The King's Speech

King George VI wakes up in the early hours of the morning in Buckingham Palace. He has been the king for five months, and outside the palace, a loudspeaker is being tested. The date is 12 May 1937 and King George is 41. He is about to face one of the “most nerve-racking” (16) days of his life: his coronation. Though his brother (Edward VIII) had been due to ascend the throne, Edward abdicated and left his crown to his younger brother George following the death of their father. Edward had fallen in love with an American divorcee named Wallis Simpson, forcing him to abandon the throne. The situation is “one of the greatest crises” (16) faced by the British monarchy in its history.

At the same time, a “handsome man in his late fifties” (16) named Lionel Logue wakes up in a London suburb. An Australian, he occupies “a curious but increasingly influential role at the heart of the royal family” (16). His wife Myrtle is wearing £5,000 worth of jewelry and will accompany him. The streets of London are filling up as both men grow nervous. The coronation ceremony is incredibly old and complicated. Worst of all for King George, he has to give a