A lot has changed in Meghan Markle’s life since meeting Prince Harry. She’s had to adhere to a whole new dress code, delete her social media accounts and quit her job as an actress.
Some extremely observant fans have noticed another change too, claiming she’s adopted a English accent from Harry and all the other English people she’s constantly surrounded by.
In a video filmed by fan @elzeiny99 during her visit to Runcorn with The Queen, she seems to have a more transatlantic twang – especially when she says ‘what’s that?’
Is she using some of the skills she picked up in her acting career to adapt to life as the Duchess of Sussex? Or is she just subconsciously mirroring those around her?
If the Duchess of Sussex is changing her accent she isn’t the only woman to do so.
A study by Cecilia Pemberton at the University of South Australia found that women’s voices changed significantly between 1945 and the 90s. By comparing recordings, she found that the frequency had dropped by 23 Hz – which, in layman’s terms – is a very big noticeable difference.
So what could possibly be the reason for this? The study suggested that as women took on more dominant roles both in the workplace and in wider society, they adapted to the male tones around them over time. Something Margaret Thatcher did too – she dropped down a whole 60Hz, according to the BBC.
Earlier this year actress Gabrielle Union admitted that she used a fake voice to appear less intimidating in business, describing it as, ‘where you speak with the inflection of a question and raise your eyebrows so you look less threatening.’
Last month footballer Chelsea footballer Jason Cundy said he thinks women’s voices are way too high to commentate on footballer matches (SIGH) – is it any wonder some women are subconsciously switching their voices up?
Just like some of these women, Meghan Markle’s accent change could be happening without her noticing. It might be all those princess lessons she’s been having, or she could be getting into character for her new role, the Duchess of Sussex.
This article originally appeared on Grazia.
