The King's Speech

Born Albert Frederick Arthur George, King George VI had a difficult early childhood at the hands of an abusive nanny. He was a shy and reserved person, who spoke with a stutter. He was not first in line to the throne, and had counted on living a quiet life with his wife and family. However, circumstances changed, and he was pushed into the spotlight.

In 1936, when the ritual phrase 'The King is Dead. Long Live the King!' was declared on George V's deathbed, Albert's older brother, Edward, was expected to ascend the throne. However, he was deeply in love with an American divorcée, Mrs. Wallis Simpson. As the King of England, he would also become the head of the Church of England, and a marriage between the two lovebirds would be out of the question. In the 1930s, their love affair was considered a great scandal and the British government was deeply concerned that it might threaten the monarchy. For others, it became the love story of the century when Edward decided to abdicate after spending a few months as the King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas and Emperor of India.

After Edward's abdication, Albert had to stand up and accept his responsibility. Since he had had a stammer from the age of four or five, he had cleverly avoided all public speaking in his adult life. In the movie, Colin Firth excels in his role as the reluctant king. First, Albert had to accept his transformation from a family man who lived a private life with his wife and two girls (one of them Elizabeth, the future queen) into King George VI, a man who had to live a life in the public eye. Furthermore, he had to face what he dreaded more than anything: speaking in public.