By George ... Oscars reign down on King’s Speech

And now The King’s Speech – an independently-made film financed with public money – has been crowned Best Picture at the Oscars, with British actor Colin Firth named Best Actor for his performance.

The British-made movie, which was filmed partially in Leeds and Bradford, also picked up Best Director for Tom Hooper and Best Original Screenplay by David Seidler.

Accepting the award, Firth told the audience at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles: “I have a feeling my career has just peaked. My deepest thanks to the Academy.

“I’m afraid I have to warn you that I’m experiencing stirrings somewhere in the upper abdominals which are threatening to form themselves into dance moves which, joyous as they may be for me, it would be extremely problematic if they make it to my legs before I get off stage.”

Firth thanked his British fans, paying tribute to “all the people who have been rooting for me back home” and thanked his Italian wife, whom he said had put up with his “fleeting delusions of royalty”.

Speaking afterwards, he said he never expected the film to have such broad appeal.

“What has struck me is that the emotional response to this has been quite personal and diverse. It’s very powerful to be on the receiving end of that kind of feedback.”

He also attacked the coalition Government’s decision to axe the UK Film Council, one of the film’s principal funders, as “short-sighted”.

Hooper thanked his mother, who first told him about the play which formed the basis of the film – the story of King George VI’s battle with his stammer.

Addressing her, he said: “With this tonight I honour you and the moral of the story is ‘Listen to your mother’.”

Elsewhere The Fighter, the story of American boxer Micky Ward, garnered Oscars for Melissa Leo for Best Supporting Actress and for British actor Christian Bale who was named Best Supporting Actor.

The former was presented with her award by veteran actor Kirk Douglas while Bale – who first hit the headlines as the child star of Empire of the Sun – said in his acceptance speech: “What a room full of talented, inspirational people and what am I doing in the midst of you?”

He also paid tribute to his wife who, he said, was “my mast through the storms of life”.

Last year’s Best Actor winner, Jeff Bridges, presented the award for Best Actress to Natalie Portman for her role in the dark ballet thriller Black Swan.

The tearful star paid tribute to the other actresses who were up for the award, saying she wished “the prize tonight was to get to work with my fellow nominees”. She also spoke about the father of her unborn child, Benjamin Millepied, who, she said, had given her the “most important role of my life”.

London-born Christopher Nolan saw his film Inception miss out on the big prizes but it still picked up four Oscars – one more than The Social Network.

British graffiti artist Banksy lost out in the race for the Best Documentary award which went to Inside Job, the story of the collapse of America’s financial institutions.

British musician Atticus Ross picked up the Oscar for Best Original Score for his work with Trent Reznor for The Social Network, beating Alexandre Desplat and The King’s Speech to the prize.