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1:12 Mark Logue:

I discovered the diaries and papers after my dad passed away in 2001, then

quickly forgot about them until 2007, when I started reading through them for

the first time.Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:12

1:13 Diana :

Peter, this is such a big story - I am really keen to know how you started to put

the book together? Must be so much materialWednesday January 12, 2011 1:13

1:15 Peter Conradi:

Yes, Mark managed to accumulate a huge amount of material: his

grandfather's dairy, plus loads of letters between him and the King and the

Queen Mother, newspaper cuttings from the era and other documents. It was a

question of working my way through all of that and then setting it all in a

historical context.

Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:15

1:16 Mark Logue:

I became involved in the film just 2 months before filming began. The diaries

were transcribed with the help of Tom Hooper's PA Fran Budd and then

passed on to Tom (director), David Seidler (script writter) and the actors, and

heaps of photographs and scanned letters used by art departmentWednesday January 12, 2011 1:16

1:16 Hannah :

What was the most surprising thing you learnt while you were writing the

book?


1:17 Peter Conradi:

The closeness of the relationship between Logue and the King. It started off as

a professional relationship but then turned into a genuine friendship - even if

they weren't on quite so matey terms as they seem to be in the filmWednesday January 12, 2011 1:17

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1:18 Mark Logue:

Before I found the diaries, all I knew was that he was the King's speech

therapist, so everything after that was a new discovery for me.Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:18

1:19 ST Culture:

Above you will see a letter from the Duke (as he then was) expressing his

gratitude at the progress he was already beginning to show at the start of his

therapyWednesday January 12, 2011 1:19

1:19 Peter Conradi:

This is just one of the many letters from the future King George VI that Mark

managed to come up with. It was really amazing reading them all these years

laterWednesday January 12, 2011 1:19

1:19 David, Twickenham :I saw the film at the weekend and was fascinated by the methods used to help

cure stammers. Have these methods changed much, or do they remain pretty

much the same today?Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:19

1:21 Peter Conradi:

To be honest, neither of us are really expert on contemporary stammering

treatments. I suspect pebbles have gone out of fashion these days - if only for

health and safety reasons...Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:21


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1:22 Harry :

Peter, how did you come to be involved in the project?


1:22 Mark Logue:

It's a letter from the then Duke of York (later to become King) to Logue justbefore his trip to Australia to open parliament in Canberra. It's during the lead

up to this engagement that the Duke sought the help of Logue, visiting him 53

times from Oct to Jan 1926Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:22

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1:24 Mark Logue:

And I don't suppose smoking is prescribed either


1:24 Peter Conradi:

I became involved because Mark approached a literary agent to get someone

to help him out with putting the book together and, since I had written booksbefore, I was asked to come on board - which I did with great enthusiasm

because I could see it was a great story.Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:24

1:25 ST Culture:

The appointment card, above, is difficult to read, so here is what it says:

"Physical well built, with good shoulders but waist line very flabby, the card

entry continued. Good chest development, lung breathing good. Has never

used diaphragm of lower lung - this has resulted through non control of solar

plexus in nervous tension with consequent episodes of bad speech, depression.

Contracts teeth & mouth & mechanically closes throat. Gets chin down &closes throat at times. An extraordinary habit of clipping small words (an, in

on) and saying the first syllable of one word and the last in another clipping

the centre and very often hesitancy.Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:25

1:26 David, Bedford :

I don't think the general public really knew to what extent the speech problem

had on the king. Could you give us an insight into the emotional effects this

had on the man from the material you found?Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:26

1:27 Mark Logue:

In my view, this is the most interesting document in the archive.


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1:27 ST Culture:

Can you explain why, Mark?


1:29 Peter Conradi:

Judging by the newspaper reports of the day, people were aware of the

problem when the future King was still the Duke of York but it became talked

about less after he became King. It was obvious to everyone listening to any

of his broadcasts, though, despite the enormous advances he made with

Logue. As the film shows very well, it certainly weighed very heavily on him

throughout his life.Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:29

1:30 Mark Logue:

Logue's straight forward, honest and candid appraisal of the Duke, the

frequency of the visits, and the incredible progress he made in the first 2months


1:31 Mark, Kent :

Both of you - did you have a favourite speech of King George VI?


