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Duchess Kate's voice coach, who helped her prepare for royal wedding, has died

Anthony Gordon Lennox also coached James Middleton ahead of his reading

kate middleton prince william vows wedding1
Gemma Strong
Online Digital News Director
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Anthony Gordon Lennox, the man who gave the Duchess of Cambridge voice coaching before her 2011 wedding to Prince William, has passed away at the age of 48. The former BBC Question Time producer died after a short illness, according to reports. Anthony was responsible for helping Kate prepare vocally for her big day; she spoke quietly but confidently as she recited her vows in front of 1,900 guests and a global television audience of hundreds of millions, having been taught breathing techniques and voice control by Anthony.

kate middleton prince william vows wedding

Anthony Gordon Lennox coached Duchess Kate ahead of her 2011 wedding to Prince William

He also coached Kate's younger brother, James Middleton, who delivered the only reading at the wedding. James, who is dyslexic, learnt the bible passage from St Paul's letter to the Romans by heart before giving a steady and authoritative recital on the day. It is thought that Anthony helped coached the Middletons by videotaping them so they could assess how they came across, and was on hand for rehearsals in the run-up to the ceremony, which was held in Westminster Abbey on 29 April.

james middleton reading royal wedding

He also helped James Middleton prepare for his bible reading

Anthony was also credited with coaching the likes of Samantha Cameron, Lord Sebastian Coe ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, Iain Duncan Smith and William Hague, although he never discussed his clients or himself. London Evening Standard editor George Osborne revealed the news of his death, tweeting: "Anthony Gordon Lennox has died after a short illness. A wonderful, loyal and wise friend and man for all seasons, unbelievably sad and unfair."

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