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The King's Speech

The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer. The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer. The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.

David Seidler
Colin Firth
Geoffrey Rush
Helena Bonham Carter
827 User reviews
486 Critic reviews
88 Metascore
108 wins & 206 nominations total

The King's Speech: International Trailer

King George VI

Lionel Logue

Queen Elizabeth

Archbishop Cosmo Lang

Private Secretary

BBC Radio Announcer

Robert Wood

BBC Technician

Dr. Blandine Bentham

Laurie Logue

Myrtle Logue

Valentine Logue
Anthony Logue

Princess Elizabeth

Princess Margaret

Theatre Director
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Trivia Nine weeks before filming began, Lionel Logue's grandson, Mark Logue , discovered a large box in his attic that contained his grandfather's personal papers. The box held Lionel Logue's diary, his appointment book, notes from his speech therapy sessions with King George VI , and over 100 personal letters to Logue from the King. It also contained what is believed to be the actual copy of the speech used by George VI in his 1939 radio broadcast announcing the declaration of war with Germany. Mark Logue turned his grandfather's papers, letters, and diary over to director Tom Hooper and screenwriter David Seidler , who used them to flesh out the relationship between Logue and the King. Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth also read through the material for insight into their characters. The exchange in this movie between Logue and King George VI following his radio speech ("You still stammered on the 'W'." / "Well, I had to throw in a few so they knew it was me.") was taken directly from Logue's diary. Firth insisted that it should be included in the movie.
Goofs In the final speech, King George VI has one blue eye and one brown eye. Colin Firth had lost a contact lens.

King George VI : All that... work... down the drain. My own... b... brother, I couldn't say a single w-word to him in reply.

Lionel Logue : Why do you stammer so much more with David than you ever do with me?

King George VI : 'Cos you're b... bloody well paid to listen.

Lionel Logue : Bertie, I'm not a geisha girl.

King George VI : Stop trying to be so bloody clever.

Lionel Logue : What is it about David that stops you speaking?

King George VI : What is it about you that bloody well makes you want to go on about it the whole bloody time?

Lionel Logue : Vulgar, but fluent; you don't stammer when you swear.

King George VI : Oh, bugger off!

Lionel Logue : Is that the best you can do?

King George VI : [like an elocution lesson] Well... bloody bugger to you, you beastly bastard.

Lionel Logue : Oh, a public school prig could do better than that.

King George VI : Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

Lionel Logue : Yes!

King George VI : Shit!

Lionel Logue : Defecation flows trippingly from the tongue!

King George VI : Because I'm angry!

Lionel Logue : Do you know the f-word?

King George VI : F... f... fornication?

Lionel Logue : Oh, Bertie.

King George VI : Fuck. Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck and fuck! Fuck, fuck and bugger! Bugger, bugger, buggerty buggerty buggerty, fuck, fuck, arse!

Lionel Logue : Yes...

King George VI : Balls, balls...

Lionel Logue : ...you see, not a hesitation!

King George VI : ...fuckity, shit, shit, fuck and willy. Willy, shit and fuck and... tits.

Crazy credits In the end credit roll, Philip Clements is listed twice as Assistant Sound Editor.
Connections Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 22 October 2010 (2010)
Soundtracks Le nozze di Figaro Overture Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart [During the first therapy session when King's voice is being recorded]

User reviews 827

Jan 2, 2011
Just what time frame are we talking about here?
What causes Bertie's stammer?
Why couldn't King Edward marry Wallis Simpson?
December 25, 2010 (United States)
United States
United Kingdom
Official Site
Nhà Vua Nói Lắp
Elland Road Football Stadium, Elland Road, Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK (as Wembley Stadium at start of film)
The Weinstein Company
UK Film Council
Momentum Pictures
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$15,000,000 (estimated)
$138,797,449
Nov 28, 2010
$484,068,861

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 58 minutes
Dolby Digital

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The King’s Speech

Perhaps you have seen the Oscar winning film, now you can view the original transcript of the King’s Speech, which was sent to Scotland Yard in 1939, announcing that Britain was going to war…

Ben Johnson

Perhaps you have seen the award winning film – which was nominated for 12 Oscars – now you can view the original transcript of the King’s Speech, which was sent to Scotland Yard in 1939, announcing that Britain was going to war.

The transcript – which was broadcast to the nation on 3 September 1939 – can be viewed free at the Metropolitan Police’ Historical Collection – along with hundreds of other documents, artefacts and images detailing the history of policing since 1829.

The King’s Speech – starring Colin Firth – tells the inspiring story of George VI who overcomes his stammer as he reluctantly takes the throne when his brother, Edward VIII abdicates in 1936 over his plans to marry twice divorced Wallis Simpson.

A series of announcements by the King and Prime Minister were broadcast to the country asking police for their help in getting people to follow air raid precautions and wear gas masks. A war cabinet was also formed and people were asked to stand firm and resolute in the battle ahead.

In his first speech, on 3 September 1939 , King George VI said: “In this grave hour, perhaps the most fateful in our history, for the second time in the lives of most of us we are at war. Over and over again we have tried to find a peaceful way out of the differences between ourselves and those who are now our enemies. But it has been in vain. The task will be hard. There may be dark days ahead and war is no longer confined to the battlefield.”

The new king quickly won the respect of his ministers and his people and his hard work and conscientious manner eventually brought him respect in his war torn country.

Neil Paterson, Manager of the Historical Collection said: “The Met is in such a unique position to have a rich history of documents, photos and images dating back to 1829. We are very proud of our Collection – which is free to see – and people from all over the world regularly come to view it.”

View the transcript below of the King’s speech:

The Historical Collection is based at Empress State Building, Empress Approach, Lillie Road, London, SW6 1TR, London, from 10am – 4pm weekdays.

Published: 25th December 2014.

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Since the Act of Union in 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain has fought in over 120 wars across a total of 170 countries...

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.

Watch CBS News

The story behind "The King's Speech"

February 20, 2011 / 11:46 PM EST / CBS News

With 12 Oscar nominations, "The King's Speech" is among the most nominated films of all time. It's based on the true story of George VI, the father of the present queen of England. George VI was a man who, in the 1930s, desperately did not want to be king. He was afflicted nearly all his life by a crippling stammer which stood to rob Britain of a commanding voice at the very moment that Hitler rose to threaten Europe.

"The King's Speech" came, seemingly out of nowhere to become the film to beat on Oscar night. And Colin Firth is now the odds-on favorite to win best actor for his critically acclaimed portrayal of George VI.

The hidden letters behind "The King's Speech" What's it like to hold history in your hands? Scott Pelley had that chance, reporting on the Oscar-nominated film "The King's Speech." Hear from Colin Firth and Mark Logue, whose grandfather's friendship with a king made history.

Segment: "The King's Speech Extra: The real King George Extra: Colin Firth, King and Queen Extra: Firth's Oscar-nominated roles Extra: Firth's "bland" looks Pictures: Colin Firth on "60 Minutes"

When correspondent Scott Pelley asked Firth if he liked being king, Firth said, "I think it's hard to think of anything worse, really. I mean, I wouldn't change places with this man. And I would be very surprised if anybody watching the film would change places with this man."

"It's a perfect storm of catastrophic misfortunes for a man who does not want the limelight, who does not want to be heard publicly, who does not want to expose this humiliating impediment that he's spent his life battling," Firth explained. "He's actually fighting his own private war. He'd rather have been facing machine gun fire than have to face the microphone."

The microphone hung like a noose for the king, who was a stutterer from the age of 8. He was never meant to be king. But in 1936 his older brother gave up the throne to marry Wallace Simpson, a divorced American. Suddenly George VI and his wife Elizabeth reigned over an empire that was home to 25 percent of the world's population.

