.

The film largely involves the actors Colin Firth, formal and decent, and Geoffrey Rush, large and expansive, in psychological struggle. Helena Bonham Carter, who can be merciless (as in the “Harry Potter” films), is here filled with mercy, tact and love for her husband; this is the woman who became the much-loved Queen Mother of our lifetimes, dying in 2002 at 101. As the men have a struggle of wills, she tries to smooth things (and raise her girls Elizabeth and Margaret). And in the wider sphere, Hitler takes power, war comes closer, Mrs. Simpson wreaks havoc, and the dreaded day approaches when Bertie, as George VI, will have to speak to the world and declare war.

Hooper’s handling of that fraught scene is masterful. Firth internalizes his tension and keeps the required stiff upper lip, but his staff and household are terrified on his behalf as he marches toward a microphone as if it is a guillotine. It is the one scene in the film that must work, and it does, and its emotional impact is surprisingly strong. At the end, what we have here is a superior historical drama and a powerful personal one. And two opposites who remain friends for the rest of their lives.

Note: The R rating refers to Logue’s use of vulgarity. It is utterly inexplicable. This is an excellent film for teenagers.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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The King's Speech

The King's Speech is a 2010 period film, directed by Tom Hooper and starring Colin Firth , Geoffrey Rush , Helena Bonham Carter and Eve Best .

The film depicts the early years of Prince Albert, Duke of York (Firth) — the man who would be King George VI of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — and his struggle with a severe speech impediment that kept him from carrying out public speaking engagements. His wife Elizabeth, Duchess of York (Bonham-Carter), enlists the services of failed Australian actor-turned-speech therapist Lionel Logue (Rush) to help her husband. Logue's unconventional methods do indeed begin to make some progress. Meanwhile, however, Prince Albert's older brother Edward VIII ( Guy Pearce ) makes a royal botch of his own marriage plans, thrusting him even further into the spotlight, even as another famous public speaker is stirring up trouble on the continent.

This film includes examples of:

• Actor Allusion : Sir Michael Gambon plays George V. He had previously played that king's father and predecessor Edward VII in The Lost Prince .
• Actually Pretty Funny : Bertie's response to his wife telling him that Wallis called her "the Fat Scottish Cook" is to remind his wife she is not fat. When his wife claims she is getting fat, he says "Well, you seldom cook." It takes a moment, but she chuckles in the end.
• Affectionate Nickname : "Bertie" for Albert. He first chafes at Lionel insisting on calling him that since it's reserved for his family, but once the two become friends as they work together, he no longer minds. Also downplayed a little bit because Bertie reveals David would sometimes use it as an insult for his stutter ("B-B-B-Bertie").
• All Girls Like Ponies : Bertie's daughters. They have a whole "stable" of stuffed horses. Truth in Television , as the future Queen Elizabeth II was an enthusiastic equestrienne.
• Always Second Best : Bertie to his father and brother. Neither has a speech impediment, to start. Subverted slightly with regards to David/Edward, as George V claimed on his bed he preferred Bertie to David and he doesn't like the idea of David on the throne dealing with the current politics. Bertie does end up doing better once Edward resigns and relinquishes the kingdom to Bertie/George VI.
• The film opens with Bertie giving the closing address at the 1925 Empire Exhibition. The BBC announcer introduces the program as "National Programme and Empire Services," two separate BBC radio services which would not be launched for at least five years.
• Following his 1934 Christmas speech, George V tells Bertie that they face grave threats with " Herr Hitler intimidating half of Europe, and Marshal Stalin the other half." In reality, Hitler consolidated power in 1934 and did not make territorial demands until a few years later, and while the Soviet Union had supported a number of revolutionary movements, by the 30s these had been abandoned, largely due to the rise of fascism, and they were focused on internal matters which culminated in the Great Purge. Moreover, Stalin did not award himself the title of "Marshal" until World War II . At the time, he would have been addressed as "Comrade Stalin," or even "Secretary Stalin," as he was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
• "Anger Is Healthy" Aesop : Invoked. As part of the speech therapy for Albert, his teacher, Lionel, realizes that the king stutters less when he's genuinely angry about somethng. So he deliberately provokes him by sitting on Saint Edward's chair and disrespecting the king.
• Angrish : Inverted, as Albert actually stutters less when he's pissed off. It becomes part of the speech therapy.
• "SHIT! AND FUCK! AND tits..."
• Wallis Simpson is not just an American divorcee, she's also sharing her favours with a used car salesman and getting roses from the German ambassador. Of course, said ambassador is Joachim von Ribbentrop, and Britain's future relations with Germany are not looking good.
• The film's timeline is heavily compressed compared to real life, turning a period of fifteen years into just a couple. For starters, the real George VI first started meeting with Logue the year before his daughter Elizabeth was born, many years before the abdication crisis, while in the film they keep the same child actress for the entire story.
• For that matter, Bertie's stutter is exaggerated for dramatic reasons. He was known to be at least a decent orator, with Logue's help, as early as 1927, when he opened Australia's parliament on behalf of his father, King George V. Though the stress of coronation did set his speech progress back.
• Logue's Bunny-Ears Lawyer traits are significantly amped up in this film. The real Logue does seem to have been an unorthodox therapist that relied a lot on humor, but there's no record that he ever swore in front of the king, called him "Bertie", sat on his throne, or subjected him to so many other shenanigans.
• The movie doesn't mention it, but Logue and Bertie were both Freemasons; one of the tenets of Freemasonry is that while worldly distinctions of rank, class, caste, religion, etc. may exist among Brothers, all Masons "meet upon the Level." This was the basis of his ability to leave his princehood outside the studio.
