Firth was clueless about George VI before `The King`s Speech`

London: Colin Firth knew nothing about the life of King George VI before playing the royal in "The King`s Speech" because he always despised the British establishment.

The actor is tipped to be nominated for an Oscar at this year`s Academy Awards for his portrayal of the stammering monarch, the father of Britain`s current ruler Queen Elizabeth II. The first day of filming came as a shock to Firth, because he had no clue the late Queen Mother was his character`s wife, insisting he has always purposefully ignored the lives of the royals, reports thesun.co.uk. "I knew nothing about it. I knew that he existed. I knew about the abdication crisis that led to him becoming king, but I wasn`t even quite sure whether he was George V or George VI. I remember my mother telling me that she had great sympathy for him because of the stammer. I knew he died relatively young and that the Queen came to the throne very young," he said. "We all know that because that was 1952 and she`s still here. I couldn`t have told you the date that it all happened. I don`t think I even knew that our Queen Mother was his wife. I should have - I mean it made sense - but I`m not a royal watcher." "Anything that felt like Establishment or authority was not my friend as a kid. The monarchy simply had no interest for me. It`s just some people are royal watchers. Some people love it. I`m not one of those people. I`m not that kind of patriot at all," he added. IANS