Lionel Logue Biography

Lionel Logue was born Lionel George Logue, on February 26, 1880, in College Town, Adelaide, Australia. He was the eldest of the four children of his South Australian parents, accountant and hotel licensee George Edward Logue and his wife, Lavinia, née Rankin. His grandfather, Edward Logue, was the founder of the Logue's Brewery, which was later renamed the South Australian Brewing Company.

Logue attended Prince Alfred College in Adelaide from 1889 to 1896. However, during this time, he was inspired by the rhythm of H. W. Longfellow’s 1855 epic poem The Song of Hiawatha and decided to study dramatic arts.

While in Adelaide, he studied elocution with Edward Reeves and became Reeves's secretary and assistant teacher by 1902. At the same time, he also attended the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide.

Soon, Logue started delivering recitals. After the death of his father in November 1902, Logue started teaching elocution himself. By 1904, he was featured in local newspapers. However, he later began working in a gold mine in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, installing an electricity supply.

After working in a Western Australian gold mine, Lionel Logue settled down in Perth with his wife. In Perth, he started teaching elocution, acting, and public speaking, He also staged plays and delivered Shakespearean and Dickensian recitals. He established a public-speaking club, too.

He later taught at the Young Men's Christian Association and Scotch College. In 1910, he began teaching at the Perth Technical School. He was also associated with the Loreto Convent, the Methodist Ladies' College, and the Claremont Teachers College.

In 1911, he started touring the world. During World War I, he treated soldiers who had developed speech disorders due to shell shock. His methods included humor and exercises for the lungs and the diaphragm.

In 1924, he visited England with his family for a holiday. However, he felt London was an apt place for him to set up practice. He thus began his speech therapy practice at 146 Harley Street, London, that year, and continued practicing there for the next 26 years. He had quite a few wealthy clients and also treated the poorer patients free of cost.

In 1926, he was approached by the Duke of York (later King George VI), who wanted Logue to cure him of his stammer. Logue believed the Duke’s stammer was caused by muscular spasms due to poor coordination between the larynx and the thoracic diaphragm.

He began his treatment through vocal exercises and tongue twisters. The Duke showed immense improvement when he delivered his opening speech at the Old Parliament House in Canberra in 1927 without stammering.

Logue also coached the Duke for his coronation speech in 1937 and for his radio broadcasts during World War II. His bond with King George lasted for over 25 years, till the King’s death in 1952. However, Logue never fully revealed the specific methods he used in his treatment of the King’s stammer and chose not to publish them either.

Apart from training King George, Logue established the British Society of Speech Therapists in 1935. In 1944, he became a founding fellow of the College of Speech Therapists. The same year, Logue was elevated to Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) from Member of the Order (MVO).

He also served as a speech therapist at the Royal Masonic School, Bushey. In 1948, at Logue’s request, the King became a patron of the College of Speech Therapists. The association was later renamed as the Royal College of Speech Therapy.

On March 20, 1907, Lionel Logue married Myrtle Gruenert, a clerk in her early 20s, at St. the George's Anglican Cathedral, Perth. The couple had three sons: Valentine, Laurie, and Anthony. Valentine later studied at the King's College London and St. George's Hospital and grew up to be a famous neurosurgeon.

Lionel Logue was a Freemason who later became a Worshipful Master. His 25-room villa in Beechgrove, Sydenham, was later demolished.

After his wife’s death due to a heart attack in June 1945, Logue devoted himself to spiritualism. For the rest of his life, he continued to invest in music and theater. He also loved gardening and walking.

Lionel Logue died on April 12, 1953, at 68 Princess Court, Brompton Road, London. He was 73 at the time of his death.

Logue's funeral, held in Holy Trinity Brompton, on April 17 that year, was attended by representatives of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

He remained relatively unknown till the release of the 2010 British film The King's Speech, which had actor Geoffrey Rush portraying Logue. The film bagged 12 nominations at the 83rd Academy Awards, winning 4 awards, including the Best Picture and the Best Actor (for Colin Firth as King George VI).

Logue was portrayed by Australian actor Jonathan Hyde in the West End stage production of The King’s Speech held at Wyndham’s Theatre. In the play’s US premiere, he was portrayed by actor James Frain.

He was also the subject of the 2010 book The King's Speech, penned by his grandson Mark and author Peter Conradi.