The King's Speech · written by David Seidler · 2010

Bertie and Lionel rehearse the war address; Bertie panics, then begins the long walk toward the broadcast room.

Scene 88 of 100 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act three

Bertie
Lionel
Elizabeth

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:19 into a 1:31 film

The story so farBefore scene 88

Prince Albert seeks to overcome a lifelong stammer so he can serve his country, but his fear of public failure and the royal hierarchy obstruct his work with an unconventional speech therapist.

Scenes 1–11
Bertie lives within royal ceremony but cannot speak publicly and remains constrained by family roles.
Scenes 12–24
Elizabeth seeks a different treatment because Bertie must speak and conventional medicine has failed.
Scenes 25–30
Bertie enters Logue’s unfamiliar, egalitarian practice and finally commits to its daily work.
Scenes 31–58
He tests the exercises in public and private while family history and David’s crisis expose the cost of silence.
Scenes 59–64
David abdicates and Bertie receives the throne he never wanted.
Scenes 65–67
The accession speech fails, and Bertie feels the loss of private family closeness and confidence.
Scenes 68–78
Bertie returns to Logue, repairs their friendship, and claims the right to speak as a man and king.
Just before
Scene 85
Lionel hurries across the Buckingham Palace quadrangle.
Scene 86
Lionel hangs up his coat, umbrella, and gas mask.
Scene 87
Hardinge meets Lionel on the stairs and hands him the speech.
Scene 88
This scene

88INT. BERTIE’S STUDY, BUCKINGHAM PALACE - DAY

Bertie (dressed in his naval uniform) and Logue (dressed in black tie) are rehearsing.

BERTIE

(stammering very badly)

“There may be dark days ahead, and

w-w-wa...”

LIONEL

Try again.

BERTIE

“There may be dark days ahead, and

w-... ”

LIONEL

Turn the hesitations into pauses,

and say to yourself, “God save the

King”.

BERTIE

I say that continually, but

apparently no one’s listening.

LIONEL

Long pauses are good: they add

solemnity to great occasions.

BERTIE

Then I’m the solemnest king who

ever lived. Lionel, I can’t do

this!

LIONEL

Bertie, you can do this!

BERTIE

If I am to be King...where is my

power? May I form a Government,

levy a tax or declare a war? No!

Yet I am the seat of all authority.

Why? Because the Nation believes

when I speak, I speak for them. Yet

I cannot speak!

As though none of this had happened:

LIONEL

Let’s take it from the top. “In

this grave hour...”

BERTIE

(hesitates, then)

“In this grave hour fuck fuck fuck

perhaps the most fateful in our

history bugger shit shit (singing)

I send to every household of my p-p-

The letter‘P’ is always difficult.

LIONEL

Bounce onto it ‘a-peoples both at

home and’

BERTIE

“a-peoples both at home and