And like the George of over 1,000 years before, he had a dragon to slay: radio.

"When I looked at images of him or I listened to him, you do see that physical struggle," Firth said of the king's public speeches. "His eyes close, and you see him try to gather himself. And it's heartbreaking."

Among those listening was a 7-yr.-old British boy who, like the king, had a wealth of words but could not get them out.

"I was a profound stutterer. I started stuttering just before my third birthday. I didn't rid myself of it until I was 16. But my parents would encourage me to listen to the king's speeches during the war. And I thought, 'Wow if he can do that, there is hope for me.' So he became my childhood hero," David Seidler, who wrote the movie, told Pelley.

Seidler had grown up with the story, but he didn't want to tell the tale until he had permission from the late king's widow, known as The Queen Mother.

Seidler had sent a letter to her. "And finally, an answer came and it said, 'Dear Mr. Seidler, please, not during my lifetime the memory of these events is still too painful.' If the Queen Mum says wait to an Englishman, an Englishman waits. But, I didn't think I'd have to wait that long," he explained.

Asked why, Seidler said, "Well, she was a very elderly lady. Twenty five years later, just shy of her 102nd birthday, she finally left this realm."

After the Queen Mother's death in 2002, Seidler went to work. He found the theme of the story in the clash between his royal highness and an Australian commoner who became the king's salvation, an unknown speech therapist named Lionel Logue.

"The words that keep coming up when you hear about Lionel Logue are 'charisma' and 'confidence.' He would never say, 'I can fix your stuttering.' He would say, 'You can get a handle on your stuttering. I know you can succeed,'" Seidler said.

Geoffrey Rush plays Logue, an unorthodox therapist and a royal pain.

They say you can't make this stuff up, and in much of the film that's true. Seidler could not have imagined his work would lead to a discovery that would rewrite history. Researchers for the film tracked down Lionel Logue's grandson Mark, because the movie needed family photos to get the clothing right.

Mark Logue not only had pictures, he also had some diaries.

Produced by Ruth Streeter His grandfather's diaries were up in the attic in boxes that the family had nearly forgotten. When Logue hauled them down for the movie, he discovered more than 100 letters between the therapist and his king.

"'My dear Logue, thank you so much for sending me the books for my birthday, which are most acceptable.' That's so British isn't it. 'Yours very sincerely, Albert,'" Logue read from one of the letters.

"As you read through all these letters between your grandfather and the king, what did it tell you about the relationship between these two men?" Pelley asked.

"It's not the relationship between a doctor and his patient, it's a relationship between friends," Logue said.

We met Logue at the same address where his grandfather treated the king. And among the hundreds of pages of documents were Logue's first observations of George VI.

"Probably the most startling thing was the king's appointment card," Logue told Pelley. "It described in detail the king's stammer, which we hadn't seen anywhere else. And it also described in detail the intensity with the appointments."

The king saw Lionel Logue every day for an hour, including weekends.

"You know, he was so committed. I think he decided 'This is it. I have to overcome this stammer, and this is my chance,'" Mark Logue told Pelley.

In the film, the king throws himself into crazy therapies. But in truth, Logue didn't record his methods. The scenes are based on Seidler's experience and ideas of the actors.

"We threw in stuff that we knew. I mean, somebody had told me that the only way to release that muscle," actor Geoffrey Rush said of one of the speech exercises he did in the movie. "And of course, little did I realize that the particular lens they were using on that shot made me look like a Galapagos tortoise."

While the treatments spring from imagination, the actors read Logue's diaries and letters to bring realism to everything else.

"The line at the end, I found reading the diaries in bed one night, 'cause this is what I used to do every night, when Logue says 'You still stammered on the 'W'," Firth said.

The line was used in the movie.

"It shows that these men had a sense of humor. It showed that there was wit. It showed there was self mockery and it just showed a kind of buoyancy of spirit between them. The fact that he spoke on a desk standing upright in this little hidden room is something we found in the diaries as well," Firth told Pelley.

"In reality he had to stand up to speak, he had to have the window open," Firth said. "And he had to have his jacket off."

"And that wonderful, specific little eccentric observation that came from reality," Firth added.

One of the most remarkable things to come out of the Logue attic was a copy of what maybe the most important speech the king ever made - the speech that gave the movie its name. This was the moment when King George VI had to tell his people that for the second time in a generation they were at war with Germany. The stakes were enormous. The leader of the empire could not stumble over these words.

Mark Logue has the original copy of "the speech," typed out on Buckingham Palace stationary.

"What are all of these marks? All these vertical lines? What do they mean?" Pelley asked, looking over the documents.

"They're deliberate pauses so that the king would be able to sort of attack the next word without hesitation," Logue said. "He's replacing some words, he's crossing them out and suggesting another word that the King would find easier to pronounce."

"Here's a line that he's changed, 'We've tried to find a peaceful way out of the differences between my government.' He's changed that from, 'my government,' to, 'the differences between ourselves and those who would be our enemies,'" Pelley said.

"You know, I'm curious. Have either of you snuck into a theater and watched the film with a regular audience?" Pelley asked Firth and Rush.

"No, the only time I've ever snuck in to watch my own film I got quite nervous about it, because I just thought it be embarrassing to be seen doing that, so I pulled my collar up, and the hat down, over my eyes, and you know, snuck in as if I was going into a porn cinema, or something and went up the stairs, crept in, sidled in, to sit at the back, and I was the only person in the cinema. That's how well the film was doing," Firth remembered.

Now, it's a lot harder for Firth to go unnoticed. Recently he was immortalized with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and brought along his Italian wife Livia.

They've been married 14 years and have two sons. With "The King's Speech," we realized Firth is one of the most familiar actors that we know almost nothing about. So we took him back to his home town Alresford in Hampshire, outside London. He's the son of college professors, but Firth dropped out of high school to go to acting school.

"But you don't have a Hampshire accent," Pelley pointed out.

"No. My accent has changed over the years, as a matter of survival. So until I was about 10, 'I used to talk like that,'" Firth replied, mimicking the local accent. "I remember it might have been on this street, actually, where I think the conversation went something like, 'Oy, you want to fight?' And I said, 'No, I don't.' 'Why not?' 'Well, 'cause you'll win.' 'No, I won't.' 'Well, will I win then?' 'Well, you might not.' And so, you know, we went trying to process the logic. And I thought, 'Have we dealt with it now?"

"Do we still have to fight?" Pelley asked.

"Do we actually have to do the practical now? We've done the theory," Firth replied.

He wanted us to see his first stage. It turned out to be the yard of his elementary school where he told stories from his own imagination.

"And at lunch times on the field up here, the crowd would gather and demand the story. They'd all sit 'round and say, 'No, we want the next bit,'" Firth remembered.

Firth told Pelley he found his calling for acting at the age of 14.

Asked what happened then, he told Pelley, "I used to go to drama classes up the road here on Saturday mornings. And one day I just had this epiphany. It was I can do this. I want to do this."

He has done 42 films in 26 years, most of them the polar opposite of "The King's Speech," like "Mamma Mia!"

"How hard was it to get you to do the scene for the closing credits?" Pelley asked, referring to Firth doing a musical number in an outrageous, Abba-inspired outfit.

"I think that's the reason I did the film," Firth joked.

"You have no shame?" Pelley asked.

"I'm sorry. That's if one thing has come out of '60 Minutes' here, it's we have discovered, we've unveiled the fact that Colin Firth has no shame. I am such a drag queen. It's one of my primary driving forces in life. If you cannot dangle a spandex suit and a little bit of mascara in front of me and not just have me go weak at the knees," Firth joked.

From queen to king, Firth is an actor of amazing range who now has his best shot at this first Oscar.