• George V is shown to be rather curt and impatient with Bertie, implying a basic lack of respect. The real George V, however, generally preferred Bertie to his eldest son, and during the First World War, the two had become very close when the latter (who was serving in the Navy at the time) had to spend a long time out of action because of various gastric conditions, including appendicitis and a stomach ulcer. They exchanged very fond letters to each other, and it was at this period that the king came to think so highly of Bertie.
• Edward and Bertie had three younger siblings (Mary, Henry, George, and John — the latter died a decade before the events of the movie). Mary never appears in the movie and isn't mentioned at all, while Henry and George only make a "blink and you'll miss it" appearance in the background of abdication scene. In real life, George was a personal aide-de-camp to Edward and Bertie during their respective reigns, while Bertie and Henry were very fond of each others. The original screenplay involved a conversation between Churchill and the Archbishop regarding the suitability of Henry and George as alternate kings, with them being dismissed as a Depraved Bisexual and a dimwit respectively (though in real life, Henry was the one seen as not very bright, while it was George who was rumored to be bisexual).
• George was a strong supporter of Neville Chamberlain 's appeasement policy, going so far as to breach protocol and endorse Chamberlain's policy prior to the sitting of the House of Commons (though the film doesn't really say otherwise, it only more or less skips over the 1937-1939 period). This was actually the consensus attitude for the period (which makes a great deal more sense when you remember that Britain had only just started to recover from the devastation of WWI), something most people tend to overlook in favour of just blaming Chamberlain. The film also has Stanley Baldwin resigning over misjudging Hitler, which wasn't the case; he was simply ready to retire after fifteen years as leader of the Conservative Party.
• The film also gets Churchill's position on the abdication crisis exactly backward; historically, Churchill was one of the few who was supportive of Edward, as Churchill's own mother was an American socialite, and he felt the government was overstepping its bounds by telling Edward who he could or couldn't marry — albeit Churchill's concerns in the film about Edward's Nazi sympathies were very much shared by his real-life counterpart. This was likely a case of Reality Is Unrealistic at work, as Churchill is such an iconic figure that chances are a lot of British audience members simply wouldn't have believed that he could have been on the "wrong" side of history on such an important matter, and would have accused the film-makers of giving him a Historical Villain Upgrade .
• Similarly, Churchill and King George VI are depicted as having a friendly relationship, but actually, at the period depicted in the film, George disliked and distrusted Churchill, because Churchill had been one of the most loyal defenders of Edward VIII, and had even suggested polling the people to see if they thought Edward ought to be allowed to continue as King while marrying Wallis. This didn't change until Churchill became PM, which happened after the period shown in the film: once Churchill was reporting to George on a regular basis, they became much more friendly and George came to think that he couldn't have had a better wartime prime minister.
• In real life, there was no reason why Churchill and other high ranking officials would be there during the king's speech. The writers admitted to do it on purpose due to their relevance.
• Artistic License – Politics : Stanley Baldwin is shown informing George VI that he is resigning, and that he will be succeeded by Neville Chamberlain . Technically that decision isn't Baldwin's to make, but rather George's; the most that Baldwin could do was advise George who should succeed him, and by tradition the monarch always accepts that advice, but Baldwin telling the monarch who the next PM was going to be would be seen as a serious breach of protocol. In fact, Baldwin of all people should remember this part of the process, seeing how George V selected him as Prime Minister over Lord Curzon when Bonar Law was bedridden and close to death, and thus unable to offer any advice on who should succeed him.
• As You Know : George V reminds Bertie that Edward will be king, delivered with sardonic disgust. George V : Your darling brother, the future king...
• Autopilot Artistry : Lionel proves to George that his stutter is psychological in origin by asking George to recite a passage of text while loud music is playing through headphones. George's stutter disappears entirely when he can't hear his own voice.
• Lionel's very simple statement, "I can cure your husband."
• After his accession, Elizabeth confides to Bertie that she never wanted to be a prince's consort, much less a queen, but now that they're both stuck, she intends to be a very good Queen indeed. Most historians and royal biographers would agree she succeeded.
• Bertie thinks David is joking when the latter grouses that their father George is deliberately dying at the moment most calculated to make his son's life more difficult. Then David adds, entirely seriously, "Wallis explained. She's very clever about these sorts of things."
• After George V's death, on their way to meet David and his paramour at Balmoral Castle, Elizabeth is upset to see that the staff are, on Mrs. Simpson's orders, cutting down hundred-year-old trees just to improve the view. "Who does she think she is?" Bertie reminds her that they all have to try to be nice.
• Elizabeth immediately calls out Wallis' faux-pas on her greeting Bertie and Elizabeth at Balmoral and showing them to where David is. No matter what stage of the relationship, Wallis still technically isn't royalty and David should have been the one introducing them to Wallis in accordance with Bertie and Elizabeth's position.
• Berserk Button : An Invoked Trope by Lionel on several occasions (most notably when he sits in the Coronation Chair at Westminster Abbey) as Bertie doesn't stammer when he's angry.
• Blah, Blah, Blah : While rehearsing the Coronation speech with the future king, Lionel condenses the Archbishop's words down to "rubbish, rubbish, rubbish..."
• Blatant Lies : George V seems less appalled by his son David's affair with a married woman than the fact that David can look his father straight in the eye and swear up and down that they've never had "immoral relations" .
• George's uniform — full regalia — at his accession council.
• Later he's seen in his actual naval uniform from World War I , which is quite understated by comparison, but still sharp.
