A little-known story
1128 mots
5 pages
Lionel Logue was an Australian who moved to England during the 1920s. He was a pioneer in the teaching of elocution and as what we today call a speech therapist. His success brought him to the notice of the Royal Household, and he was soon requested to take on another patient: H.R.H. Prince Albert, Duke of York, second son of King George V. Bertie, as the Royal Family called him, had a severe stammer that had begun during his spartan childhood and became worse as he grew up. Already outshown by his glamourous older brother the Prince of Wales, Bertie's speech difficulties caused him endless embarassment and hid his many fine qualities. Fortunately, Bertie had a wife who was determined to help her husband. Elizabeth, Duchess of York either introduced her husband to Logue or was otherwise instrumental in helping the two to connect. Over the next several years Logue met with his royal patient many times and eventually succeeded in helping the Duke gain more self confidence and speak more clearly.
Logue and Bertie's success came to be of national importance in December 1936 when King Edward VIII suddenly abdicated and left the throne to his younger brother. Now King George VI, Bertie was required to make many speeches both in person and over the air. He never completely mastered his stammer, but his improvement, fostered by Logue and by Queen Elizabeth, enabled him to speak fluently enough to satisfy all but the most severe critics. This was critical, because King George was to lead his nation and Empire through some of its darkest times of war and economic downturn.
Mark Logue is the grandson of Lionel Logue. This book is based in part on Lionel's diaries, and contains much new material on the King's speech problems and the therapies that alleviated them. It is very well written and illustrated and will be of interest to historians, those who deal with speech difficulties, and anyone who enjoys reading about determined, quietly heroic people.
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