🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Prince Harry has dropped his "traditional royal accent" and taken on a more "laid back tone" in recent interviews, according to linguistic experts from the language learning platform Babbel. The prince has also incorporated some notable American phrases into his vocabulary since moving to the U.S. in 2022 such as "you guys" and "pop the hood."
Harry has undertaken a series of press interviews in recent days as he marks the 2022 Invictus Games events in the Netherlands.
The prince has come under heavy criticism following an interview given to NBC's Today show in which he claimed he needed to make sure his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was "protected" and "has the right people around her," as well as failing to categorically state whether he missed his father, Prince Charles, and brother, Prince William.
Following his recent round of interviews attention has been drawn to the prince's speech with some reports claiming to identify a "Californian drawl" in his voice.
Harry's new "laid back" vocal styling is "likely due to him dropping Received Pronunciation (RP), which is often the world's idea of the 'perfect' British accent, also referred to as the Queen's English," according to Babbel's experts.
"Many aren't aware that the Royal Family has, in the past, been obligated to use RP when speaking publicly," the experts highlight, "however since Harry moved to the U.S., we are seeing him develop his own persona in front of the camera, which includes presenting his unforced, natural voice."
Comparing the prince's opening speeches for the 2018 and 2022 Invictus Games opening ceremonies draws attention to this change from a staid, monitored tone and inflection in 2018 to more relaxed fluid interaction with the crowds shown this year.
Harry's recent Today show interview also draws comparisons with one given jointly by the prince with brother William in 2007 marking the 10th anniversary of their mother's death. Both princes defined received pronunciation in 2007 marks a definite contrast when viewed alongside Harry's 2022 conversation on the same network.
Harry's more languid tone and style is described by Babbel as aligning with "Estuary English... a well-spoken accent typical of London and the South East of England which is less rigid in its pronunciation than RP, but is still common amongst the upper class."
There are distinct similarities between "Estuary English" and the American accent with a consistent dropping of the letter "t" and the use of abbreviated terms. The experts at Babbel believe that the prince is not making efforts to speak in an Americanized way but that "it is more likely that Harry simply speaks with an Estuary English naturally, and we're noticing the difference because Harry is embracing his life outside the Royal family."
The prince has, however, picked up pieces of American phraseology while in the U.S.
During his time at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands, speaking with competitors participating in the table tennis events, the prince joked, "There's no way I can keep up with you guys," and has repeated it on other occasions. This use of what Babbel experts term "American slang" follows a more widely reported incident in 2020 when Harry made reference to "popping the hood" of a car instead of the more British term "lifting the bonnet," in a discussion with Time100.
Harry's interview with Today show host Hoda Kotb highlights the prince's growing comfort describing difficult aspects of his life in front of the camera over the past decade. One of the most emotive subjects raised in the discussion centered around the prince's mother, Princess Diana who died in a Paris car crash when he was just 12 years old.
"In these moments do you ever feel your mom's presence?" Kotb asked in reference to the Invictus Games and Harry's new role as a husband and father.
"For me, it's constant and it has been over the last two years," he answered.
"More so than ever before. It's almost as if she's done her bit with my brother and now she's very much helping me. She's got him set up now she's helping me set up. That's what it feels like."
The prince went even deeper into his reflections on his mother in an interview given to People just days before. "I certainly hope and believe everything I do makes her proud," he said.
"In the 12 short years I was lucky enough to have with her, I saw and felt the energy and lift she got from helping others, no matter their background, ailment or status. Her life and theirs was better for it, however short theirs or hers was."
"I honor my mother in everything I do. I am my mother's son."
This new, open and emotive way of speaking about highly personal aspects of his life aligns with Harry's new stateside life and outlook, according to Babbel experts.
"In Harry's recent interview with the Today show's Hoda Kotb, he is noticeably more open and forthright about his emotions than we have come to expect of the Royal Family, who traditionally present a stoic style of speech, reflective of British culture's famous stiff upper lip," the experts say.
The prince's use of "emotive language while touching on topics of anxiety," is not something that the public has "experienced organically" from him before he stepped down as a senior royal, they continue. "His use of phrases like 'feeling at peace,' 'healing in helping others,' 'helplessness' and 'compassion,' are far more expressive than the public would usually expect from members of the Royal Family."
Prince Harry has been very open about his mental health journey since moving to the U.S. speaking on the subject with Oprah Winfrey in the Sussexes' bombshell March 2021 interview during which the couple both voiced their struggles as members of the royal family.
In 2021 Harry and Winfrey collaborated on the mental health documentary series The Me You Can't See during which he discussed starting therapy, reliving traumatic past experiences with his mother and London being a mental "trigger" for him.
Harry is now the chief impact officer at BetterUp, a digital mental health coaching service, which he has partnered with his Invictus Games Foundation to provide coaching to the event's 500 competitors. The prince's journey at the 2022 games has been documented by a film crew as part of the royal's multi-million dollar deal signed with Netflix in 2020 to produce video content for the streaming platform. The first output from this deal, Heart of Invictus, will shine a spotlight on the drive and determination of the injured, sick and wounded servicemen and women who participate in the games.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more