The King’s War: The Friendship of George VI and Lionel Logue During World War II

George VI and his speech therapist Lionel Logue were the subjects of Logue and Conradi’s best-selling The King’s Speech and later the award-winning film adaptation. Here, Logue, a grandson of Lionel, and Conradi follow-up that earlier work with a sequel that chronicles the relationship and mutual respect between the men, as Lionel continued to assist the king in preparing speeches during World War II. Drawing on extensive research, the authors begin with an account of the funeral of George VI, and proceed to describe pivotal events of World War II—the 1939 London blackouts, the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940, D-day in 1944—as the backdrop of the continued friendship. Other compelling characters are profiled, including then-Princess Elizabeth, who won Lionel’s admiration with her first speeches; Winston Churchill, during his tenure as prime minister during the war; and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, who were navigating negative publicity. Overall, this intriguing work offers firsthand accounts of the experiences of the king and his family.