• Bowdlerization : In order to maximize the film's profits, the film - an Oscar-winning feature - was re-released in the United States with some content cut out to avoid an R rating. The recut film, released in theaters around and after the Oscars, had the PG-13 rating attached to it. (See Cluster F Bomb, below, for most of what got cut.) note  Critics and film buffs alike were not happy with these cuts - or even the initial R rating. Both situations were chiefly the result of the MPAA's refusal to give the original cut a PG-13 rating, despite other countries/regions giving the film their equivalent of the PG or PG-13 rating. When the film was shown uncut at the LA Film School, that scene was wildly applauded.
• Brick Joke : The shilling. The first therapy session has Lionel bet a shilling, and much later, when the Bertie and Lionel make amends after their falling-out, Bertie returns the shilling.
• British Stuffiness : Bertie is an uptight and proper man, to put it mildly. Arguably, the movie presents British Stuffiness itself as one of the causes of his speech disorder.
• Buffy Speak : Edward refers to his general gadding about as "king-ing."
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer : Lionel Logue. His methods are noted to be unorthodox and controversial. Hell, it turns out he's not even accredited or trained — he just happened to be excellent at treating people with speech disorders when people kept asking him to treat Shell-Shocked Veterans from the Great War . As he points out, there weren't any schools then, just thousands of wounded veterans who needed his help. No wonder his treatment was so effective. note  This is mainly In-Universe. To his contemporaries, Logue's methods would have seemed bizarre or foolish, but to a modern audience they seem fairly straightforward. At the time, it seems, no-one except Logue would admit that psychology was involved in a speech disorder and by modern standards, the only other speech therapist that we see looks like a total quack.
• Derek Jacobi 's (Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury) presence is a Shout-Out to I, Claudius , which is about another stuttering monarch who succeeded to the throne unexpectedly, and it might also allude to him being Brother Cadfael . The former is explicitly pointed out in behind-the-scenes features.
• Myrtle Logue is played by Jennifer Ehle, who was Firth's love interest in the series that made him a heartthrob. Although this movie only gives her and Firth a single scene together, they make a big deal out of it.
• And then there's David Bamber's blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance as the amateur dramatics director who rejects Logue. David Bamber is probably best known for playing Cicero on Rome , yet another statesman with a speech impediment. He also appeared as creepy parson Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice (1995) with Firth and Ehle. And he additionally played Hitler in Valkyrie .
• When Logue and Elizabeth meet for the first time: Logue: Maybe he should change jobs. Elizabeth ( incognito ): He can't . Logue: Indentured servitude? Elizabeth (Incognito): Something of that nature.
• Soon after he learns he's to be king: Albert: I'm just a naval officer! It's all I know how to be...
• At his Accession Council, Bertie is struggling with his speech to the Privy Councillor, and he looks above their heads to a large portrait of Queen Victoria. Then around at all the other monarchs' portraits looking down at him, finishing with his own father.
• Chekhov's Armoury : Albert breaks out nearly every trick Lionel teaches him during the last rehearsal scene (swearing, singing, etc).
• When Lionel tries get Albert to bring up a topic to talk about, the latter responds: "Waiting for me to... commence a conversation, one can wait rather a long wait." Later, when Albert returns to apologize to Lionel , he tells him: "Waiting for a king to apologize , one can wait a long wait."
• One of the things that Logue finds out is that Bertie speaks clearer if angry or swearing; cue the Cluster F-Bomb described below as Logue convinces Bertie to actually use profanity to his advantage. In the rehearsal for the first wartime speech, Bertie is heard every once in a while dropping a particularly loud F-bomb while also dancing around. In the actual wartime speech where Bertie's live on the radio, both Logue and Bertie are seen mouthing F-bombs; Logue to remind Bertie of the trick and Bertie to keep his pacing.
• Cigarette of Anxiety : Bertie tries to have a cigarette after a particularly bad session with a speech therapist. His hands are shaking too much, though, and his wife lights it for him. He lights up again (despite Lionel trying to discourage him from the habit) after his argument with Lionel in the park.
• Clock Discrepancy : When Bertie comes to tell David that he is late for dinner, David reminds him that their father ordered all the clocks set fast and winds the hands back on a mantle clock by half an hour. According to royal biographers, this is Truth in Television .
• Cluster F-Bomb : A single scene features Albert swearing at length. "Fuck. FUCK! Fuck, fuck, fuck AND FUCK! Fuck, fuck AND BUGGER! Bugger, bugger, BUGGERTY BUGGERTY BUGGERTY, shit, shit, ARSE! Balls, balls, FUCKITY, shit, shit, FUCK AND WILLY. WILLY, SHIT AND FUCK AND tits ."
• Commonality Connection : Before the climactic speech, Bertie is surprised to learn that the famously erudite and powerful orator Winston Churchill both hates talking on the radio and suffered a childhood speech impediment himself.
• Daddy's Girl : The King has two adorable little girls, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, and he makes it very clear how much he loves them. A charming case of Truth in Television .
• Dark Horse Sibling : Nobody expects much of Prince Albert because of his shy personality and severe stutter, but when his older brother Edward abdicates the throne, he becomes King George VI of England.
• Dead Air : Most notably in the first speech shown where he stood there for over two minutes trying to talk into the microphone without being able to get anything out. Even after that, he's still stammering and pausing as everyone looks on in shame and embarrassment.
• Good ol' Lionel. Lionel: [as George "Bertie" is lighting up a cigarette] Please don't do that. Albert: I'm sorry? Lionel Logue: I believe sucking smoke into your lungs will kill you. Albert: My physicians say it relaxes the throat. Lionel Logue: They're idiots. Albert: They've all been knighted. Lionel Logue: Makes it official then.
