The King's Speech

Lesson Plan

This portrait of King George VI, by Sir Gerald Kelly, was created between 1938 - 1945 and is part of the Royal Collection.  Image online, courtesy Wikimedia Commons. 

To the Glory of God, and in memory of
George,
King,
Servant of his people

1895 - 1952

Memorial to King George VI
Garrowby Hill, Yorkshire

Albert Frederick Arthur George was never meant to be a king.  The second son of George V and Queen Mary, Bertie (as he was known to family and friends) was a shy boy.  Growing up in the shadow of his brother Edward, the Prince of Wales, Bertie was perfectly content with a place on the sidelines.   

Shunning the spotlight, he didn’t like people staring at him.  He certainly didn’t like public speaking (since Bertie had a profound stammer).  What man could be a king without giving speeches and publicly greeting people?

Then ... the King’s second son was forced to take the job he never wanted.  When King Edward VIII gave up Britain’s throne to marry an American (whom the British Parliament - and most Brits - did not want as their Queen Consort), Bertie needed to change his name and his position. 

How was he able to transform himself from unwilling king to much-loved monarch?  Help for the new sovereign, known as George VI, came from unlikely places.  One of the most unlikely was Lionel Logue, an Australian-born speech therapist who’d moved to London in the nick of time.

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Author: Carole D. Bos, J.D.

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Original Release Date:  December, 2010
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Lesson Plan for This Story