The Reluctant King

Colin Firth as King George VI

King George VI

              I've watched The King's Speech recently and I thought it was a great movie. Colin Firth, having bagged an Oscar for his role as King George VI, performed beautifully with his stammering. After watching a movie based on a true story, I usually have a tendency to look up the real person portrayed in the movie, and I found a footage of the real King George's speech on YouTube (thank God for that). 

       


        In truth, the King's strangulated speech was much worse than just a stutter. He swallowed entire syllables without producing a sound. The 'k' sound was particularly a challenge to him.


         Until a few decades earlier, doctors were treating stammerers by operating on their tongues, tragically killing some in the process. One doctor even prescribed ballroom dancing as a cure.


          The King, who was formally known as Bertie among his family members, once told Lionel Logue , he'd failed to respond when asked 'What's half of a half?' simply because he was unable to pronounce the word 'quarter'.

Lionel Logue with his wife, Myrtle

 
        Logue always said that helping the King was the greatest work he ever did in his life.

                                                  

King George VI with his family