Like George VI himself, this movie wasn't meant to be king. "The King's Speech" was made for under $15 million. But now the movie, the director, the screenwriter David Seidler, who made it happen, and all the principal actors are in the running for Academy Awards. It would be Geoffrey Rush's second Oscar.

"What advice to you have for this man who may very likely win the Oscar this year?" Pelley asked Rush.

"Well enjoy it. It isn't the end of anything because you will go on and do a couple more flops probably, you might even sneak into another film in which no one is in the house," Rush joked.

But on Oscar night, stammering King George may have the last word. A lot of movies are based on true stories. But "The King's Speech" has reclaimed history.

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The King's Speech 2023

His Majesty’s most gracious speech to both Houses of Parliament.

The King and Queen in the House of Lords

The King’s Speech

My Lords and members of the House of Commons

It is mindful of the legacy of service and devotion to this country set by My beloved Mother, The late Queen, that I deliver this, the first King’s Speech in over 70 years.

The impact of Covid and the war in Ukraine have created significant long-term challenges for the United Kingdom. That is why my Government’s priority is to make the difficult but necessary long-term decisions to change this country for the better.

My Ministers’ focus is on increasing economic growth and safeguarding the health and security of the British people for generations to come.

My Government will continue to take action to bring down inflation, to ease the cost of living for families and help businesses fund new jobs and investment.

My Ministers will support the Bank of England to return inflation to target by taking responsible decisions on spending and borrowing. These decisions will help household finances, reduce public sector debt, and safeguard the financial security of the country.

Legislation will be introduced to strengthen the United Kingdom’s energy security and reduce reliance on volatile international energy markets and hostile foreign regimes. This Bill will support the future licensing of new oil and gas fields, helping the country to transition to net zero by 2050 without adding undue burdens on households.

Alongside this, my Ministers will seek to attract record levels of investment in renewable energy sources and reform grid connections, building on the United Kingdom’s track-record of decarbonising faster than other G7 economies.

My Government will invest in Network North to deliver faster and more reliable journeys between, and within, the cities and towns of the North and Midlands, prioritising improving the journeys that people make most often.

My Ministers will strengthen education for the long term. Steps will be taken to ensure young people have the knowledge and skills to succeed, through the introduction of the Advanced British Standard that will bring technical and academic routes into a single qualification. Proposals will be implemented to reduce the number of young people studying poor quality university degrees and increase the number undertaking high quality apprenticeships.

My Ministers will take steps to make the economy more competitive, taking advantage of freedoms afforded by the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. A bill will be brought forward to promote trade and investment with economies in the fastest growing region in the world. My Ministers will continue to negotiate trade agreements with dynamic economies, delivering jobs and growth in the United Kingdom.

My Ministers will introduce new legal frameworks to support the safe commercial development of emerging industries, such as self-driving vehicles, introduce new competition rules for digital markets, and encourage innovation in technologies such as machine learning. Legislation will be brought forward to support the creative industries and protect public interest journalism. Proposals will be published to reform welfare and support more people into work.

My Government will promote the integrity of the Union and strengthen the social fabric of the United Kingdom.

Working with NHS England, my Government will deliver its plans to cut waiting lists and transform the long-term workforce of the National Health Service. This will include delivering on the NHS workforce plan, the first long-term plan to train the doctors and nurses the country needs, and minimum service levels to prevent strikes from undermining patient safety. Record levels of investment are expanding and transforming mental health services to ensure more people can access the support they need. My Government will introduce legislation to create a smokefree generation by restricting the sale of tobacco so that children currently aged fourteen or younger can never be sold cigarettes, and restricting the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children.

My Ministers will bring forward a bill to reform the housing market by making it cheaper and easier for leaseholders to purchase their freehold and tackling the exploitation of millions of homeowners through punitive service charges. Renters will benefit from stronger security of tenure and better value, while landlords will benefit from reforms to provide certainty that they can regain their properties when needed.

My Government will deliver a long-term plan to regenerate towns and put local people in control of their future. Legislation will be brought forward to safeguard the future of football clubs for the benefit of communities and fans. A bill will be introduced to deal with the scourge of unlicensed pedicabs in London.

My Government is committed to tackling antisemitism and ensuring that the Holocaust is never forgotten. A bill will progress the construction of a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens.

My Government will act to keep communities safe from crime, anti-social behaviour, terrorism and illegal migration.

A bill will be brought forward to ensure tougher sentences for the most serious offenders and increase the confidence of victims. My Ministers will introduce legislation to empower police forces and the criminal justice system to prevent new or complex crimes, such as digital-enabled crime and child sexual abuse, including grooming.

At a time when threats to national security are changing rapidly due to new technology, my Ministers will give the security and intelligence services the powers they need and will strengthen independent judicial oversight. Legislation will be introduced to protect public premises from terrorism in light of the Manchester Arena attack.

My Government will deliver on the Illegal Migration Act passed earlier this year and on international agreements, to stop dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and ensure it is the government, not criminal gangs, who decides who comes to this country.

My Government will continue to champion security around the world, to invest in our gallant Armed Forces and to support veterans to whom so much is owed. My Ministers will work closely with international partners to support Ukraine, strengthen NATO and address the most pressing security challenges. This includes the consequences of the barbaric acts of terrorism against the people of Israel, facilitating humanitarian support into Gaza and supporting the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East.

My Government will continue to lead action on tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, support developing countries with their energy transition, and hold other countries to their environmental commitments.

The United Kingdom will continue to lead international discussions to ensure that Artificial Intelligence is developed safely.

My Government will host the Global Investment Summit, the European Political Community, and the Energy Conference, leading global conversations on the United Kingdom’s most pressing challenges.

I look forward to welcoming His Excellency the President of the Republic of Korea and Mrs. Kim Keon Hee for a State Visit later this month.

My Government will, in all respects, seek to make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations. My Ministers will address inflation and the drivers of low growth over demands for greater spending or borrowing. My Ministers will put the security of communities and the nation ahead of the rights of those who endanger it. By taking these long-term decisions, my Government will change this country and build a better future.

Members of the House of Commons.

Estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

My Lords and Member of the House of Commons.

Other measures will be laid before you.

I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.

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King's Speech

The King's Speech is part of the State Opening of Parliament, the formal beginning of each new session of Parliament.

The 2023 King's Speech was held on 7 November 2023 and opened what will be the final session before the next general election.

What is a King's Speech and when is it delivered?

The King’s Speech is part of the State Opening of Parliament, the formal beginning of each new session of parliament. No substantive parliamentary business in either the House of Commons or House of Lords can usually occur until after the speech is delivered. Known formally as the ‘Speech from the Throne’, it was previously referred to as the Queen’s Speech, but following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022 the State Opening of Parliament is now conducted by the King.

Sessions of parliament usually last for around a year, meaning that a Queen’s, or now King’s, Speech tends to be held annually. However, an unusual two-year-long session in 2010/12 meant there was no Queen’s Speech in 2011, and the two-year 2017/19 session meant that no Queen’s Speech was held in 2018.

Following the December 2019 general election, a Queen’s Speech was held to mark the first session of the new parliament. That session lasted until April 2021, and the last session began with a Queen’s Speech on 11 May 2021. The 2021/22 session ended with the prorogation of parliament on 28 April, and the Queen’s Speech, conducted by the then-Prince Charles, was held on 10 May 2022.

Due to Covid restrictions, some ceremonial aspects of the 2021 Queen's Speech were different from usual – for example, there were fewer people present.

Why is the King's Speech important?

Procedurally, the ‘Speech from the throne’ allows parliament to begin a new session and start its business. It is also symbolic of the role of the monarch in the constitution.