• Bertie is pretty good at this himself. Lionel Logue: Surely a prince's brain knows what its mouth is doing? Albert: You're not well acquainted with princes, are you?
• When Lionel forbids Prince Albert from smoking in his office, he calls the knighted doctors who recommended the prince to smoke for the good of his larynx "idiots". However, back in The Roaring '20s , that makes Logue an eccentric while modern audiences would know that a doctor giving such an advice is practically grounds for medical malpractice. This also makes sense once we remember that Logue had worked with plenty of WWI veterans and had seen the effects of gassing on young men. Bertie in turn was a turret captain on one of the Royal Navy battleships at the same war, and cordite smoke actually does even worse things to a human lungs than tobacco, but even this taught him nothing. He still smoked like a chimney to the very end.
• The disregard many characters have toward Logue's psychoanalysis seems ludicrous today. However, psychiatric treatment was still in its infancy, and speech problems were not thought to be solvable through psychological treatment.
• Also, the idea of Parliament making a big enough deal objecting to King Edward's wanting to marry his twice-divorced girlfriend to resign en masse over it seems an overreaction to a modern audience, but the fact that she was believed to be a German spy kind of justifies their threat. Not to mention, the King of England is also the formal head of the Church of England, a church that at the time did not recognize this kind of divorce as legitimate, and so his intention to marry a twice-divorced woman was in direct contradiction to the church's doctrine. It seems silly from a modern perspective to make such a fuss over a divorce, but the king is not merely a head of state. For a modern comparison, consider what would happen if a newly elected pope came out of the closet. Also, part of the problem was that the Church of England only approved of remarriage after divorce if the other person had died in the meantime, making it the same as if a widow/er was remarrying. Wallis was still married/going through the divorce process with her very much alive second husband, thereby not fulfilling the 'widow' part of it.
• Edward VIII was widely (and not without some basis) believed to be a Nazi sympathizer. It was actually quite a popular position at the time. Additionally, his Heroic BSoD upon the death of George V is treated by the other characters as an unseemly outburst which proves he doesn't have the temperament to be king, rather than an understandable reaction to the death of a parent.
• Not to mention several characters making vaguely xenophobic jibes against Logue's Australian background. At the time, settlers of British colonies were seen by metropolitan Englishmen as a lesser class of people.
• Did I Just Say That Out Loud? : Bertie has several such moments in the film, when he is stunned to realize that Logue's methods have helped him overcome his stammer.
• Dissonant Serenity : Invoked by Logue. Logue's more even temper contrasts with Bertie/King George's explosive one during any of their arguments or disagreements. Usually, all it takes for Bertie to calm down is Logue saying, calmly, the right thing to help Bertie see his position.
• Don't Call Me "Sir" : Lionel Logue is insistent with future King George VI to call him "Lionel" and not "Doctor" and it turns out to be justified: Lionel is not a doctor, by any means, and if you check carefully, he has never once claimed that he was. He became a therapist by dint of helping PTSD-inflicted veterans of World War I in Australia. Albert is furious at first, but grows to accept it .
• Doting Parent : One of Albert's most admirable traits. After his accession to the throne, it broke his heart that his beloved little girls did not run to hug him as a father, but coldly and formally curtsied to him as a King.
• Double-Meaning Title : Referring to the publicly-important speech George VI delivers at the end, or to his personally-important speech , his way of speaking?
• Dramatically Missing the Point : Albert criticizes his brother Edward, who is heir to the throne, of acting unbecoming of the King of England. Edward thus accuses his brother of trying to take his place as king when what he was really trying to do was telling him to get his act together specifically because Albert didn't want to be king.
• Dropping the Bombshell : "And what if my husband were the Duke of York?" Cue Oh, Crap! look when Lionel Logue finally recognises that he's talking to the Duchess of York.
• The Dutiful Son : Comparatively rare instance where the dutiful son is the main character.
• Elmer Fudd Syndrome : In addition to his stutter, Bertie can't pronounce the letter "r". This was Truth in Television . King George VI : In this gwave hour, perhaps the most fatefuw, in ower histowy...
• Empathic Environment : The weather is mostly dull, overcast, or muted colors throughout the film, except for the last scene when Bertie/King George VI steps out to see the crowds gathered outside applauding his wartime speech. It's the only time the sun is shining without clouds, and the most triumphant moment of the film.
• Establishing Character Moment : Bertie accedes to his daughters’ request to tell them a bedtime story. Someone as terrified of public speaking as he is might try to pass the duty to his wife, but the thought never crosses his mind. It's not that his stammer disappears when he's speaking in private - it's still there, albeit much better - it's that he loves his family so much that, unlike public addresses, he doesn't let his stammer stop him from showing them affection.
• Every Proper Lady Should Curtsy : When Bertie first meets his daughters after he became King, they formally curtsy to him, which depresses Bertie, who would much rather they had run and hugged him like they always do.
• Exact Words : Throughout the film, Bertie attempts to keep things formal by calling Lionel "Doctor Logue," while Lionel insists on a first-name basis . Later, the king is told that Lionel actually has no certificates or qualifications at all. He's mortified and furious, until Lionel gently points out that Bertie was the one who insisted on calling him "Doctor" and that Lionel has never advertised himself as such.
