The King's Speech

This morning was cold and icy in southeast Texas.  The roads were treacherous so my husband stayed home from work.  This afternoon the roads were much improved so we went to the movie theater and saw "The King's Speech".  This show is a historical drama that tells the story of King George VI and Lionel Logue, the king's speech therapist.  The movie opens in 1925 with Prince Albert, Duke of York, speaking to a large group of people in Wembly Stadium.  The Prince had a severe speech impediment and could only speak a few words without stuttering and stammering.  Prince Albert was deeply embarassed by this experience.  Prince Albert's wife persuaded him to see an Australian speech therapist in London named Lionel Logue.  The two men embarked on a long journey of speech therapy, confidence building and friendship.  Prince Albert became King George VI when his brother abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson.  Lionell continued to work with the King during his tenure as King of England.  I think the highlight of the movie was toward the end when Mr. Logue coached the King before he delivered his speech announcing that England would be entering in the war against the German Nazis in 1939.

I love history and this is the kind of movie that left me eager to learn more.  I came home and started researching the lives of Lionel Logue, King George VI and the entire Royal Family.  The movie was like a breath of fresh air.  This is a top-notch family movie and I highly recommend it.  I was happy to learn that the movie has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards.