A chronicle of the life of George VI, who was forced to become King following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, and his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth.A chronicle of the life of George VI, who was forced to become King following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, and his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth.A chronicle of the life of George VI, who was forced to become King following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, and his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth.
- Wallis Simpson
- (as Amber Rose Sealey)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTommy Lascelles (Paul Brooke) is depicted as the Private Secretary to Bertie from the start of his reign, and certainly from the beginning of the war. In fact, though he had been an Assistant Private Secretary since shortly before King George V's death, he was only promoted to the full role (directly dealing with the King and his boxes, for example) as late in the War as 1943. He remained at post for the rest of the King's reign, several years after retirement age, and into Elizabeth II's first year as Queen. It's best to think of the role as combining two real-life people (Sir Alec Hardinge and Sir Alan "Tommy" Lascelles) into one.
- GoofsThe Duchess of York is shown as being pregnant at the time of her and the Duke's first visit to Lionel Logue. In fact, the visit took place in October of 1926 when the infant Princess Elizabeth was already six months old.
- Quotes
[Queen Mary and Lady Mabell Airlie notice that Bertie is taking an interest in Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon]
Queen Mary: I think my son is rather keen on the Strathmore girl.
Lady Mabell Airlie: I formed that impression too.
Queen Mary: We could do worse than marry Bertie to a member of the British aristocracy. I mean, *some* of them are quite respectable - yourself, for example.
Lady Mabell Airlie: Has it ever been done? Isn't royal blood supposed to be a unique asset? Surely she'd be the first commoner to marry into the royal family since, umm...
Queen Mary: Anne Boleyn.
Lady Mabell Airlie: Well, that didn't work out, did it?
Queen Mary: Well, my understanding is that until he had her beheaded, the whole thing was a resounding success.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Story of the Costume Drama: The Stars (2008)
- SoundtracksIf You Were the Only Girl (In the World)
(uncredited)
Music by Nat Ayer (as Nat D. Ayer)
Lyrics by Clifford Grey
However! If you can chuck all that aside and just focus on the film itself, it's a charming, sweet, no-brainer movie with uplifting moments tossed in.
The portrayal of the struggles between David and Bertie, who'd always been close, after the arrival of Wallis, is the most "poison pill" version I've seen. David is portrayed as a flat-out cad, while Wallis is a scheming, grasping "rhymes-with-'itch.'" The devastation of Bertie and the poise of Elizabeth are in sharp contrast to the "bad couple."
This is just one example of how the writers used elements to highlight the tremendous tension between public and private royal life in the 20th century, and how personal feelings *must* be sacrificed to duty. Obviously, this dynamic still plays out in the 21st century.
What shines through above all in this picture is the love between Bertie and Elizabeth. As such, it is a charming romance film with some lovely costumes and sets, and some moving historical references thrown in. The steadfastness of B & E's relationship, and how it allowed both of them to survive some of the most crushing episodes of their lives, is inspiring to watch.
And then one wants to grab a book to find out what *really* happened. :-)
Details
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Color