• Edward's casual comment about the troubles in Europe, "Hitler will sort it out." note  Bertie's response is a prescient "Yes, and who'll sort out Herr Hitler?" While it could be considered merely naive, to modern audiences, that statement feels positively horrific and despicable to see the King of England want Nazi Germany to begin its rampage of mass death and destruction. Sadly enough, this is actually a favorable portrayal - in real life, Edward was a vocal supporter of Nazi Germany, guesting with Hitler multiple times, to the point that he had to be Kicked Upstairs to Governor of the Bahamas because the British government was that worried their once-king would try and sabotage the war effort.
• Logue's comment to Bertie about how smoking will kill you. George VI continued smoking and died from lung cancer in 1952.
• Fantasy-Forbidding Father : Bertie mentions that he always wanted to build models as a child, but his father collected stamps as a hobby, so they had to collect stamps.
• Foil : While he only appears in some Stock Footage late in the film, Adolf Hitler is this to George VI. They're both heads of European states, but George is a poor public speaker whose role is largely ceremonial, but nonetheless cares deeply for the common man, even if he's not always the best at showing it. By contrast, Hitler was the absolute ruler of his country, and a famously magnetic speaker who was able to create a cult of personality around himself, but when it came down to it, merely saw the people he claimed to love and serve as nothing more than tools to serve his own ends, evidenced to brutal effect during the eventual fall of Nazi regime.
• Foreshadowing : At Lionel's audition for Richard III (paraphrased): "That does not sound like a deformed creature yearning to be king. [...] We're looking for someone younger... and more regal." The words he speaks are also meaningful, mentioning the "son of York". Bertie is, after all, the Duke of York.
• Friendly Address Privileges : Zigzagged. From the very beginning, Lionel insists on going by first-name basis, which the Duke refuses. Later on, though, as they bond, he seems not to mind "Bertie" any more, though he keeps calling Lionel "Logue" or "Doctor". At the end, in a Friendship Moment , the King finally addresses Lionel as "Lionel", while Lionel calls him "Your Majesty".
• Friendship Moment : Bertie tells the Archbishop to seat Lionel in the King's box for the coronation. The Archbishop protests that the royal family is to be seated there. Bertie's response? "That is why it is suitable."
• Genteel Interbellum Setting : Pretty much all of the movie takes place in this, though you don't see a lot of the tropes commonly associated with it. Worth noting is that the movie ends right as this era ends, with Britain officially entering World War II .
• Gray Rain of Depression : Lionel comes to apologize to Albert after an argument and is told that the Duke is "too busy" to see him. He is shown the door and exits into the pouring rain. The aforementioned argument takes place in a light drizzle and a hazy fog with some sunlight.
• Hair-Trigger Temper : Bertie is a downplayed example. He's generally controlled and rather stiff, but it doesn't take much to make him explode. This was Truth in Television : unlike his father and elder brother, but like his grandfather Edward VII, he was prone to outbursts of rage.
• Happily Married : George VI and Queen Elizabeth; Lionel and Myrtle Logue. Also, though we don't see much of it, George V and Mary fit the trope in real life. For that matter, despite everyone calling David out for marrying her in the first place, David's marriage to Wallis Simpson was a long and happy one, too.
• Hard-Work Montage : The speech therapy exercises. Over a few years, Bertie and Lionel engage in exercises to help with his speech impediment while Elizabeth observes, intercut with a of Bertie trying to address a public audience. Downplayed because Bertie is insistent his impediment is a physical problem while Logue has already sorted out it's more psychological, thus a Hope Spot moment in the middle of the montage where it seems like it's working only for it to fail because Logue's assumption is more to the actual problem.
• Head-in-the-Sand Management : David, a.k.a. King Edward VIII: David: Don't worry, Herr Hitler will sort it out. Albert: [impatiently] Yes, and who'll "sort out" Herr Hitler?!
• Historical Beauty Update : Colin Firth and Guy Pearce as the brothers George VI and Edward VIII, for starters (the originals were certainly not ugly; Edward VIII, in particular, was quite the ladies' man ).
• Historical Domain Character : Everyone, obviously.
• Many historians suspect that the Marburg Files- correspondence from Edward VIII to Nazi high command, recovered from the collapsing Third Reich- show Edward encouraging the Nazis to keep bombing Britain because they'll surrender soon. Meaning Edward didn't just sympathize with the Nazis, he turned traitor for them.
• Hollywood History : The producers did take a few liberties with historical fact.
• Hope Spot : The "training montage" where Logue is teaching Bertie through mechanics exercises is contrasted with a speech for the opening of an industrial plant. The first couple of cuts to the speech show Bertie implementing the techniques Logue teaches him and he starts out well, but the further into the montage, the worse Bertie's speech gets until he's reduced to the same state as the beginning of the film.
• Logue encourages Bertie to face his fears, only to hide in the corner when his wife unexpectedly walks in on the Queen, because he never told her he was treating a member of the royal family. Bertie tells him to stop being a coward and calmly steps out and greets Myrtle.
• Logue disparages the knighted experts that Bertie has already consulted as officially-acknowledged idiots, but later half-jokingly asks for a knighthood himself.
• I'll Take That as a Compliment : "Peculiar" is meant as an insult, but Logue seems to be genuinely proud of his nontraditional approach.
• I Need a Freaking Drink : Bertie has 'something stronger' than tea after his father dies.
• Insane Troll Logic : Edward VIII seems to operate on this. First, he thinks his father is deliberately feigning sick (i.e. dying) to make trouble for him and his mistress Wallis Simpson. He later thinks that Bertie's attempts to get him to actually do his duty are an attempt to take the crown from him.
• I Resemble That Remark! : When Lionel won't go into the kitchen when his wife unexpectedly walks in on Queen Elizabeth, since she doesn't know he's treating a member of the royal family (see Hypocritical Humor above), Bertie says, "You're being a coward, Logue", to which Lionel replies, "Yes."
