Over the years, Princess Kate has spoken more often in public as her confidence has grown. And when she does, she sounds every bit like the future Queen she is.
The first time crowds got to hear Kate speak at length was when she and Prince William sat down for their engagement interview in 2010. And it came as a surprise to some of her former school friends.
A number of Kate’s pals noted that she spoke quite differently compared to when she was younger. “She has changed a lot, she’s certainly grown into a beauty, and the funny thing is her voice has completely changed. She sounds very posh, and she definitely wasn’t that well-spoken when we were at school,” one of her contemporaries from St Andrew’s Prep told author Katie Nicholl for her book, Kate: The Future Queen.
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Kate is not believed to have ever had elocution lessons, but she did engage the services of a voice coach before her wedding. Anthony ‘Ant’ Gordon Lennox, Old Etonian, nephew of the Duke of Richmond and former producer of Question Time, stepped in to help Kate prepare vocally for her big day, which was watched by millions around the world.
He also coached Kate’s younger brother, James Middleton, who is dyslexic and delivered the only reading at the wedding. Sadly, Ant passed away at the age of 48 in 2017.
The subject of Kate’s clear-cut-glass voice was a focus in Omid Scobie’s book Endgame. “Friends have noted over the years that her accent now sounds ‘posher’ and ‘even more plummy’ than her husband’s,” the author wrote.
He further asserted: “Kensington Palace has never denied that Kate had several rounds of elocution lessons as she became more serious with William.” It comes after the late Queen’s dresser, Angela Kelly, shared a funny story about the time she asked Her Majesty for some elocution lessons.
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Writing in her book, In The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and the Wardrobe, Liverpool-born Ms Kelly recalled: “Listening to and speaking with Her Majesty, I would think, how wonderful to be able to speak so nicely.
“After a few months of working with her, I plucked up the courage to ask if she knew anyone who might give me the elocution lessons I’d wanted for so long. The look on the Queen’s face was a picture. She simply asked, ‘Why?’
“After I had explained, she said that it was not necessary. I asked again and again, but she still refused. I then told Her Majesty my new idea: ‘You can give me elocution lessons! You can tell me what I say that’s correct and what I say that isn’t.'”
The Queen, realising how persistent and determined Ms Kelly was, agreed on personally helping her to improve the elocution. But she did so in her own unique fashion.
Ms Kelly continued: “The Queen could probably sense that I wasn’t going to give up, so she instructed me to say one word: ‘Furious’.’Fyer-ri-ous,’ I responded. ‘No, fee-or-ree-ous,’ said Her Majesty, in perfect received pronunciation.
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“After several more attempts, I finally cracked it and Her Majesty exclaimed, ‘Yes!’ and her finger went up in the air…And that was it – my one and only elocution lesson, and from the Queen herself.”
Ms Kelly continued learning from the Queen, she said, by simply listening carefully to the way the monarch was pronouncing some words. She said: “From then on, I listened and tried my best to speak properly – even adding an H to words where it didn’t exist.
“But in the end I gave up: it was just too much effort. Ever since I’ve stuck to being myself, a girl from Liverpool and a proud Liverpudlian, too.”