Politically, the King’s Speech is important because it is a test of a government’s ability to command the confidence of the Commons – especially if it is at the beginning of a new parliament, or if a new government has recently taken over. If a government has a majority in the Commons, then a King’s Speech is unlikely to cause it many headaches; but for governments with only narrow majorities, or who are governing as minorities, it can be more of a test. Historically, passing the vote following the speech and the subsequent debates was an important test of whether a government commanded confidence in the Commons.

The King’s Speech also matters because it allows the government to set out its priorities and programme for the coming session, including the legislation that it intends to pass.

Who writes the King's Speech and what does it contain?

The speech is written for the sovereign by the government. Customarily, it is delivered by the sovereign in a neutral tone, so as not to convey any sense of their views. It is also generally expected that the speech will be listened to by MPs and peers in silence.

The speech lists the legislation that the government intends to introduce to parliament, and reference is also usually made to “other measures” that the government will bring forward – this is to give the government flexibility to introduce other bills as the session goes on.

The sovereign will also list any state visits that they plan to make, and any overseas heads of state who have been invited to the UK over the course of the session.

Can anybody other than the King deliver the speech?

Yes. Prior to 2022, Queen Elizabeth II was not present at two openings of parliament in 1959 and 1963 – in both cases as she was in the late stages of pregnancy. On these occasions, the speech was read on the Queen’s behalf by the lord chancellor and the opening of parliament happened through a royal commission appointed by the sovereign.

On 9 May 2022 it was announced that the Queen would not be present at the opening of parliament the following day. However, the way that the Queen’s absence was dealt with in 2022 differed from previous occasions on which she was unable to attend.

For the opening of parliament on 10 May 2022, the then-Prince of Wales delivered the speech and took part in the ceremonial aspects of the day, along with the then-Duke of Cambridge Prince William. They did this as ‘counsellors of state’, a position held by a small number of senior royals to whom the Monarch can delegate certain functions. For the Prince of Wales to exercise the specific function of opening parliament, Letters Patent were issued under the terms of the 1937 Regency Act. Under the terms of the Regency Act, counsellors of state are required to act in pairs, and for this reason Prince William accompanied his father to the opening of parliament.

This was the first time a counsellor of state opened a new session of parliament – although counsellors of state have previously been delegated other responsibilities, for example while the Queen was on a visit to Malta in 2016.

Enabling the Prince of Wales to open parliament as a counsellor of state meant that the ceremonial aspects of the day were changed far less than they would have been if parliament were opened through a royal commission.

Separately, on other occasions during the Queen’s reign, ceremonial aspects of the day were scaled back for other reasons – for example, during the Covid pandemic.

What happens before the speech?

The day of the King’s Speech traditionally begins with the Yeoman of the Guard – effectively the sovereign’s bodyguard – conducting a ceremonial search of the basement of the Houses of Parliament, a tradition that dates back to the 16th century ‘gunpowder plot’ of Guy Fawkes.

On the morning of the speech, the monarch processes to the Houses of Parliament from Buckingham Palace. On arrival, he uses an entrance specially reserved for the monarch – the Sovereign’s Entrance – and heads to the Robing Room, where he dons the crown and robe of state. The King then leads a procession to the throne in the House of Lords, passing through the Royal Gallery where guests are watching.

A parliamentary official known as Black Rod is then sent to the House of Commons to summon MPs to go to the Lords and watch the speech. Traditionally, the door of the Commons is shut in the face of Black Rod, who bangs the door three times before they are allowed in. This dates to the era of the Civil War, and symbolises the independence of the Commons from the monarch.

Once Black Rod has been allowed into the Commons chamber, MPs are summoned to the Lords, and process through parliament to stand at the Bar of the House in the Lords (a point beyond which non-members of the Lords cannot cross).

Separately, it is tradition that one government MP – usually a whip who bears the title of Vice Chamberlain of the Household – is ‘held hostage’ in Buckingham Palace while the King is in parliament, to ensure the monarch’s safe return.

What happens after the speech?

After listening to the speech in the Lords, MPs return to the Commons, and both Houses of Parliament take a short break until later that afternoon. When they resume sitting, the Speaker in each House formally reports on the King’s Speech and orders the text of it to be printed into the official record.

Each House then proceeds to give a purely symbolic formal first reading to two specific bills: the Outlawries Bill in the Commons, and the Select Vestries Bill in the Lords. Neither of these bills are ordered to be printed or to proceed to their second reading, as they are not actually intended to ever become laws nor to serve any practical purpose. Instead, they are designed to show that each House can consider other matters before it turns to debating the King’s Speech – another way of emphasising their independence from the sovereign.

How is the King's Speech debated and voted on?

Debate over the content of the King’s Speech formally occurs on a humble address to the King, thanking him for his speech – usually referred to as ‘the Loyal Address’. The debate begins after the speech is delivered, and usually continues for several days.

In the Commons, a motion is moved and seconded by two government backbenchers who are, traditionally, from very different constituencies and parliamentary intakes. Their short speeches are, by tradition, humorous and non-contentious. The leader of the opposition then makes a speech, at which point the more substantive part of the debate begins. The prime minister responds, and gives more detail on the government’s plans.

In the Lords, a motion making the address to the King is also moved and seconded. The leader of the opposition in the Lords then moves a motion to adjourn the debate, which peers use to hold a general, short discussion on the content of the King’s Speech.

Both Houses then adjourn, or break, until the next sitting day, when debate on the address continues.

Subsequent days

In recent years, debate over the King's Speech in the Commons has tended to take place over six sitting days. Each subsequent day’s debate centres around a theme, such as foreign affairs or health, which is usually chosen by the leader of the opposition.

Debate is opened and closed each day by the relevant ministers and shadow ministers. Debates on subsequent days in the Lords also focus on a different theme each day as chosen by the opposition.

Can the Loyal Address be amended or voted down?

Yes – it is possible for the address to the King to be amended.

In the Commons

Any MP can table an amendment to the address, or sign an amendment tabled by another MP in order to show their support. These can only be debated and voted on during the final two days of debate, as set out in Standing Order No. 33 of the Commons’ rules, with the Speaker able to choose a maximum of four amendments for debate.

One amendment, usually in the name of the official opposition, is usually debated and voted on during the penultimate day of debate. Up to three further amendments can then be selected by the Speaker on the final day of debate. One of these will be tabled by the opposition; once that has been dealt with, any remaining amendments are voted on ‘forthwith’ – meaning without debate. This procedure came into formal operation in 2014, when Standing Order No.33 was changed following the Speaker’s controversial decision, the previous year, to allow three amendments on the final day of debate, where previously only a maximum of two had ever been selected.

Sometimes, even the threat of an amendment can be enough to force the government to change course. In 2017, an amendment tabled by Labour MP Stella Creasy, with cross-party support, led to the government changing its stance on women from Northern Ireland seeking abortions in England. The government did this before the amendment was formally voted on.

In the Lords

Although the House of Lords may also debate the address for several days, it is customary that no votes are held at the end of their debates. This means that the Lords have no opportunity to amend or vote down the address.

What happens if the government is defeated?

The King's Speech can be voted down. This would be of major political significance, as it would clearly call into question the ability of the government to command the confidence of parliament. Historically, a defeat on the address has been treated as an implicit loss of confidence in a government as it suggests that there is no majority to be found in the Commons for its programme for government.

It is rare for the government to be defeated on the address in the Commons – as governments usually have a majority in the House. But it has happened – most recently in 1924, when Stanley Baldwin’s minority government was defeated. Baldwin then resigned as prime minister, and the opposition went on to form a new government.

What happens to other parliamentary business while the Loyal Address is being debated?

Substantive parliamentary business cannot begin until the new session has formally opened, following the delivery of the King’s Speech.

