Here is the official trailer of “The King’s Speech”.

This film tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George (‘Bertie’) reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stammer and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country

I watched this film over about two hours yesterday afternoon at Swiss Cottage Odeon cinema. It was the first time I had felt relaxed in ages. People with my background and make-up have found it difficult to unwind in the past, but I now feel very much at ease with myself. Ever since my two month coma with meningitis in 2007, I have had an odd speech. It has a nasal quality. This could be because I spent so long unconscious, or that I had to have an emergency tracheostomy. Like Prince George, I had speech and language therapy, but the feeling of powerlessness that I received from the film is something I very much relate to. My confidence has now grown such that I personally don’t feel so self-consious about my speech, which is probably a good thing as I hope to convey style over substance in my ambition to become a successful corporate lawyer. I will have to overcome the interview stage with strangers first, which, like the situation in “The King’s Speech”, does make my speech problems worse for inexplicable reasons.

I am not normally a ‘fan’ of Colin Firth, but I think he – like the whole film – was outstanding. Secondly, the school chapel of the school which both I and Helena Bonham-Carter attended, the magnificent Westminster Abbey, really did look good glorious in the film and did bring back extremely happy memories of when I was a Queen’s Scholar at Westminster. I remember doing the walk from the West Gate to where the Coronation Chair would have been many times as a schoolboy. And, of course, during Coronations, it is the Queen’s Scholars of Westminster School who announce, “Vivat!” as soon as the new monarch is crowned.

Two things are memorable for me from the film. Firstly, you do not need loads of qualifications and ‘credentials’ to make a big difference to people. Secondly, life often is about living with a disability (I am also physically disabled with minor walking and balance problems only now), but being at terms with your handicap such that you can attempt to live your life to the full. A positive attitude is vital for me to do this after all I’ve been through.

Here are some of my favourite still photos from the film.