Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
James Wilby | ... | Bertie | |
Alan Bates | ... | King George V | |
Eileen Atkins | ... | Queen Mary | |
Dolly Wells | ... | Princess Mary | |
William Mickleburgh | ... | James Stuart | |
Juliet Aubrey | ... | Elizabeth | |
Barbara Leigh-Hunt | ... | Lady Mabell Airlie | |
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Rupert Wickham | ... | Equerry |
Charles Edwards | ... | David | |
Alexandra Staden | ... | Young Woman | |
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Nicholas Pritchard | ... | J.C. Davidson |
Oliver Ford Davies | ... | Archbishop Lang | |
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Geoffrey Beevers | ... | Earl of Strathmore |
Deborah Cornelius | ... | Thelma Furness | |
Michael Elwyn | ... | Lionel Logue |
The Duke of York, nicknamed "Bertie" (James Wilby), was born as royal "spare heir", younger brother to the Prince of Wales, and thus expected to spend a relatively private life with his Scottish wife, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Juliet Aubrey), and their daughters, in the shadow of their reigning father, George V (Sir Alan Bates), and next that of his elder brother, who later succeeded to the British throne as Edward VIII. However, Edward decides to put his love for divorced American, Wallis Simpson (Amber Sealey), above dynastic duty, and ends up abdicating the throne, which falls to Bertie, who reigns as King George VI. He expects to be, as constitutional monarch, little more then a figure head, but again, fate has other ideas: Nazi Germany proves to be such a formidable war challenger to the British Empire that the desperate nation looks to the royal couple as a comforting symbol of its unbroken spirit, a part they play with great success, while hosting chased monarchs and governments ... Written by KGF Vissers
If you want historical accuracy, look elsewhere. Fact, distortion, omission, and plain fiction are so interwoven in this picture that I almost wanted to see a disclaimer at the start of the film.
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. :-)