The Family Papers Behind the King’s Speech

My English boyfriend Colin Firth (perhaps you’ve heard of him?) is going to win an Oscar tonight for his performance in The King’s Speech.

The family papers behind the King’s Speech belong to speech therapist Lionel Logue, whose family went up into the attic and made a lovely discovery. There they found Mr. Logue’s papers, including a trove of nearly 100 letters between George VI and Mr. Logue.

As he rifled through the historic papers, Mark found details of all George VI’s appointments with Lionel Logue neatly recorded on index cards and some detailed diary notes.

When the King George VI died in 1952 the Queen Mother wrote the therapist a handwritten note of thanks for all he had done with the King.

The letter from Buckingham Palace, embossed with a Royal logo, is written in neat handwriting and signed ‘I am, yours very sincerely, Elizabeth’.

She writes in the letter that she hopes Lionel, who was ill at the time, ‘will soon be better’.

Mark Logue, with the Logue Family Papers Behind the King’s Speech.

Read more about the family papers behind the King’s Speech at CBS by clicking here to visit or go to the Mail Online to read the story and see some of the documents.

But for the real scoop, try grandson Mark Logue’s book, The King’s Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy.

“Based on a treasure trove of royal letters, appointment cards and photographs, a new book on the remarkable life of Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue fills many of the gaps left by the hit film The King’s Speech.” – Edmonton Journal

“The forgotten king is emerging from the shadows, thanks in no small part to the film The King’s Speech and the book of the same name by Peter Conradi and Mark Logue, grandson of the monarch’s speech therapist, Lionel Logue” – Maclean’s

“His scribbled reminiscences and elegant letters – highlights of which are published here for the first time – offer an intimate insight into the Royal family throughout some of the most turbulent years of the last century.” – The Daily Telegraph

The archivist in me hopes the family considers donating the collection to an archives for research purposes, but the genealogist in me says they probably won’t.

And congratulations, Mr. Firth – well deserved.