In the Commons, ministers can make statements, the regular schedule of oral questions can begin, and the government can begin to introduce bills. Secondary legislation can also be considered – but the time allocated to the debate on the address takes precedence. However, the debate on the address can be temporarily postponed in order to deal with urgent business – which last happened in 2006 with an emergency bill relating to Northern Ireland – or interrupted by an emergency debate held under Standing Order Number 24.

However, ways and means motions, which relate to money, and Westminster Hall debates cannot be held until the end of debates on the address unless MPs vote to suspend existing rules. This means that a budget cannot be held until after the debate on the address has finished.

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The King's Speech

R | biographical dramas | 1 HR 59 MIN | 2010

When his brother abdicates, George VI reluctantly dons the crown. Though his stutter soon raises concerns about his leadership skills, King George VI turns to an unconventional speech therapist, Lionel Logue, and the two forge a friendship.

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How historically accurate is the movie The King's Speech

In 2010, The King’s Speech won the Oscar for Best Picture and grossed over $414 million worldwide. It was an unlikely box office champion because it was based on a true story about King George VI of Britain (1895-1952) and an Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (1880-1953). It shows how Logue helped the king overcome a crippling stammer and how this helped him lead his country during World War II. The movie was directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler.

Critics have widely praised the editing, cinematography, directing, and acting. The movie was able to express the main characters' inner life by the clever use of lighting and other cinematic techniques. Colin Firth won an Oscar for his portrayal of George IV/ The King’s Speech was produced by a British company, and it was shot mainly in London. Among the supporting cast was Helen Bonham-Carter, who played Queen Elizabeth, the wife of the king. The movie was nominated for 12 academy awards, and it won four awards, including one for Best Picture.

Before the movie began filming, the writer, Seidler, found Logue's journal and incorporated elements from the journal into the movie. However, despite this, the historical accuracy of the movie has been questioned and even widely criticized.

When does the King's Speech take place?

The King's Speech takes place mainly in the 1930s at a critical juncture for Britain and its Empire. The nation and its various dependencies had still not recovered from the ravages of World War or the Great Depression. Internationally, Hitler was in power in Germany, and many feared, correctly, that there would be another World War. [1] The rather bleak mood of the time is captured very well by the director. At this critical point in its history, the British Royal Family faced its crisis.

After George V's death, he was succeeded by his eldest son, who became Edward VII in 1936. Edward VII's reign was both brief and controversial. Edward wanted to marry a divorced American, Wallis Simpson. Marrying a divorced was unacceptable to many in Britain at this time as the King was also head of the Church of England. Divorce was socially unacceptable, and the Anglican Bishops and others denounced the idea of the monarch marrying a divorced woman.

When Edward VII decided to marry Wallis Simpson, he was forced to abdicate his crown soon after his Coronation. This meant that his younger brother George or Bertie, as he was known, became king. [2] The depiction of these events in the movie has been fictionalized but is reasonably accurate.

However, there were some inaccuracies in the movie that troubled viewers. One of the scenes that caused the most controversy was when Sir Winston Churchill, the future leader of war-time Britain, supported the accession of George V. This scene misrepresented Churchill's view of Edward's abdication entirely. Churchill supported Edward VII (1894-1972) and believed that he should remain as king despite his marriage to Wallis Simpson. He was friendly with the abdicated king and remained a supporter. [3]

Unlike in the movie, Churchill did have grave doubts about the ability of George VI to carry out his Royal duties. He was not alone in the belief, and many others shared that view in the highest circles of the British government. Over time, he did come to accept the younger brother of Edward VII and came to respect him as an able monarch and leader . [4]

The King and his Stutter

The movie's central theme is the difficulties faced by George VI because of his stutter and how Logue was able to help him overcome his speech defect. This depiction is historically accurate, and the future George VI had a serious speech impediment. In the movie, Firth's character is shown as having a terrible stammer and that when he became nervous or anxious, he was almost unable to communicate. His stammer made public speaking almost impossible for the monarch.

The movie shows that his speech impediment was a result of his insecurity and shyness. [5] This was very much the case, and George VI did have a terrible stutter from childhood. The King’s Speech accurately shows the real problems caused by the future George VI and the entire Royal Family. In one scene at the opening of an exhibition celebrating the British Empire, George struggles with a speech and becomes visibly upset. The movie shows many senior officials and members of the Royal Family becoming gravely concerned about this. In the 1930a, when the movie is set, for the first-time, Royalty members were expected to speak in public and be effective communicators because of the growing importance of the mass media. [6]

The inability of George VI to publicly speak clearly was a real problem, and it was feared that it could damage the Royal Family and even undermine confidence in the government of the British Empire. The movie does somewhat exaggerate the importance of the king’s stutter, but it was a significant issue for the Royal Family.

When did Lionel Logue begin treating George VI?

Perhaps the biggest inaccuracy in the movie is that Logue was, in reality, able to help the King to overcome his stammer before the abdication crisis and his coronation rather than after these events. He first began to treat the second son of George V in the 1920s and continued to do so for many years. The movie shows that the treatment took place in the 1930s, and this was no doubt done for dramatic effect, but this is not strictly correct.

Cooper’s movie relates how George had been seeking help all his life for his stammer, and he tried every technique and treatment available for the time, which is true. The 2010 motion picture does really capture the sense of desperation and anxiety that the future George VI had over his speech impediment. He is shown as going in desperation to the Australian Logue, and this is also correct. The therapist is shown as using innovative techniques to help George overcome his stammer, which is right. The Australian was an early pioneer in speech and language therapy, and he was an innovator. [7] The film shows Rush trying to instill more confidence in the Royal. He adopts several strategies, but none are shown to work.

How did Logue treat George VI's speech impediment?

Eventually, he provokes the king, and in his anger, he can speak stutter-free. In reality, the speech and language therapist gave the monarch a series of daily vocal exercises, such as tongue twisters, that were designed to help him to relax. This helped the future king to relax, and this was key to the improvements in his speech. The motion picture does show that the treatment was not a total success, and the king continued to have a very slight stammer. This was indeed the case. However, the improvement in the speech of George VI was remarkable, which is accurately shown in the 2010 movie. It shows George having grave doubts about Logue and his treatment when he hears that he is not formally qualified as a therapist.

In real life, this did not cause a crisis in the relationship between the British sovereign and the Australian therapist. It is correct that Logue was not formally qualified because there was no education system for language therapy when he was young. Instead, he was self-taught and had traveled the world, studying the ideas of respected speech therapists. The movie leaves the viewers in no doubt that the king and the Royal Family owed the Australian a great debt, and this was the case, and when George VI died, his widow, the Queen, wrote to the therapist to thank him for all he had done for her husband. [8]

What was the relationship between King George VI and Lionel Logue?

The movie shows that the two men began to become real friends over time, despite their differences. This was the case, and it appears that both men liked each other and even enjoyed each other’s company. The relationship between the British king and the Australian is very realistically shown, and they remained friends until the early death of George VI. The movie shows that Logue was present when George made important Radio broadcasts to the British Public. This was the case, but Logue continued to coach the king to speak in public for many years.

In the movie, Logue is shown when George VI pronounced that Britain was at war with Germany in September 1939 during a radio address to the nation. This is not correct, but the Australian did provide the king with notes on things where he should pause and breathe, and these were a real help in the most important speech the monarch ever made. Logue continued to coach the king for many years until about 1944.

The therapist is shown as being very much at ease in the King's presence and treating him like any other client. This was not the case. Despite their genuine friendship, Logue would have been expected to have been somewhat formal and respect the Royal Person of the King at all times. In real life, Logue was not as easy-going and familiar with George VI as portrayed in the historical drama. [9]

Was George VI accurately portrayed in the King's Speech?

