With enemies like this, who needs friends?

COLIN Firth, whose fine performance as George VI in The King's Speech is tipped for an Oscar, says he doesn't support the monarchy, writes Peter Rhodes.

Now, there are a number of ways for anti-monarchists to make their point. They can refuse to stand up for the National Anthem. They can wear badges saying: "I'm a republican."

Instead, Firth chooses to play a monarch with such sensitivity that The King's Speech has been applauded by audiences everywhere – including in the Irish Republic.

In short, Firth has done more to raise awareness of a monarch, and to generate affection for that monarch, than any actor in recent years.

If Colin Firth really is an anti-monarchist, he's not a very good one, is he?