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1:31 ST Culture:

Here is a letter confirming the first appointment between Logue and the then

Duke of YorkWednesday January 12, 2011 1:31

1:32 Peter Conradi:

Favourite speech? Probably the one he made on the outbreak of war whichmarks the climax of the film - if only because it was such a momentous


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occasion.Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:32

1:34 Emma Pointer :

Have either of you ever had any problems with public speaking yourselves?


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1:35 Peter Conradi:Fortunately, not - but on the other hand I have never had to make a radio

broadcast to hundreds of millions of people across the British Empire as the

King had to!Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:35

1:35 ST Culture:

Above is an image of George VI during one of his first broadcasts as King in

1937Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:35

1:36 Mark Logue:

Not that anyone remembers it, but the Christmas broadcast he made in 1944stands out to me, because it was the first broadcast he made on his own,

without Logue in attendance, and also because Logue edited it heavily to

ensure he'd have no problems with it. I have the original copy, and it is

heavily annotated.Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:36

1:38 billyboy :

How do you think a monarch with a speech impediment would be treated by

the press and public today?Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:38

1:38 Mark Logue:

I suffer from red carpet fever


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1:39 Peter Conradi:

Difficult to say how we couild cope with a stammering king today, but I

would like to think there would not be the same sense of shame attached to

having a speech impediment as there was back in those days.Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:39

1:40 ST Culture:

... or a stammering Queen ....


1:41 Peter Conradi:

Indeed


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1:44 ST Culture:

The King gave this signed portrait to Logue after the Coronation


1:44 James :

If the screenplay (your book) gets an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted

Screenplay, would you two get to go to the ceremony!? I'll hold your luggage

if so!Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:44

1:45 Mark Logue:

It's one of the autographed photos that was always on display at my parents

homeWednesday January 12, 2011 1:45


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1:46 Peter Conradi:

Sadly, the screenplay was an original one written by David Seidler. Ours was

a parallel project based on Mark's material, so no automatic Oscar invite, I'm

afraid. But we will be in touch, James, if that changes. I hope you will be able

to cope with the weight of all the bags I will need for my various costume

changesWednesday January 12, 2011 1:46

1:47 Mark Logue:

The screenplay wasn't adapted from the book, nor the book a novelisation of

the film. The two developed in parallelWednesday January 12, 2011 1:47

1:48 Guest :An impolite question but I cant resist it: will you make a lot of money out of

the film?Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:48

1:48 Peter Conradi:Not directly out of the film, unfortunately - or I would be writing this from

Monaco rather than Wapping, east London - but obviously, the more people

buy the book, the happier we will be...Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:48

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1:55 Ben, Earls Court :

That's incredible that the Royal Archives didn't have documents... Or claimed

not to. Cover up? What other royal ailments don't we know about!!?Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:55

1:56 Peter Conradi:

Conspiracy theories, conspiracy theories. But yes, I was a little disappointed

they couldn't help usWednesday January 12, 2011 1:56

1:58 Mark Logue:

I don't think it's a coverup, just not a endorsement, or confirmation.


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1:59 ST Culture:

Here is the letter from the Queen to Logue on the King's death. It shows

without a doubt that the relationship endured.Wednesday January 12, 2011 1:59

2:01 ST Culture:

Well our time is pretty much up, so we've just got time for a final commentfrom both the authors. Are either of you working on another book at the


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moment?Wednesday January 12, 2011 2:01

2:03 Peter Conradi:

I am indeed: a much broader book about British and European monarchy: its

history and how it is today. It will be a few months before it comes out,

thoughWednesday January 12, 2011 2:03

2:03 Mark Logue:

I've run out of ancestors with interesting stories, but if anyone out there has a

pile of letters in their attic, get in touch...Wednesday January 12, 2011 2:03

2:04 ST Culture:Thanks to both and of course to the audience and their questions. Please do

tune in again next week for another topic du jour. Bye.Wednesday January 12, 2011 2:04

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