(Image: Invictus Games/PA Wire)
Prince Harry left fans stunned when he seemed to get a massive neck tattoo in a promotional video for his Invictus Games. In the teaser for the Games, set to take place in Canada early next year, Harry is seen wincing in pain as he appears to receive an “inking” from music star Jelly Roll.
In the skit, the country singer humorously suggests that the Duke of Sussex has agreed to his first tattoo. But it wasn’t just Harry’s apparent agreement to be “inked” for the sketch that raised eyebrows – it is his now-American-style accent that also caught attention.
In the footage, Harry’s speech sounds noticeably different from his royal relatives, with four years of living in California seemingly influencing his accent. There are several instances in the video where Harry uses words more typical of American dialects such as “dude” instead of “mate” and “a–” instead of the British term “arse.
After viewing the clip, one fan commented on X: “He totally has an American accent now.” Another observed: “His British accent sounds more diluted to make way for the American accent,” reports the Mirror.
While someone else noted: “It sounds like Prince Harry is losing his British accent.” It’s been almost five years since Harry and his wife Meghan Markle shocked the world by announcing their decision to step down as senior working royals and relocate to the United States.
There have been instances in the past where Harry’s posh English accent seemed to have softened. In 2022, he appeared in a promotional video for the tech start-up Better Up, where he serves as the chief impact officer.
At the time, viewers noticed a change in his voice. According to Emma Serlin, a speech and accent expert and founder of the London Speech Workshop, the shift in Harry’s tone reflects his desire to be more relatable and “of the people” rather than strictly royal.
She noted: “Harry’s accent now sounds much more rounded and middle rather than upper class. 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.”
“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.”
