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.
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.
