King George VI Is the nation ready for two minutes of radio silence?
Tied for most-quoted character in The King's Speech (2010): in 16 of its 30 quotes
Most scenes with: Lionel Logue (9), Queen Elizabeth (3)
If I am King, where is my power? Can I form a government? Levy a tax? Declare a war? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority because they think that when I speak, I speak for them. But I can't speak.
More lines from King George VI
4 quotes King George VI King George VI Waiting for me to... commence a conversation, one can wait rather a long wait.
King George VI We're not a family, we're a firm.
King George VI In this grave... hour... perhaps the most fateful in our history, I send... to every household of my... a-peoples, both at home... and overseas... this message... spoken with the same depth of feeling for each one of you as if I were able to cross... your threshold and speak to you... myself. For the second time in the lives of most of us, we are at... at war. Over and over again, we have tried to find... a peaceful way out of the differences between ourselves and those who are now... our enemies. But it has been... in vain. We have been forced into a conflict, for we are called to meet the challenge of a principle, which, if it were to prevail, would be fatal to any civilised order... in the world. Such a principle, stripped of all... disguise, is surely the mere... primitive doctrine that might... is right. For the sake of all that we ourselves hold dear, it is unthinkable that we should refuse to meet... the challenge. It is to this... high purpose that I now... call my people, at home, and my people across... the seas, who will make our cause their own. I ask them to stand calm, and firm, and united in this time of trial. The task will be hard. There may be dark days ahead, and war... can no longer be... confined... to the battlefield. But we can only do the right... as we see the right, and reverently... commit our cause... to God. If one and all we keep resolutely faithful... to it, then... with God's help, we shall... prevail.
Scenes with King George VI
11 scenes
What was your earliest memory?
King George VI What on earth do you mean?
Your first recollection.
King George VI I'm not... here to discuss... personal matters.
Why are you here then?
King George VI BECAUSE I BLOODY WELL STAMMER!
You have a bit of a temper.
King George VI One of... m-my many faults.
Do you know any jokes?
King George VI ...Timing isn't my strong suit.
King George VI [Logue is sitting on the coronation throne]
Get up! Y-you can't sit there! GET UP!
Why not? It's a chair.
King George VI T-that... that is not "a chair", that is Saint Edward's chair.
People have carved their names on it.
King George
Y-y-you...
It's held in place by a large rock.
King George
Th-that is the S-stone of Scone you are t-trivializing...
I don't care how many royal arseholes have sat in this chair.
King George VI L-listen to me... listen to me!
Listen to you? By what right?
King George VI By divine right, if you must. I am your king!
No, you're not. You just told me you didn't want it. Why should I waste my time listening to you?
King George VI Because I have a right to be heard! I have a voice!
[pause]
Yes, you do. [stands] You have such perseverance, Bertie. You're the bravest man I know. You'll make a bloody good king.
Princess Elizabeth
[watching a clip of Hitler speaking]
What's he saying?
King George VI I don't know but... he seems to be saying it rather well.
King George VI It's all right.
[Lionel moves to the corner of the room, while Elizabeth calmly continues to sip her tea] [Motioning]
Bertie, over here.
King George VI Are you all right, Logue?
Yes.
King George VI [getting up and moving to Logue's corner]
Well, shouldn't we go through? What is it?
'[Myrtle Logue enters the living room, and looks into Lionel's study. Not seeing them, she turns round, and is confronted with the sight of Queen Elizabeth sitting at her table]
Myrtle Logue
[lost for words]
You're... You're..!
It's "Your Majesty" the first time. After that, it's "ma'am." As in "ham." Not "mum" as in "palm."
I haven't told her about us. Sit down, relax.
[In the living room]
I'm told that your husband calls my husband "Bertie," and my husband calls your husband "Lionel." I trust you won't call me "Liz?"
Myrtle Logue
[nervously curtsying]
Your majesty, you may call me "Mrs. Logue," ma'am.
King George VI [In the office]
Logue, we can't stay here all day.
Yes we can. I have to choose the right moment.
King George VI Logue, you're being a coward.
You're damn right.
King George VI [Getting up and opening the door]
Get out there, man!
[leaving the office]
Hello, Myrtle, darling. You're early. I believe you two have met. But I don't think you know... King George VI.
King George VI It's very nice to meet you.
Myrtle Logue
[nervously curtsying again]
Will their Majesties be staying to dinner?
[seeing her unease]
We would love to, such a treat, but alas... a previous engagement. What a pity.
King George VI I'm sorry?
I believe sucking smoke into your lungs, well, it'll kill you.
King George VI My physicians say it relaxes the throat.
They're idiots.
King George VI They've all been knighted.
Makes it official, then.
King George VI David, I've been trying to see you
King Edward VIII I've been terribly busy.
King George VI Doing what?
King Edward VIII Kinging.
King George VI Really? Kinging... is a precarious business these days. Where's the Russian Tsar, Where's... cousin Wilhelm?
King Edward VIII Ugh, you're being dreary.
King George VI Is Kinging laying off... 80... staff and buying more pearls for Wallis while people are marching across Europe singing The Red Flag?
King Edward VIII Stop your worrying, Herr Hitler will sort them out.
King George VI And who will sort out Herr Hitler?
King Edward VIII Where's the bloody '23?