Colin Firth’s performance was widely praised. The British actor won the Academy Award for Best Actor. While Firth's performance was widely acclaimed, there were some concerns about how accurately he portrayed the monarch. In the main, Firth did manage to capture George VI and his character in the feature film. The British actor did correctly show that the monarch was a timid and insecure man who felt that he was not equal to his Royal duties, and this was something that greatly distressed him. [10]

His stammer may have been a result of his sense of inadequacy, but this cannot be known, for certain. Firth does show that the monarch did grow in stature after he was crowned as King. It leaves the viewer in no doubt that by the end of the movie, Firth, who has largely overcome his stammer, could lead his country in its hour of greatest danger. [11]

This was the case, and the monarch became widely respected for his leadership and his calm dignity. However, the script tended to be overly sympathetic to George and avoided his character's rather unpleasant aspects. He was alleged to have both fits of anger and alleged acts of domestic violence. Those allegations have not been confirmed.

Helena Bonham Carter's performance was praised, and she does capture the personality of Queen Elizabeth (1900-2002). She was a very supportive wife and dedicated to her husband. She did not want him to become king because she feared what it would do to him. Her family, as shown in the feature film. [12] Geoffrey Rush played the character of the speech and language therapist Logue, and he presented him as a larger-than-life figure who was charismatic, and this was indeed the case. It is generally agreed that Rush really captured the personality of the acclaimed speech and language therapist.

How realistic is the King's Speech?

Overall, the movie is historically accurate. It shows the modern viewer the importance of the King's treatment for his speech impediment. This movie also captures the real sense of anxiety in Britain in the 1930s, and it broadly captures the historical context of the Coronation of George VI. The relationship between Logue and the monarch is also largely accurate. However, this is a movie, and the need to entertain means some inaccuracies, especially concerning details such as the king's treatment. However, when compared to other historical dramas, the movie is very realistic.

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Saturday 31st October : Prince Albert, the Duke of York, stammers through a speech at the close of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium. (London, England)

Sunday 25th December : King George V delivers the first Royal Christmas Message over the radio and bullies his son Albert, the Duke York. (London, England)

Monday 20th January : King George V dies. His son Edward accedes to the throne, becoming King Edward VIII. (London, England)

Friday 11th December : King Edward VIII abdicates the throne after less than a year as king in order to marry American socialite Wallis Simpson. His brother Albert accedes to the throne, becoming King George VI. (London, England)

Wednesday 12th May : King George VI is officially crowned (London, England)

Sunday 3rd September : The United Kingdom declares war on Nazi Germany. (London, England)

Monday 25th December : King George VI delivers the Royal Christmas Message over the radio with friend and teacher Lionel Logue helping through every moment. (London, England)

King George VI appoints Lionel Logue a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. (1944)

King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, sitting in uniform in an ornate, gilded chair, with the imperial state crown on a cushion beside him

King’s speech: what is it and why does it matter?

Senior Lecturer in History, Anglia Ruskin University

Disclosure statement

Sean Lang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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Today, King Charles will give his first speech from the throne as monarch. He delivered the queen’s speech once as Prince of Wales, deputising in May 2022 for his mother, who could not attend. This is the first speech by a king since 1951, though on that occasion King George VI was too ill to attend and the speech was read out by the Lord Chancellor .

Who writes the king’s speech and why does it matter?

The king’s speech is the central part of the ceremony marking the state opening of parliament .

At the start of each parliamentary session, the monarch goes – in a state coach and escorted by the household cavalry – to the House of Lords, accompanied by the crown as a symbol of his royal authority. There, he reads out a speech outlining the government’s plans and priorities for the year ahead.

Although it is known as the king’s speech, it is actually written by the government, for the monarch. In 1964, an irreverent Private Eye cover had Queen Elizabeth II reading the speech while saying: “I hope you realise I didn’t write this crap.”

The speech and the ceremony are a reminder of the constitutional relationship of crown and government. Although political power rests with the prime minister and cabinet, there is nevertheless a layer of authority above them.

What happens at the speech?

The tradition of a king’s speech has its origins in the medieval parliament, but the speech from the throne as we know it today first evolved in the late 17th century , when parliament finally established its power over the monarch.

Much of the modern ritual is a Victorian concoction. The monarch sits on the royal throne in the House of Lords – the upper house. Members of parliament are imperiously summoned by a royal official known as the gentleman usher of the black rod (though the office is currently held by a woman, and so: the lady Usher of the black rod). No seats are provided for MPs, so they have to crowd into an inadequate space at the back.

Meanwhile, the door of the Commons is slammed in black rod’s face as a reminder of the independence of the Commons. And that, ever since 1642, when Charles I entered the chamber with armed men in a foiled attempt to arrest five MPs, the House of Commons is the one place in the realm where the monarch is not allowed to step.

MPs amble informally down to the upper house to show they are going because they choose to, not because they are summoned, and the speech they are to hear is the work of the government, not the king. It’s political theatre.

What if the monarch disagrees with the speech?

Whatever his private feelings, the monarch must not show any overt preference for any political party, so the speech is always read in as neutral a tone as possible. Sometimes the speech might include current acronyms or technical terms which sit strangely with the glittering jewellery and gold on display, but the monarch must read it all, giving nothing away either by tone of voice or facial expression.

The monarch has the right to advise, warn and encourage the prime minister on policy. In return he must always follow the prime minister’s advice and he must read the prime minister’s speech.

This means that a monarch might solemnly read out a speech written by one party, and, a year later, if there has been a change of government, equally solemnly read out a speech outlining a completely different programme and written by their opponents.

What can we expect from this year’s king’s speech?

The grand ceremonial of the state opening has sometimes been scaled down, in wartime or if the economic situation suggests tactful restraint. This is something the king himself has to gauge, with advice from the government.

The speech is the first indication of the government’s legislative priorities for the year ahead. We can certainly expect reference to housing and the cost of living crisis, and possibly to the ongoing crises in Gaza and Ukraine. Reports have indicated that the speech will also include bills related to the prime minister’s pro-motorist plans, a gradual smoking ban and leasehold reform.

After the speech, the monarch makes an equally ceremonial departure and MPs shuffle off back to the Commons where they begin a debate, which normally lasts a week. This is called a humble address to the monarch, thanking him for his gracious speech, but in reality offering MPs a chance to support or attack the government for its now-public list of intentions. And so normal politics resumes.

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First King's Speech for 72 years - here's how historic State Opening works

King Charles III will travel from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster tomorrow to formally open the last session of Parliament before next year's general election. Here we look at the pomp and circumstance of the ceremony

Charles will deliver the King's Speech at the first State Opening of Parliament of his reign

07:00, 7 Nov 2023
Updated 09:24, 7 Nov 2023

The first King’s Speech for 72 years takes place on Tuesday as Charles III carries out the State Opening of Parliament.

His mother performed the ceremonial duty for almost seven decades, though the final Queen’s Speech of her reign was actually delivered by her son 18 months ago. Here we examine the rituals and pageantry we can expect tomorrow - from an MP being held hostage at Buckingham Palace to a sweep for explosives in the cellar thanks to Guy Fawkes and his pals.

First King’s Speech for 72 years and a day

King George VI delivered his last King’s Speech on November 6, 1951 before his untimely death on February 6, 1952 aged 56.

His daughter Elizabeth II performed her first Queen’s Speech at the State Opening on November 4, 1952 - and unveiled the Government’s forthcoming legislation at every such occasion, with her last being on May 11, 2021. Her son Charles, now the monarch, carried out the solemn duty on her behalf on May 10, 2022 whe he stood in for his mother as her health began to fail. She died four months later.

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This State Opening is expected to be a “full fat” event, with much tradition restored.

