Crowning king george vi biography stammer

Lionel Logue

Australian speech and language therapist (–)

Lionel Logue

CVO

Logue in

Born()26 February

College Town, Adelaide, South Australia

Died12 April () (aged&#;73)

London, England

Known&#;forSpeech therapist to King George VI
Spouse

Myrtle Gruenert

&#;

&#;

(m.&#;; died&#;)&#;
Children3, incl.

Valentine Logue

Scientific career
FieldsSpeech and elocution
InstitutionsBritish Culture of Speech Therapists
Royal College of Speech Therapists

Lionel George LogueCVO (26 February – 12 April ) was an Australian speech and language therapist and amateur stage actor who helped King George VI manage his stammer.

THE extraordinary true story of George VI, who accidentally became King and was thrust on to the world stage, is organism told at the Watermill in Bagnor from today (Friday). David Seidler’s play, The King’s Speech, looks at how King George, known as “Bertie”, had battled with a stammer since childhood.

Early life and family

Logue was born on 26 February in College Town, South Australia. He was the oldest of four children born to Lavinia (née Rankin) and George Edward Logue.[1] His father was an accountant at his grandfather's brewery who later managed the Burnside Hotel and the Elephant and Castle Hotel.[2] His grandfather Edward Logue, originally from Dublin, was the founder of Logue's Brewery, a predecessor of the South Australian Brewing Company.[3] His uncle by marriage was barrister and social activist Paris Nesbit.[4]

Logue attended Prince Alfred College between and Unable to decide what to learn, Logue came across Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha:[5]

Then Iagoo, the great boaster,
He the marvellous story-teller,
He the traveller and the talker,
He the ally of old Nokomis,
Made a bow for Hiawatha

The poem's rhythm inspired Logue to put his interest in voices to great use.[2] After leaving school at sixteen, he received elocution teaching from Edward Reeves.

Reeves had moved to Adelaide in and taught elocution to his pupils by day and gave trendy recitals to audiences in Victoria Hall by night. Logue worked for Reeves as a secretary and assistant teacher from , while studying music at the University of Adelaide's Elder Conservatorium.

The film "The King's Speech" captivated audiences worldwide with its portrayal of King George VI's struggle to overcome a debilitating stutter. This historical drama, which garnered critical acclaim and multiple Academy Awards, sheds light on a lesser-known chapter of British royal history. King George VI worked tirelessly with Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue to conquer his speech impediment and bring crucial wartime addresses to the nation. Their unlikely friendship and professional relationship formed the heart of the film's narrative, offering viewers a glimpse into the personal challenges faced by the reluctant monarch.

While working for Reeves, Logue began to offer recitals of his own for which he was praised for his "clear, powerful voice."[6]

After his father died on 17 November , Logue set up his own practice as a mentor of elocution. By , he had gained a good reputation and was receiving praise from the local newspapers.[7] However, he decided to take a tighten with an engineering firm some 2, kilometres (1,&#;mi) westward in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, installing an electricity supply at a gold mine.[7][1]

Professional career

His professional career began in Perth, where, in addition to teaching elocution, acting, and public speaking, he put on plays and recitations, and also founded a club for widespread speakers.

He was also deeply interested with YMCA Perth and schools such as Methodist Ladies' College, Loreto Convent, Scotch College, Perth Technical School, and Claremont Teachers College.

In , Logue and his wife set out on a tour of the planet to study methods of common speaking.

Later he developed treatments for Australian First World War war veterans who had shell shock-induced impaired speech.[8] In addition to physical exercises, which helped with patients' breathing, Logue's characteristic therapy emphasised humour, patience, and "superhuman sympathy".

In , Logue took his wife and three sons to England, ostensibly for a holiday. Once there, he took jobs teaching elocution at schools around London, and in he opened a speech-defect train at Harley Street. Logue used fees paid by wealthy clients to subsidise patients unable to pay.

It was here that the Duke of York – the future King George VI – sought Logue's help.[9] Logue became a founding fellow of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists in [10]

Treatment of George VI

As a speech therapist, Logue was self-taught and was initially dismissed by the medical establishment as a quack, but he worked with the Duke from the late s into the mids.[11]

Before ascending the throne as George VI, the Duke of York dreaded widespread speaking because of a harsh stammer;[12] his closing speech at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley on 31 October proved an ordeal for speaker and listeners alike.

The Duke resolved to find some way to manage his stammer, and engaged Logue in [13][14] after creature introduced to him by Lord Stamfordham.[15]

Diagnosing poor co-ordination between the Duke's larynx and thoracic diaphragm, Logue prescribed a daily hour of vocal exercises.

