The King's Speech

A closer look at the story

When King George V dies, and the abdication of his elder brother Edward over a scandalous love affair with the American Wallis Simpson, Albert, known in the family as "Bertie", is forced to wear a crown he never wanted and becomes King George VI. The stammer that has made him a figure of fun since childhood turns every speech a king must give into an ordeal. Knowing that a country on the brink of war needs a strong voice, his wife Elizabeth introduces him to Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist who cares nothing for royal protocol. The two clash at first, but unconventional methods give rise to an unlikely friendship. Directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler, the 118-minute 2010 film features Colin Firth as the king and Geoffrey Rush as Logue in a moving historical drama.