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The locations of the filming of the Speech of a King in London
BBC Studio
With a surface area of 27,200 m2, the Battersea Power Station is the largest brick building in Europe. Decommissioned since the 1980s, the coal-fired power plant is currently undergoing a rehabilitation programme and is expected to be transformed into a hotel complex by 2020. The control centre of the power station lent its consoles to the BBC studio where King George VI (Colin Firth) recorded his famous 1939 radio address. Writer David Seidler stuttered as a child, and as an adult he wrote to Queen Elizabeth asking her permission to write about King George VI’s stuttering. She agreed, on the condition that she would not publish anything during her lifetime, for fear that painful memories would be awakened. … at the age of 73, Seidler won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay…
145 Piccadilly
33 Portland Place, Marylebone, London, United Kingdom
Before Albert was crowned king, he lived with his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) at 145 Piccadilly, which the royal family dubbed the “One Four Five”. The family moved to Buckingham after the coronation and the building, which was first used for exhibitions, was destroyed in a bombing raid in December 1940. On the land, once occupied by the house, is now the five-star Park Lane Intercontinental. The building we see in the film is actually 33 Portland Place. This is also where the interior scenes of Dr Logue’s (Geoffrey Rush’s) office were shot. The role of the King had been written for Paul Bettany, but he refused. Colin Firth took his place and won the Oscar for Best Actor.
Lionel Logue’s office
146 Harley St, Marylebone, London, United Kingdom
Dr. Logue’s (Geoffrey Rush) office was located at 146 Harley Street, south of Regent’s Park. The exterior scenes were filmed there, but the interiors are those of 33 Portland Place. Logue lived in Kensington but, in the feature film, his house is located at 89-96 Iliffe Street, near Elephant and Castle. The producers had Geoffrey Rush in mind for the role of the speech therapist, but were unable to get in touch with him. To get his attention, they managed to convince a neighbor to drop the script in his mailbox, a method as unorthodox as those of the character he would end up playing.
Buckingham Palace
Lancaster House, Stable Yard, London, United Kingdom
Dr Logue is driven to Buckingham Palace to meet the King. The scene was partially filmed at Lancaster House, a neoclassical mansion built in 1825 and now occupied by the Foreign Office. The place is regularly used as a substitute for Buckingham Palace. The film is one of the best debuts in the UK and Ireland. Screened in 395 cinemas, it earned more than 4 million euros in takings during the first weekend of operation.
Streets of London
Old Royal Naval College, King William Walk, London, United Kingdom
Street scenes of London during the war were shot at the Old Royal Naval College. Indeed, the enclosed geography of the place makes it easy to isolate a plateau and give it the appearance of another time. For the occasion, Tom Hooper favoured the use of wide focal length lenses, whose distortion, in his opinion, makes it possible to illustrate in a more immersive way the feeling of oppression and discomfort felt by the future King.
St James’s Palace
Draper s Hall, Throgmorton Avenue, London, United Kingdom
on the death of a king, the heir to the crown immediately succeeds him and his accession to the throne is ratified by the Council of Accession at a ceremony held at the Palais Saint-James
Victoria House
Bloomsbury Square, London, United Kingdom
Logue’s failed audition for Richard III was filmed in the Bloomsbury Ballroom at Victoria House. The 1920 neoclassical building can be rented for the organization of ceremonies, dinners or events. The film was a great critical success, both with the public and professionals. He has been nominated 118 times for various awards and has won 43 awards, including 4 Oscars for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actor for Colin Firth and Best Director.
Find the locations of the filming of The King’s Speech thanks to our interactive map.
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By Anthony Thibault
From the "Casimir generation", Anthony has kept (in addition to a passion for Goldorak) a taste for inventive images, experimentation and curiosity. Passionate about travel and pop culture, he co-founded Fantrippers with Nicolas Albert to share his passion with as many people as possible.