Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Jennifer Newton

Prince Harry’s subtle accent changes show he's no longer close to royals, says expert

It's been more than two years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped the bombshell news they were quitting as senior royals and moving to America.

After ditching their royal roles, the couple has signed several big money deals to become financially independent - with Harry becoming chief impact officer and mental health app start-up BetterUp.

And this week, he appeared in a brand new video for the company, where he talked about mental resilience and how we all "have greatness within us”.

The ad sees him carry out a series of interviews with Olympic gold medal-winning snowboarder Chloe Kim, psychologist Adam Grant and BetterUp member Blu Mendoza.

Prince Harry in his video for BetterUp, where he works as chief impact officer (BetterUp/Youtube)

In the slick promo clip, his accent sounds slightly different to some of his royal relatives, of which some have a frosty relationship with Harry.

And according to speech and accent expert Emma Serlin, founder of the London Speech Workshop, the changes in Harry's accent show how he is more "of the people" than royal.

She told the Mirror: "Harry’s accent now sounds much more rounded and middle rather than upper class.

Harry interviews psychologist Adam Grant in the clip for Better Up (BetterUp/Youtube)

Love the royals? Sign up for the Mirror's daily newsletter to get all the latest news on the Queen, Charles, Kate, Wills, Meghan, Harry and the rest of The Firm. Click here to sign up.

" In a classic Harry way, he’s doing what we know him to be - he’s the friendly prince, he’s charming, he connects with people. He is his mother’s son.

"He is now ‘of the people’ in a much more overt way. He has always toned the classic royal accent down and softened it, but previously he was much more aligned with the Royal Family.

"Now that Harry hardly ever sees the Royal Family - not only is he no longer aligned with them in the same way, but he also doesn’t spend time with them in the same way.

Harry and Meghan with their royal relatives before they moved to the US (Getty Images)

"So, he has adapted his accent to connect more with the people he is meeting and seeing every day, and the people around him.

"Ultimately, I’m sure he would heighten his accent if he was around the Royal Family again, but it's really about adapting to build connections."

So could it be that his accent sounds more American - given that his wife Meghan is American and they now live in California?

The couple are heading to New York next week (Getty Images)

Well, according to Emma, she does not believe this is the case.

She added: "In my opinion, Prince Harry doesn’t sound any more American.

"He does, however, sound as though he has taken the edge off the received pronunciation that was very much part of his previously somewhat ‘posh’ accent.

"There was one word - ‘critical’ - where he dropped the crisp ‘t’ and replaced it with a glottal stop [when you don’t fully make the ‘t’ sound].

"In short, there were only a few instances in this video where he started to sound Americanised.

"It's much more that he’s softened and taken the edge off the poshness of his accent."

Harry's video comes as he and Meghan plan to travel to New York City next week for a special event in what will be their first public outing since the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The pair are set to attend the UN, where Harry will deliver a speech to mark Nelson Mandela Day, which is taking place on Monday (July 18).

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.