King George VI AND YOU PUT THAT WOMAN IN OUR MOTHER'S SUITE!
King Edward VIII Mama's not still in the bed, is she?
King George VI That's not funny.
King Edward VIII Here it is, Wallis likes the very best.
King George VI I don't care what... woman you carry on with at night as long as you... show up for duty in the morning.
King Edward VIII Wallis is not just some woman I'm carrying on with, we intend to marry.
King George VI [pause]
Excuse me?
King Edward VIII She's filing a petition for divorce.
King George VI Good God... can't you just give her a nice house and a title?
King Edward VIII I'm not having her as my mistress.
King George VI The Church doesn't recognize divorce and you are the... head of the Church
King Edward VIII Haven't I any rights?
King George VI Many privileges.
King Edward VIII Not the same thing. Your beloved common man may marry for love, why not me?
King George VI If you were... a common man on what basis could you... possibly claim to be king?
King Edward VIII Sounds like you've studied our wretched constitution.
King George VI Sounds like you haven't.
King Edward VIII That's what this is about, brushing up. Hence the elocution lessons, thats the scoop around town.
King George VI I'm trying to...
King Edward VIII Yearning for a larger audience, are we B-B-B-B-Bertie?
King George VI [pause]
Don't...
King Edward VIII What's that? I'm sorry, I... younger brother trying to push older brother off the throne, p-p-p-p-positively medieval.
King George VI All that work down the drain. My own brother, I couldn't say a single word to him in reply.
Why do you stammer so much more with David than you ever do with me?
King George VI 'Cos you're b... bloody well paid to listen.
Bertie, I'm not a geisha girl.
King George VI St... stop trying to be so bloody clever.
What is it about David that stops you speaking?
King George VI What is it about you that bloody well makes you want to go on about it the whole bloody time?
Vulgar, but fluent; you don't stammer when you swear.
King George VI Oh, bugger off!
Is that the best you can do?
King George VI Well... bloody bugger to you, you beastly bastard.
Oh, a public school prig could do better than that.
King George VI Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!
Yes!
King George VI Shit!
Defecation flows trippingly from the tongue!
King George VI Because I'm angry!
Do you know the f-word?
King George VI F... f... fornication?
King George VI ****. ****! ****, ****, **** and ****! ****, **** and bugger! Bugger, bugger, buggerty buggerty buggerty, ****, ****, arse!
Yes...
King George VI Balls, balls...
You see, not a hesitation!
King George VI ...****ity, shit, shit, **** and willy. Willy, shit and **** and... tits.
Logue's son
Dad, what's going on?
King George VI In this... grave hour **** **** **** perhaps the most fateful in our history bugger shit shit [ to the tune of "Swanee River" ] I send to every household of my... you see "P" is always difficult, even when I'm singing.
Bounce onto it. "apeoples".
King George VI ape... apeoples, Household of my apeoples both at home and overseas,
Beautiful.
King George VI this message [ to the tune of "Camptown Races"] doo dah, Spoken with the same depth of feeling doo dah day for each one of you, as if i were able to shit **** Bugger cross your threshold and speak to you...
In your head now, I have a right to be bloody well heard.
King George VI bloody well heard, bloody well heard, bloody well heard, Bloody Well Heard, BLOODY WELL HEARD MYSELF!
Now waltz, move, get continuous motion.
King George VI [ to the tune of Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty Waltz"]
For the second time in the lives of most of us we are at...
We are, take a pause.
King George VI : Lionel, I can't do this.
Bertie, you can do it. Have a look at the last paragraph.
Bertie, Its time.
You still stammered a bit on the w.
King George VI Well, I had to throw in a couple so they would know it was me.
King George VI You give a very noble account of yourself.
Make inquiries. It's all true.
King George VI Inquiries have been made. You have no idea who I have... breathing down my neck. I vouched for you. And you have no... credentials.
But lots of success! I can't show you a certificate. There was no training then. Everything I know, I know from experience, and that war was some experience. My plaque says, "L. Logue, Speech Defects", not "Doctor". There are no letters after my name. [goes to his knees] Lock me in the Tower.
King George VI I would, if I could.
On what charge?
King George VI Fraud. With war looming you've saddled this nation with a voiceless... king! [turns away] You've destroyed the happiness of my family, all for the sake of ensnaring a star patient you couldn't... possibly hope to assist! It'll be like Mad King George III. Only... Mad King George The Stammerer. Who let his people down so badly in their hour of need- [Logue is sitting on the coronation throne] What are you doing? Get up! Y-you can't sit there! GET UP!
Why not? It's a chair.
King George VI T-that... that is not "a chair", that is Saint Edward's chair!
People have carved their names on it.
King George
Y-y-you... That is the seat on which every king and queen-
It's held in place by a large rock.
King George
Th-that is the S-stone of Scone! You are t-trivializing everything...! You trivialize-
King George VI L-listen to me... listen to me!
Listen to you? By what right?
King George VI By divine right, if you must. I am your King!
No, you're not. You just told me you didn't want it. Why should I waste my time listening to you?
King George VI Because I have a right to be heard! [Logue starts to interrupt] I HAVE A VOICE!
[pause]
Yes, you do. [stands] You have such perseverance, Bertie. You're the bravest man I know. You'll make a bloody good king.
