Prince Harry’s British accent is disappearing, fans have noticed, and now a speech expert has suggested the reason behind the Duke of Sussex’s American accent.
A video of the king’s son getting a fake tattoo of American musician Jelly Roll drew the attention of royal enthusiasts to the Duke of Sussex’s accent and vocabulary, as the Eton-educated royal used Americanisms such as “al devil” and “friend.”
Analyzing Harry’s Jelly Roll parody, which was part of a promotion for the Duke’s Invictus Games, speech and accent expert Laura Bailey told MailOnline that these changes could be linked to the royals’ “desire to feel more like a “normal person”.
He added that his sound changes towards a more American style are mainly due to a “relaxation of the more obvious characteristics of the elegant Eton or Received Pronunciation accent, also known as King’s English.”
Ms Bailey, a senior lecturer at the University of Kent, said: “Its sound changes are mainly a relaxation of the most obvious features of RP (the posh Eton accent) into something more like what many southern English people would use. upper middle class.”
“This is partly because he no longer hangs out with other posh people – so it’s not reinforced all the time by listening to him – and partly to not stand out as much, and partly perhaps to a conscious change in identity now that is no longer carrying out royal official duties, perhaps he wants to feel more like a “normal person,” he added.
The linguistics expert explained that a person’s change in accent is often due to a “gradual subconscious change” or a “somewhat conscious desire to fit in.”
“Maybe you want to fit in with new friends or look more like your wife, seem nice to people from a different class, group or culture than your own, or seem cool,” he continued.
The video of Harry getting a fake neck tattoo sparked online debates about how his British accent “sounds more watered down,” with several X users noticing the change.
“All of the above probably applies (in Harry’s case),” the expert concluded.
Prince Harry has been busy promoting the next edition of his Invictus Games that will begin in Canada next February.
The 40-year-old royal kicked off his promotional tour with an appearance at the Gray Cup final in Vancouver, before launching the Invictus Games School Program during an event at Seaforth Armory attended by primary school children.
As part of his efforts to spread awareness about the Invictus Games, an adaptive multi-sport event for wounded, injured and ill veterans, Harry also appeared in a two-minute skit alongside American rapper Jelly Roll.
The video of Harry getting a fake neck tattoo sparked online debates about how his British accent “sounds more watered down,” with several X users noticing the change.
One person wrote: “She has a totally American accent now.” Another added: “Prince Harry’s British accent sounds more diluted to give way to the American accent.”
In the clip, which was filmed at a tattoo parlor in New York City, Harry tells Jelly Roll, “Screw it, let’s do it,” while talking about getting a tattoo.
He then used several American gestures, calling the tattoo artist “dude” and saying, “That (tattoo) feels big, man.”
Prince Harry during a television interview during the pre-game festivities before the start of the 2024 Gray Cup at BC Place on November 17, 2024 in Vancouver.
Analyzing Harry’s Jelly Roll parody, which was part of a promotion for the Duke’s Invictus Games, speech and accent expert Laura Bailey told MailOnline that these changes could be related to the royals’ “desire to feel more like a “normal person”.
The royal then exclaimed, ‘You put your name on my neck,’ raising his voice at the end of the sentence, which is what American speakers typically do.
He also seemed to say that the ink could be put on his ‘a**’, rather than using the English saying, which is ‘a***’.
Prince Harry was born in London and educated at Eton College, the prestigious Berkshire boarding school that counts his older brother, Prince William, among its students.
Two years after marrying former Suits actress Meghan in 2018, the couple stepped down as senior members of the royal family and moved to the sunny shores of Montecito, California, where they live with their two sons, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Referring to Harry’s use of words like ‘ass’ and ‘dude’ rather than the more British ‘mate’, Ms Bailey explained: “Vocabulary items change rapidly when we move to a new dialect area because perhaps people don’t.” I don’t understand our other terms.
“With things like ‘friend,’ it’s reciprocal: you want to establish closeness or friendship, and ‘friend’ is one way to do that, whereas ‘buddy’ or something (similar) may not be interpreted as easily.”
Communication coach and accent specialist Anthony Schuster analyzed several clips of Prince Harry speaking over the years, noting how his Eton upper lip has given way to a more casual American accent since he moved to California with his wife Meghan. Markle.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the sitting volleyball final during day six of the Invictus Games in 2023.
Harry recently spent time with school children in Vancouver during an event to launch the Invictus Games school program.
Speaking about how Prince Harry’s accent has changed over the years, Schuster said The telegraph that while the Duke always had a more relaxed way of speaking, compared to other older members of the Royal Family, over the years he has acquired a “distinctly American” tone.
“That’s something that’s distinctly American: letting the final ‘t’ soften into a ‘d,'” Shuster says, referring to a clip of Harry introducing his firstborn, Prince Archie, to the world in 2018.
In the video, Harry said: “Wow, he’s got some facial hair too.” Except their t’s became d’s, which made the “small” world sound like “liddle.”
Jennifer Dorman, another linguistics expert, previously said that Harry’s vocabulary has become more Americanized since his big move in 2020.
In podcast recordings with his wife in 2021, Harry began peppering his speech with phrases including “amazing” and “you guys,” he noted.
“It could be that Prince Harry has started borrowing American phrases and words to fit in and be better understood by the American press,” he said. Cosmopolitan in 2021.
‘This might become so common that you use these words when speaking to both Brits and Americans.
“Or he may simply be imitating his wife: interacting closely with someone all the time can cause us to pick up his conversation habits.”