Some had been scaled back in recent years to take account of the Queen’s age and deteriorating health. In October 2019, she opted not to wear the Imperial State Crown - which weighs more than two pounds - for the ceremony, instead choosing the George IV State Diadem crown.

The Imperial State Crown, which was made for King George VI's coronation in 1937 and features an openwork gold frame, a purple velvet cap, 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 269 pearls - instead sat on a velvet cushion nearby.

Charles is expected to wear the bigger crown tomorrow. In May 2021, she wore neither, with a hat resting on her head instead. She also opted to travel by car rather than a horse-drawn carriage, and shunned robes in favour of a day dress. Some of the changes for the slimmed down State Opening were attributed to coronavirus restrictions.

The Guy Fawkes-inspired hunt for bombs

Tuesday’s ceremony formally begins at 9.30am when the Yeomen of the Guard, the royal bodyguards, ceremonially search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster for explosives.

The spaniels of the Metropolitan Police are also expected to carry on their daily - less formal but definitely more vital - role of sniffing for bombs. The search commemorates the 1605 Gunpowder Plot when Catholics, including Guy Fawkes, tried to blow up the Protestant King James I and Parliament.

The Tory hostage

A Conservative MP - junior whip Jo Churhcill - will travel to Buckingham Palace where she will be “held hostage” until the King returns safely from Westminster.

“An MP is ceremonially held ‘hostage’ in Buckingham Palace while the Sovereign attends Parliament, to ensure the King’s safe return, said a Commons briefing. “Traditionally, this is the Vice-Chamberlain of the Household - an MP whose office makes him or her officially a member of the Royal Household and, simultaneously, a junior whip for the Government.”

The coach and horses

Charles is due to travel from the Palace, down the Mall, through Horse Guards Parade, down Whitehall and Parliament Street, led by members of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

He is expected to travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. “A coach carrying the royal regalia - the Imperial State Crown, the Cap of Maintenance and Sword of State – precedes the monarch,” says Parliament’s website. “The procession arrives at the Palace of Westminster at 11.15am. The Sovereign enters through the Sovereign's Entrance under the Victoria Tower, at the opposite end of the palace to the Elizabeth Tower housing the Big Ben bell, and the Royal Standard replaces the Union Flag over Westminster until the King quits the Palace at the end of the ceremony.

“Inside the Palace, the Sovereign dons the Imperial State Crown and ceremonial robes before making her way to the House of Lords, attended by various members of the Royal Household.”

Let’s be seated - and get those MPs

At 11.30am, Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, will take his seat on the throne in the House of Lords, with peers draped in ermine packing the red leather benches.

A host of foreign ambassadors is expected to be in the public gallery to witness the occasion. Once the King is seated, one of the best-known traditions of the ceremony commences: the Lady Usher of the Black Rod, Sarah Clarke, will be sent across Central Lobby to the House of Commons to ceremonially have a door slammed in her face.

As Ms Clarke approaches, the Serjeant at Arms of the Commons, Ugbana Oyet, will shut the doors in her face. Ms Clarke then “knocks ceremonially upon them three times and is given permission to enter”. She will approach the Table and summon MPs to the Upper Chamber to hear the King.

“This ritual symbolises the right of the Commons to exclude royal messengers, and commemorates the events of 1642, the last time a sovereign entered the Commons, when King Charles I tried to arrest five MPs,” says Parliament's website.

The awkward walk

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle will step down from his green leather chair at the head of the Commons, underneath the Press Gallery, and lead MPs to the Lords.

This is where TV cameras - and, more importantly, microphones - will try and capture the awkward conversation and bonhomie between ministers and their Labour counterparts. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will walk out with the Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, Keir Starmer , while other senior frontbenchers are expected to “pair off” for the short walk to the Lords “Tradition has it that MPs amble to the Lords noisily, to show their independence,” says Parliament's website. “MPs crowd into the space between the doors and the bar of the chamber to hear the Speech from the throne, which is delivered in neutral tones by the Sovereign and received in silence by the assembly.”

How long will the King speak for?

The address, written for the King by the Government, will almost certainly begin with the words: “My Lords and members of the House of Commons, my Government …”

It usually lasts a matter of minutes and will conclude with the words: “Members of the House of Commons, estimates for the public services will be laid before you. “My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, other measures will be laid before you. I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.”

The King will then depart Westminster, the Royal Standard will be lowered from the Palace of Westminster’s Victoria Tower and Charles will travel back to Buckingham Palace where Ms Churchill can be freed.

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Rev. King spoke at the Illinois State Armory in 1965, his visit will be commemorated

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. may never have made it to Springfield except for a unique set of events.

King delivered his only Springfield speech to some 4,000 delegates − and apparently a few curious State of Illinois employees − at an AFL-CIO convention at th e Illinois State Armo ry on Oct. 7, 1965.

A bronze plaque will commemorate the visit sometime after a three-year, $122 million renovation on the downtown Armory is completed by mid-2025.

Doss retiring as Lanphier High School principal on Feb. 27

Several events in Springfield pay tribute to King, whose birthday is marked Monday.

King's Springfield speech spoke to the intersection of the labor movement and the fight for civil rights, said State Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, who helped champion the memorialization of the speech.

By the time of his appearance, King was a nationally recognized civil rights leader.

But King almost didn't make it to Springfield.

Longtime AFL-CIO president Reuben Soderstrom , who first met King in Florida in 1961, invited him to speak at Illinois’ 1963 convention, said longtime labor journalist and Soderstrom biographer Chris Stevens of Peoria. Instead, King sent friend and mentor Ralph Abernathy.

King was scheduled to speak at the gathering in Peoria in 1964, but he was tending to his ill father, the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. , and President Lyndon B. Johnson stepped in, Stevens said.

The state convention rotated between cities and Springfield was hosting when King accepted in 1965, Stevens said.

King flew from Atlanta to Chicago and then on to Springfield. Early in the speech, King noted the choppiness of the flight. "I am always happy to get on the ground. I don't want to leave you with the impression that I don't have faith in God in the air. It is simply that I have had more experience with (God) on the ground."

King also acknowledged he was in the city of Abraham Lincoln, "the man whose sacred memory will remain a part of our thoughts as long as there is any memory in this great nation."

Bishop Jacson L. Moody studied King's theology at Morehouse School of Religion but wasn't familiar with the Springfield speech until he moved to town.

Moody, the pastor of the Redemption Center church in Springfield, recreated the speech at the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum in 2018.

Moody said one particular line still resonates with him: King's call for a guaranteed annual wage.

"That's not something people are really thinking about," Moody said. "We don't mind talking about minimum wage as far as hourly, but he called for a guaranteed annual wage. That was unheard of. With that, he was arguing it was a basic human and moral right. That's major."

While King had "no fear of speaking truth to power," Moody said, others, including some clergy members, weren't as intent on hearing his message.

"As beloved as King is now, and history has been kind, in the moment there were people who didn't care for what they determined was his radical thought process," Moody said. "King was on the right side of history and speaking out on those things and sharing that there was a line that correlated the civil rights movement into wage rights and labor rights but also end of the struggle for underpaid workers. It was one straight line for him. There was nothing that was mutually exclusive."

King, Moody said, also incorporated parts of the "I Have a Dream" speech into the Springfield speech and at the end used the familiar "free at last" refrain, "a calling card for King."

Stevens, who has researched King's speech and appearance in Springfield, said he tried to track down an audio recording of the speech to no avail.

While the speech was only open to credentialed delegates, an account by the Illinois State Register (an afternoon paper and a forerunner to The State Journal-Register) said several state workers on their lunch hour took in the speech.

Stevens was told that King may have been targeted here.

Robert G. "Bob" Gibson , the Illinois AFL-CIO community services director at the time, had to hustle King out of the Armory after the speech, said Stevens, because a bomb threat was phoned into the Armory.

