21/5/2014

LO: To be able to understand how the royal family and radio technology influenced the
context of The Kings Speech

King George VIs Public life and adversity from last lesson
You are to write a paragraph on Berties story, structured like the short stories we read last
lesson. You must include:
- A catchy headline that names and summarises the adversity King George VI faced during
his life.
- A short paragraph on significant adverse events, and what he did to overcome this
adversity
- A bold statement on what he could have done. End it with the line in all the stories but he
didnt.

21/5/2014
From blog website: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth - a peek into the past:
http://enchantedserenityperiodfilms.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/king-george-vi-and-queen-elizabeth-peek.html

Heres a look at the British Monarchs, starting with Queen Victoria, George VIs great-grandmother:
VICTORIA (reigned 1837-1901)
Married Albert of Saxe-Cobourg in 1840.
They had 9 children: Victoria, Albert
(later Edward VII), Alice, Alfred, Helena,
Louise, Arthur, Leopold and Beatrice.
EDWARD VII (reigned 1901-1910)
Married Alexandra of Denmark in 1863.
They had 6 children: Albert, George (later
George V, Berties father), Louise,
Victoria, Maud and John.
GEORGE V (reigned 1910-1936)
Married Mary of Teck in 1893. They had
6 children: Edward (later Edward VIII)
Albert (later King George VI), Mary,
Henry, George, and John.
EDWARD VIII (reigned 1936)
Abdicated in 1936 and married Wallis
Simpson in 1937.
GEORGE VI (reigned 1936-1952)
Married Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923.
They had two children: Elizabeth (later
Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret.
ELIZABETH II (reign 1952-present) Married Phillip Mountbatten in 1947. They have 4
children: Charles (Prince of Wales), Anne, Andrew and Edward




George VI (christened Albert Frederick Arthur George) was born in 1895 and ascended the British
throne in 1936, amidst the scandal of the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, who chose to give up
the throne after less than a years reign in order to marry the divorced Wallis Simpson. George is the
father of the current reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II. She was 10 years old when her father
stepped into a leadership role he was not expecting. His marriage to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon seems to
have been a happy and successful one, with her support helping him to fulfil his responsibilities as
king.


21/5/2014
LO: To be able to understand how the royal family and radio technology influenced the
context of The Kings Speech

Answer the following question in a TEEL paragraph:
Explain the role played by radio at the time of the action of The Kings Speech. Why was
radio so important for the monarchy to use?
Sample answer:
In the 1930s, radio was a new technology that was used by influential leaders and monarchs
to communicate important information to a broad audience. King George VIs declaration of
war speech was vital information that aimed to prepare the English population for the direct
threat of war on their homeland. This message needed to be announced with strength and
clarity so that the nation could feel united and safe under guided leadership. In the Kings
Speech, the Director Tom Hooper emphasised the importance of the Kings message by
depicting various scenes of the concerned population listening attentively to their radios.
The director then used contrasting scenes which included the isolation of the King to
represent the added personal enormity of overcoming his adversity and rising to the
challenge of addressing and leading the nation. Radio as a communication tool relies on
voice and sound and this scene gives the audience an appreciation of Kings Georges
strength of character as he successfully fulfils his royal communicative duties.
T- Topic E Explain E Example L - Link