Bertie (King George VI) (Colin Firth)’s Timeline and Summary
- Bertie gets up to give a big speech at Wembley Stadium, but he stutters so badly he can barely say two words.
- Nine years after the Wembley speech, we find Bertie plodding away with a speech therapist and trying to cure his stutter. It doesn't amount to much though because his therapist is a quack.
- Despite his wife's protests, Bertie says he won't see any more therapists because he's sick of being humiliated.
- Eventually, Elizabeth convinces Bertie to try one last speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Bertie goes and quickly becomes frustrated with Logue's message. Before he leaves though, Logue asks him to take a recording of himself reading Hamlet with earphones on.
- Back home, Bertie fears that his brother David is going to ruin the family by marrying a divorced American woman named Wallis.
- He sits and broods, but finally gives in and listens to the recording Logue made of him. In it, he hears himself speaking perfectly.
- Next time we see Bertie, he's back in Logue's office. But he only wants help with mechanics and exercises. Despite Logue's wishes, Bertie has no interest in telling Logue about his personal life.
- Bertie and Logue work together for a while and it seems like things are going well. But then Bertie's father the king dies and it looks like Bertie's no-good brother David will take the throne. Bertie tries to confront David about neglecting his kingly responsibilities, but can't stop stuttering when his brother looks at him.
- Back at Logue's office, Bertie feels as though all of his progress has been brushed away by his last encounter with David. Worse yet, it looks like David is going to walk away from the throne to marry his lover Wallis.
- Sure enough, David leaves the throne and Bertie becomes king. And now it looks like England is going to go to war with Germany, so Bertie has to deliver a speech to rally his country.
- With Logue's help Bertie prepares for his speech and delivers the best public address of his life. The closing credits tell us that Bertie would go on to be a beloved king and would remain friends with Logue for the rest of his life.