• It's All About Me : David/King Edward VIII. His introduction has him voicing the opinion that his father is purposefully dying to make things difficult for him. He doesn't improve as the film goes on.
• Jerkass : King Edward VIII, from what we see of him, is very rude towards Albert and more concerned with living the high life than with being a guiding voice for England. Also, he and Wallis were a pair of Nazi sympathizers, though the film only hints at this.
• Jerkass Has a Point : King George V's speech to Bertie after the Christmas address. He's stern and rather tough on Bertie but is very cognizant and aware of David's shirking off, Wallis' disposition, and national affairs including Hitler and Stalin's designs.
• King Edward is a borderline example, as he truly does love Wallis, and his speech for his abdication is touching. Abdicating to his brother was probably the best thing he ever did.
• King George V: Bertie's speech problems are at least partly result of his abusive, controlling behavior, but he is genuinely concerned for the future of his nation and recognizes Bertie's character and bravery on his deathbed (though he never tells him so.)
• Kick the Dog : The entire party at Balmoral Castle is an extended Kick the Dog on Edward's part, with a dose of Big Brother Bully to make things worse. He starts it by showing how lightly he takes to his duties as king, follows it by showing apathy toward Hitler's rising influence, and tops it all off by mocking Albert for his speech impediment just for daring to suggest he take leadership duties more seriously, to such an extent that Albert is unable to speak.
• King Incognito : Elizabeth makes her first visit to Logue under an assumed name, and only reveals her and her husband's identity to get Logue to understand the gravity of the situation. Logue is quite naturally taken aback.
• Kingmaker Scenario : Invoked; when Bertie reveals the Wallis Simpson scandal, Lionel pushes him to facing the fact that he might have to step up and become King. Bertie is furious, accuses him of treason and overstepping his bounds, and refuses to meet with Lionel until after his brother's abdication.
• Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill (though Churchill was one too );
• Last-Second Word Swap : Just before the Cluster F-Bomb drops: Logue: Do you know the F-word? Bertie: F... f... fornication? Logue: Oh, Bertie.
• Lonely at the Top : Bertie, until Lionel offers himself as confidant and friend. Lionel: What are friends for? Bertie: I wouldn't know.
• Love Ruins the Realm : Edward VIII's marriage plans cause his subjects no end of trouble. Most historians, however, think that this had the silver lining of allowing George VI to ascend, a much better choice for the throne in their opinion (his father agreed), given what was coming - though it wasn't so great for George himself, greatly exacerbating his health problems.
• Meaningful Echo : "I'm sure you'll be splendid." Uttered first by the Archbishop, and then Myrtle Logue, and then finally at the end by the Late Queen Mother. Then Princess Margaret tells her father that he was "just splendid."
• Albert gets one of these when he becomes King George VI. David also changes his name when he becomes king although it's not as meaningful and happens off screen.
• For David/Edward, it's more of a case of Overly Long Name . David (full name Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David Windsor), chose his first name as his regnal name, but went by David among his family.
• Might Makes Right : Bertie, in his first wartime speech, describing Nazism as "stripped of all disguise, is surely the mere primitive doctrine that might is right."
• Mouthing the Profanity : In the climax, Lionel encourages Bertie to swear in order to get him to overcome his stutter for the speech. Since doing so live on air would be disastrous, they both mouth the words instead.
• Mr. Smith : The Duchess of York first goes to meet Lionel under the alias of Mrs Johnson, causing him to commit a number of unconscious faux pas before she reveals she's a member of the royal family . Johnson was the cover name used by the Duke of York when he was a serving naval officer during World War I .
• Never Trust a Trailer : The film's trailer, to convey the premise as concisely as possible, refers to Colin Firth's character as the King throughout (when in fact he spends a large part of the film as merely the Duke of York), even going so far as to redub the moment when Logue is informed who his new client really is.
• For extra context in how minor David actually is, it's also notable in that his speech is very much a Graceful Loser variety and, despite his earlier putting-down, concedes his abdication with nothing but well-wishes for George VI.
• George VI himself. He's a nice guy, but he's still a man of his time — and the 1920s was a time when white Australians are still looked down upon as descendants of prisoners (even though by this time they are now far outnumbered by immigrants, and Lionel himself descended from an Irish brewer who moved in 1850). Lionel: Would I lie to a prince of the realm to win twelve pennies? Albert: I have no idea what an Australian might do for that sort of money.
• Prime Minister Baldwin, reporting on Wallis Simpson's activities to the King: "it's not that she's an American, that's the least of it..." It may be the least of it, but it really shouldn't be anything at all.
• No Sense of Personal Space : Lionel violates the 'don't touch royals' rule, when he first meets 'Mrs Johnson', causing her to take a step backwards, and when he lays a hand on Bertie's shoulder in the park scene, causing Bertie to lose his temper. However Bertie lays his hand on Lionel's shoulder in a Friendship Moment at the end of the movie.
• Odd Friendship : Pretty much the whole point of the movie. Promotional materials even played up the unique friendship of the Duke of York and an Australian-born commoner.
• An Offer You Can't Refuse : The Duchess of York in her initial meeting with Lionel. Lionel: Am I considered the enemy? Elizabeth: You will be, if you remain unobliging.
• Only Sane Woman : Elizabeth. It's shown as early as the first scene with the speech therapist as she points out his very antiquated methods, then contrasts immediately with both calmness to Bertie's spontaneous temper and chill but accepting incredulity to Logue's eccentric ham. It's no wonder that Bertie frequently goes to her if he's having a problem as she can usually take and temper his emotions. Also, unusually for a Helena Bonham-Carter character, she has little of the true ham many of the other major characters do (and minor; Timothy Spall's Churchill chews the scenery more often than her).