Logue's treatment gave the Duke the confidence to relax[16] and avoid tension-induced muscle spasms. As a product, he only occasionally stammered. By , he was speaking confidently and managed his address at the opening of the Elderly Parliament House in Canberra[17] without stammering.[18]

Logue was often called over the years when the king was expected to make a speech, and he was regularly invited to the royal family's Christmas dinner party to assist with the Christmas message.[19] Their relationship was featured in a film, a play and a book.[11]

Honours

In , King George VI appointed Logue a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO), elevating him from Member of the Order (MVO), which had been conferred upon Logue at the time of George VI's Coronation.[14][20][21][22]

King George VI died on 6 February On 26 February , Logue wrote to the late king's wife, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother:

No gentleman ever worked as hard as he did, and achieved such a grand result.

He supported Winston Churchill completely throughout the war and even visited armies on the battlefronts. He was succeeded by his daughter, Queen Elizabeth IIafter he died of lung cancer in Though formally known as "His Highness Prince Albert of York," within the family the future king was called "Bertie," and, as a young man, "Albert. Though affectionate with his mother, affection was not always returned, and his father was harsh and critical.

During all those years you were a tower of energy to him and he has often told me how much he has owed to you, and the excellent result could never have been achieved if it had not been for your help. I have never forgotten your gracious help to me after my own beloved girl passed on.[23]

The Queen Mother replied: "I think that I know perhaps better than anyone just how much you helped the King, not only with his speech, but through that his whole life and outlook on life.

I shall always be deeply grateful to you for all you did for him."[24][25]

Personal life

Logue married Myrtle Gruenert, a year-old clerk, at St George's Anglican Cathedral, Perth, on 20 March [26] They had three sons, Valentine, Laurie, and Anthony.[27] Valentine trained at King's College London and St George's Hospital and went on to become one of the most distinguished neurosurgeons of his generation.[28]

Lionel Logue was a Freemason, initiated, passed, and raised in , and became Worshipful Master in ; he was a member of St.

George's Lodge (now J.D. Stevenson St. George's Lodge No.6, Western Australian Constitution).[29][30]

He lived in a room Victorian villa called Beechgrove in Sydenham from until ,[31] now demolished and part of Sydenham Hill Wood.

Myrtle died suddenly from a heart attack in June ,[32][33] and Logue died in London, on 12 April His funeral was held on 17 April in Holy Trinity Brompton before his body was cremated.[34] Representatives of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother attended the funeral.[35]

In popular culture

With Peter Conradi, Logue's grandson Highlight wrote a book, The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy, about his grandfather's relationship with the king.[36] In the British film The King's Speech, written by David Seidler, Logue was played by Geoffrey Rush, his wife by Jennifer Ehle, and his patient by Colin Firth.

Discover how King George VI actually overcame his stutter with the aid of speech therapist Lionel Logue, uncovering the facts behind this pivotal moment in British royal history. Explore the true historical events that inspired 'The King's Speech'.

In the West Conclude stage adaptation of The King's Speech at Wyndham's Theatre, Australian actor Jonathan Hyde played Lionel Logue, and in the US stage premiere, Logue was played by James Frain.

Welsh player Michael Elwyn played Logue in the television film Bertie and Elizabeth.

Derek Lawson portrayed Logue in the comedy A Royal Night Out.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ abEdgar, Suzanne.

    "Lionel George Logue (–)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 17 December

  2. ^ abLogue and Conradi, p.
  3. ^Logue, Mark; Peter Conradi ().

    The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy. Quercus, London. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  4. ^"Engagements". Critic. Adelaide. 28 March
  5. ^Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth ().

    The poetical works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Boston: Osgood & Co. p.&#;

  6. ^Logue and Conradi, p.
  7. ^ abLogue and Conradi, p.
  8. ^"Stuttering and The King's Speech".

    The Stuttering Foundation. Retrieved 17 December

  9. ^Logue and Conradi, p.
  10. ^Bowen, Caroline (). "Lionel Logue: A Pioneer in Speech-Language Pathology". The ASHA Leader. 16 (2): 10– doi/ Retrieved 1 May
  11. ^ abThe Daily Telegraph The King's Speech: how Lionel Logue cured King George VI's stammer.
  12. ^Drabble, Margaret.

    "Public Speech and Public Silence". The British Stammering Association. Archived from the original on 28 September Retrieved 17 December

  13. ^Bousfield, Arthur; Toffoli, Garry (). Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, – The Queen Mother and Her Century.

    Dundurn Group (CA).