Stevens said Gibson, who went on to serve as the state labor union's president, recounted the story in an interview shortly before he died in 2021.

Stevens said Gibson recalled driving King around to various Abraham Lincoln sites in Springfield when the bomb threat was made known.

King didn't return to the Armory, Stevens noted and took a flight out of Springfield the same day.

While the newspaper didn't mention the bomb threat, it did report that King had plans to return home after the speech.

Another newspaper story also mentioned that King addressed a news conference before he left.

Turner and Robert Peters, D-Chicago, helped pass a Senate Joint Resolution officially acknowledging the commemoration of King's speech first advanced in 2020 by Turner's predecessor, State Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill. Manar, who worked with Illinois AFL-CIO president Tim Drea in drafting the resolution, is now the state's deputy governor.

The seven-story Armory, which dates from 1937, will be used for state offices once renovations are complete.

Turner, speaking earlier this week, said the resolution caught her interest shortly after she was appointed to fill Manar's 48th District seat in February 2021.

"It was very important for me to see it through just because of the importance of the subject matter," Turner said.

Another monument in Springfield to King, a statue across from the Illinois Capitol Building that was vandalized on Sept. 11, 2022, may make it back to Freedom Corner by the spring.

Max Walczyk, a spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State, said in an email Thursday that a Chicago-based restoration company is nearly finished with making repairs the statue.

Turner said there wasn't an exact line item for the plaque but that "funds will be found."

The commemoration was important, Turner said, on a personal note.

"I believe the labor movement really worked hand-in-hand to build the middle class and in a lot of ways I am a direct product of that partnership because my father (Thomas Porter, who worked at Allis-Chalmers , later Fiat-Allis) was a very proud UAW member," Turner said. "I know first-hand what that union membership meant to my family, meant to my mother even after my father died. So I think it's really important to commemorate that.

"If you look at all of the big moments that Dr. King had, you will see labor with him."

Contact Steven Spearie at 217-622-1788; [email protected]; or X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

Middle East latest: Rockets fired towards US military base in Syria

At least five rockets have been launched from the Iraqi town of Zummar towards a US military base in northeastern Syria, security sources tell Reuters. The attack against American forces is the first since February, when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq stopped targeting US troops.

Monday 22 April 2024 15:10, UK

Israel-Hamas war

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A wave of Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gazan city of Rafah compounded a devastating weekend for residents, say Palestinians.

Among the victims were 17 children, all part of the same extended family.

One woman said: "These children were sleeping, what did they do? What was their fault?"

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the military will "increase the political and military pressure on Hamas in the coming days".

Our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn reports...

Israel is yet to provide supporting evidence for its claim a significant number of UNRWA staff were members of terrorist organisations, according to a new UN report.

A review of the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), led by French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, has found the group has robust frameworks to ensure compliance with humanitarian neutrality principles, though issues persist.

This review was launched after Israel alleged 12 UNRWA staff had taken part in the Hamas attacks on 7 October on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza.

A UN oversight body is looking into those allegations in a separate investigation.

Reuters news agency reports it has reviewed a copy of the final report, which is set to be released later today.

Israel had made public claims based on an UNRWA staff list provided to it in March that "a significant number" of the group's staff were "members of terrorist organisations", the report states.

"However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this," it adds.

Several countries, including the UK, froze donations to the group following Israel's allegations.

In-person classes have been cancelled at a prestigious university in the US, as school officials hope to de-escalate tensions after pro-Palestinian protests led to mass arrests last week.

More than 100 protesters were arrested on Thursday at Columbia University in New York City when its president, Nemat Minouche Shafik, authorised police to clear an encampment set up by students demonstrating against Israel's offensive in Gaza.

In a statement today, Ms Shafik said: "These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas."

She added: "We need a rest."

According to local media, Elie Buechler, an Orthodox rabbi at the university, told students campus and city police cannot guarantee the safety of Jewish students.

"It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved," he said in a WhatsApp message sent to hundreds over the weekend.

Tensions have risen at universities across the US since the war in Gaza began and the protests at Columbia, reminiscent of the demonstrations there against the Vietnam War more than 50 years ago, are the latest in a series of protests disrupting campuses, bridges and airports.

We reported earlier the head of Israeli military intelligence has resigned over failures around the 7 October attack (see our 8.21am post).

Major General Aharon Haliva became the first senior figure to step down over Hamas's attack, which broke through Israel's vaunted defences and killed 1,200 people, with more than 200 taken back to Gaza as hostages.

Speaking at the Reichman University in Israel in May last year, he spoke of the importance of never falling victim to a "surprise" again - just five months the Hamas attack.

"This year it's the 50th anniversary of the '73 war and you know in historic terms it happened yesterday," he said, referring to the war between Israel and a coalition of Arab states in 1973.

"We should all bear in mind the main lesson from that war in how important it is to listen to other people's opinions, to be open to different thoughts and ultimately to do whatever we can to make sure that the '73 Yom Kippur War and the surprise that we experienced there will never be repeated because it's extremely important for the future of the state of Israel."

At the same event, he told an audience Hamas knows the IDF's strength "very well" and it is "not something they should test".

"In order to leave them with that thought we need to continue to maintain regional alliances, to express military might," he added.

Mr Haliva, a 38-year veteran of the military, was one of a number of senior Israeli commanders who said they had failed to foresee and prevent the deadliest attack in Israel's history.

"The intelligence division under my command did not live up to the task we were entrusted with. I have carried that black day with me ever since," he said in a resignation letter released by the military.

He will remain in post until a successor is named.

According to Israeli tallies, 133 people remain as hostages.

Doctors have told the Sky News team in Gaza how they saved the life of an unborn baby even as her mother was dying from head injuries inflicted during devastating Israeli airstrikes in Rafah.

The baby's mother Sabreen, her father Shoukri and three-year-old sister Malak all died in an Israeli airstrike over the weekend.

Her uncle says he will care for her now.

Watch the short report here...

Gideon Falter, the campaigner at the centre of an antisemitism row with the Met Police, has slammed comments by a former senior officer - who said he may have arrested him for assault.

It comes after Mr Falter was threatened with arrest yards away from a pro-Palestine protest, where an officer described him as "openly Jewish" and said his presence was "antagonising demonstrators".

The force apologised but then had to apologise for their apology after suggesting opponents of pro-Palestinian marches "must know that their presence is provocative".

But former Met Chief Superintendent Dal Babu said the full 13-minute video of the incident shows a "different encounter" to the one Mr Falter had described.

Mr Babu said if he had been policing the march he would have considered arresting the antisemitism campaigner for "assault on a police officer and a breach of the peace".

Gideon Falter speaks to Sky News

Mr Falter responded: "I did not assault a police officer. How on Earth can anybody say that? I'm quite clearly in the video trying to continue to walk where I was going."

He added: "I think it's a pretty outrageous thing to say, I think it's a pretty outrageous thing to be giving any credence to.

"I was Jewish. I was crossing the street."

Mr Babu later reaffirmed his view of the encounter and said the video shows Mr Falter pushing policing officers "out of the way", which amounts to "common assault".

We understand Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley is meeting the home secretary today and policing minister this week to discuss antisemitism.

Mr Falter has called for Sir Mark to step down.

COMMENTS

The King's Speech
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King’s speech: what is it and why does it matter?

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Who writes the king’s speech and why does it matter?

What happens at the speech?

What if the monarch disagrees with the speech?

What can we expect from this year’s king’s speech?

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Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy

First King's Speech for 72 years - here's how historic State Opening works

First King’s Speech for 72 years and a day

The Guy Fawkes-inspired hunt for bombs

The Tory hostage

The coach and horses

Let’s be seated - and get those MPs

The awkward walk

How long will the King speak for?