• Oscar Bait : Fits the stereotype, though, as many commentators have noted, it's actually uncommon for this sort of film to win Best Picture since the 2000s (whereas it was very popular in the 1990s). It won for Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay.
• Overt Rendezvous : Rather than discuss the matter in Lionel's office, Bertie takes him out for a walk in the park (despite it being a cold and foggy day) to reveal the impending scandal about Wallis Simpson.
• Performance Anxiety : Poor Albert has a crippling fear of public speaking, entirely justified both because he's naturally shy and because his stammer makes it nearly impossible for him to do at all. Extremely unfortunately, making important speeches happens to be one of his most essential job duties, and there's no way out of it.
• Porky Pig Pronunciation : King George VI has a stutter, true to his real life counterpart .
• The Power of Friendship : The friendship between Albert and Lionel was strong enough to help Albert gain self-confidence and break the normal social barriers to keep Lionel as his friend, even though Lionel was a commoner.
• Really Gets Around : Wallis Simpson, David's mistress. According to the Prime Minister, Scotland Yard has investigated and confirmed that she is "sharing her favors" between David and a used-car salesman. More troubling is the fact that the German ambassador, Ribbentrop, sends her flowers every day - either he is also partaking of her favors, or he believes that flattering her is the best way to get David, and England, on Germany’s side. Or both.
• Reluctant Ruler : Prince Albert/King George VI. He never wanted the throne, but seeing his wastrel brother screw up and abdicate for a twice-divorced, Nazi-sympathizer girlfriend, he has no choice in the matter. Likewise, Edward (who is more of the Rebel Prince variety) completely breaks down when he is told that he will be king.
• Royally Screwed Up : George VI and Edward VIII both have a dose of this, thanks to their abusive father and distant mother . The former's speech impediment and nervousness is the result of his unhappy childhood, and it's heavily implied that the latter's weak-will and hedonism is likewise a result of that upbringing.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something : George VI complains that he has no power as a King, except as being an inspiration for the people such as in giving public addresses, which he has no confidence in doing because of his stammer. However, with Lionel Logue's help, he does that role marvelously. This is in contrast with his brother, David, who seems more interested in carrying on with his mistress than being a competent king. Furthermore, Bertie earned the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy , and even saw combat during World War I . The uniform he wears during the final speech is just that, the uniform he wore in the last war.
• Self-Deprecation : Thankfully, Bertie isn't too depressed about his problems to not make fun of them. Lionel : Do you know any jokes? Bertie : T-..timing is n-not...my strong suit.
• Serial Homewrecker : According to his father, Edward VIII has this reputation of carrying on with married women. George V : Your darling brother, the future king. The only wife he appears interested in invariably the wife of another.
• Serious Business : The BBC newscaster at the very beginning approaches his duties with an almost comical degree of seriousness. Apparently he prepares for each broadcast by performing vocal exercises and gargling...something...from a cut-glass decanter which is presented to him on a platter by a servant.
• Sherlock Scan : Of sorts. Logue's children are able to tell what Shakespeare character he's playing with a single line of dialogue.
• Lionel auditioning for Richard III . Cut to Bertie (see Foreshadowing ).
• Lionel gets Bertie to read from Hamlet , "Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer. The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune, Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them?" Bertie facing his fears and condition is a theme of the film. Likewise Lionel gives the "be not afraid" speech from The Tempest .
• Albert's line about purposely stammering a couple times in the climactic speech "so they'd know it was me" was taken directly out of his diaries.
• The movie was changed only nine weeks before production to work details from Lionel Logue's then-recently discovered diary in.
• The crew went out of their way to show a grey, dingy London and "lived in" housing, contrary to period pieces usually looking somewhat soft
• Shrinking Violet : Albert, whose stammer has made him deathly afraid of having to deal with crowds or public speeches.
• David has a lover (who has been twice divorced and a Nazi sympathizer), despite his family's disapproval. Albert is Happily Married .
• After his father's death and was told he would be king, David's breakdown in front of his family and the doctors was taken seriously as royalty was expected to have a Stiff Upper Lip . Albert only broke down once in front of his wife in private while otherwise remaining The Stoic in front of his subjects.
• During his rule, David was very carefree and more focused in pleasing Wallis Simpson, even telling Albert that "Hitler will sort [the troubles in Europe] out". After he became king, Albert would become the guiding figure for his people during World War II .
• David was a bit of a Jerkass , mocking his brother's stuttering and thinking Albert wanted to take over his place, while Albert was only trying to genuinely help his brother get his act together because he didn't want to be king.
• Albert was a naval officer, while David is at least an amateur pilot.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts : In-Universe , David and Wallis. The rest of the royal family is visibly disgusted.
• Sir Swears-a-Lot : Albert himself, used as a form of stress relief that allows him to speak more fluidly.
• Socialite : Wallis Simpson's exact job title before becoming the Duchess of Windsor.
• Somebody Else's Problem : Edward VIII's attitude toward rising tensions in Europe. The "somebody" in question? Adolf Hitler .
• So Proud of You : The look on the former Queen's face when Albert gives the final speech.
• Spare to the Throne : Albert never seriously expects to become King himself... until he does.
• Spartan Sibling : When Bertie was younger, his father encouraged his brother to make fun of his stammer because he was convinced this would make it go away.
• Speech-Centric Work : Well, it is a film all about speech therapy.