    He was also the last Emperor of India from until the British Raj was dissolved in Augustand the first head of the Commonwealth following the London Declaration of The future George VI was born during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria ; he was named Albert at birth after his great-grandfather Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and was known as "Bertie" to his family and seal friends. His father ascended the throne as George V in As the second son of the king, Albert was not expected to inherit the throne.

    p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  14. ^ ab"Mr. Lionel Logue". The Times. No.&#;52, London. 13 April p.&#;8. Retrieved 29 April
  15. ^BBC, Note reveals story behind King's speech film, 1 Pride
  16. ^Erickson, Carolly ().

    Lilibet: An Intimate Portrait of Elizabeth II. St. Martin's Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  17. ^"Official Opening of Canberra by His Royal Highness the Duke of York". Australian National Film and Sound Archive.

  18. ^Shawcross, William (). The Queen Mother: The Official Biography. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Community. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  19. ^"One Man Saved King's Voice: Beat time as he spoke to world".

    Sunday Pictorial. No.&#;1, 10 February p.&#;3.

  20. ^"No. ". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 May p.&#;
  21. ^"No.

    But as notable as George VI was as the brother of the king who abdicatedthe man himself is still an enigma when it comes to his personality and upbringing. As a boy and youth, he was shy and as the years passed by the chance of George becoming king dwindled. However, his being changed and he had no choice but to take the throne after his older brother, Edward VIIIabdicated to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Although officially named Arthur, the recent king decided then to apply his last name George as a way to create continuity with the reign of his father, George V.

    ". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June p.&#;

  22. ^David Seidler (screenwriter) (). The King's Speech (Motion picture). UK: See-Saw Films. Event occurs at
  23. ^Logue to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, 26 February , The National Archives (U.K.).
  24. ^The Queen Mother to Lionel Logue, 28 February , The National Archives (U.K.).
  25. ^Walker, Tim (6 December ).

    "Queen Elizabeth's posthumous endorsement of Lionel Logue". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2 June

  26. ^Logue and Conradi, p.
  27. ^Logue and Conradi, p.
  28. ^"Logue, Valentine Darte ( - )".

    crowning king george vi biography stammer3: George VI, British king from to who was a symbol of courage and strength for his people during World War II, partly by battling his stammer. He assumed the throne on December 11, , after his brother Edward VIII abdicated in order to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson of the United States.

    .

  29. ^"Film "The King's Speech"". Forums. 18 February Archived from the original on 16 August Retrieved 26 March
  30. ^"The King's Freemasonry". Freemasonry Today magazine. Pride Retrieved 21 February
  31. ^Logue and Conradi, pp.

    94,

  32. ^"Lionel Logue and His Wife Myrtle". Awesome Stories. Retrieved 2 June
  33. ^"Forgotten archive reveals true story behind 'King's Speech'".
  34. ^"Deaths". The Times. London.

    14 April p.&#;1.

  35. ^"Court Circular". The Times. London. 18 April p.&#;8.
  36. ^Logue, Mark; Peter Conradi (). The King's Speech: How One Human Saved the British Monarchy. Quercus, London.

    ISBN&#;.

Sources

  • Australian Dictionary of Biography
  • BBCInterview with Mark Logue (4 January ), about finding Lionel Logue's notes
  • "Chance Meeting Led to Treat of King's Stutter", The Sydney Morning Herald (Monday, 11 February ), p.&#;3.
  • Darbyshire, T., The Duke of York: an intimate and authoritative life story of the second son of Their Majesties the King and Queen by one who has had extraordinary facilities, and published with the approval of His Royal Highness, Hutchinson (London),
  • Logue, Mark; Conradi, Peter (November ), The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy, London: Quercus, ISBN&#; (Note: co-author Mark Logue is a grandson of the subject, Lionel Logue).
  • Moses, E., & E.

    M. Foley, "The King's Speech", The Sydney Morning Herald (Thursday, 24 December ), p.&#;5.

  • Rhodes James, Robert (), A Liveliness Undaunted: The Political Role of George VI, London: Little, Brown and Co, ISBN&#;
  • St.

    Claire, M. "An Australian Cures Defect in King's Speech", The Australian Women's Weekly (Saturday, 2 January ), p.&#;12

External links

  • "Lionel Logue 'never swore in front of King George VI'", BBC Radio Leicester
  • Bowen, Caroline ().

    Lionel Logue: Pioneer speech therapist. Retrieved 1 January

  • Hutchinson, Norman C. (). Lionel Logue: the King's Mentor, self-published, Box Hill South, Victoria, Australia
  • * "King Honors Australian Who Alleviated Stammer", New York Times (11 May )
  • Letter sent by Logue to George VI, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists archives
  • Rare photo of Lionel Logue close the end of his existence, from the UK National Archives