• Speech Impediment : Albert has one, and overcoming it is the film's main premise.
• Stiff Upper Lip : This is expected of royalty in particular, so much so that when Edward breaks down at the death of his father, rather than comfort him everyone looks shocked and a little embarrassed, with Albert saying, "What on earth was that?" Absolutely truth in television, too - at that time, among the royal family, his breakdown was completely unseemly. Note that when Bertie has his later on, the only person there to witness it is his wife. Also when Queen Mary is listening to King George VI, there is a glimpse of a smile, and then returns to a stiff upper lip. Upon accession to the throne Bertie did have a breakdown in real life, it was in front of the Queen Dowager (Queen Mary, his mother), not his wife.
• Stutter Stop : Logue discovers that Bertie's speech impediment is reduced when he is singing, or swearing, or just very angry.
• Creator Career Self-Deprecation : This is a line of dialogue spoken by actors in a movie.
• Taught by Experience : Lionel became a speech therapist by treating shell-shocked World War I veterans and learning on the job; no courses existed then and he had to make it up as he went along.
• That Came Out Wrong : When Lionel's wife comes home unexpectedly while he's meeting with the King, and he panics about her reaction. "I haven't told her about us."
• There Are No Therapists : Or rather, there were none. Lionel cut his therapeutic teeth treating the speech disorders of shell-shocked World War I veterans , and quickly figured out that what they needed most desperately was a friendly ear. And as it turns out, Bertie had never had anyone to tell about the miserable childhood that fostered his stutter, including the fact that it took his parents three years to notice that the nanny was starving him. note  Unfortunately Truth in Television , although she had an unhealthy attachment to David and it was him , not Bertie, whom she would pinch before taking him to see his parents, so he'd be given back to her. Bertie she simply gave bottles to under rough conditions, leading to his lifelong very poor digestion.
• Queen Elizabeth lets Mrs. Logue know how to address her and points out it's "Ma'am" as in "ham", not "Malm" as in "palm" when addressing her.
• Invoked by Prince Albert to Lionel to call him "His Royal Highness". Defied by Lionel, who calls him "Bertie" instead.
• This Is Gonna Suck : During the opening scene, shots can be seen of various dignitaries and people in the crowd realising exactly what they're in for during Bertie's agonising attempt at delivering the closing address.
• This Is My Chair : Lionel riles George up by having the audacity to sit in St Edward's Chair, which is meant only for monarchs when they are being crowned. And not just sitting on it, but lying on it sideways like it was a lounge chair.
• Throw It In : In-Universe . After George's speech at the end, Lionel says that he still stammered on the W. George replies that he had to throw in a few so that the people knew it was still him.
• Title Drop : Right before the last scene, in reference to the first wartime speech by Bertie (now George VI).
• Training Montage : Numerous reviews have compared the film to a sports movie like Rocky , except the sport is public speaking. Oddly enough, there's only two such montages in here. Director Tom Hooper had to be pushed to insert them by Geoffrey Rush, as he doesn't like the montage as a film device in the least. The first such sequence may be an Anti -training montage; Albert goes through a ton of humiliating exercises, juxtaposed with his latest speech in which he still sounds horrid. Of course, that's exactly what Lionel wants , since his point is that mechanics alone won't fix Albert.
• Trickster Mentor : Logue. At some points, he flouts social mores and deliberately riles Bertie up to make a point. The pivotal scene where Bertie expresses himself without trouble started with Lionel lounging in St Edward's chair.
• Uncertified Expert : Bertie always refers to Logue as "Doctor" (despite Logue trying to get him to call him "Lionel") until he learns that Logue isn't actually a doctor. He's furious at the deception, although Logue points out he never referred to himself as a doctor, he's just used to helping people with speech problems.
• The Unfavorite : Albert was this as a child, as both his father and his nanny preferred his brother (at first, anyway.) His stuttering didn't help very much.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy : George V was a bit of a Jerkass to his kids when they were young, leaving them feeling a bit alienated from him. Unlike most instances of this, by the time the story takes place, George V actually does approve of the adult Albert/George VI (though still frustrated by his speech problems), certainly compared to his older brother, but past experiences mean that Albert doesn't think he's sincere. In real life he expressed preference for Albert and his daughter Elizabeth (who was 9 years old at the time) over Edward for the throne toward the end of his life. His exact words were, "I pray to God that my eldest son will never marry and have children, and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne." George V's last words were acknowledgments of Bertie as superior to his brother, which he never actually told Bertie.
• What Happened to the Mouse? : During the film we see several speeches of Albert where he just can't get the words out. Then it cuts to the next scene. What happened? Did he give the speech? Did he just leave? Did he just stand there for 20 minutes?
• "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue : A very short one that notes Bertie and Lionel remained friends for the rest of their lives.
• The Wicked Stage : King George V remarks on this when discussing the importance of radio with Bertie after giving his 1934 Christmas address. The king tells Bertie to try reading the speech himself, and when Bertie refuses, he replies: "This devilish device will change everything if you don't. In the past, all a king had to do was look respectable in uniform and not fall off his horse. Now we must invade people's homes and ingratiate ourselves with them. This family's been reduced to those lowest, basest of all creatures. We've become actors ."
• Young Future Famous People : George VI's daughter Elizabeth definitely counts. While she's mostly a background character during the film, her eventual ascendance is highlighted when Lionel tells Albert that if he takes the throne Elizabeth will become Queen. Albert, who is in firm "I don't want to be king" mode right now, tells him to put such silly thoughts out of his head .

Lionel : Forget everything else, and just say it to me.

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Bertie discovers that profanity stops his stammer.

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