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How Prince William tried to pick up his dad Charles' posh accent

Princess Diana's bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, gives HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast an exclusive insight into the royal family


King Charles and Prince William in suits and top hats
Sela Musa
Lifestyle Intern
On 26 September 2023
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Perhaps one of the most distinctive attributes of the royal family is how they speak and the language they use. Be it any member or any generation, a British royal is characterised by their regal vocabulary and exceptional articulation.

King Charles addresses Senators and members of the National Assembly at the French Senate© Getty
King Charles recently addressed Senators and members of the National Assembly at the French Senate

With an exclusive insight, Princess Diana's bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, spoke in this week's episode of HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast about his first-hand observations of the royal family's well-spoken ways.

Listen to the episode below:

In particular, one memory that sprung to mind was Prince William's efforts to adopt his father then Prince Charles' high-class pronunciation when William was only a child.

"I'll always remember the first time I went to Highgrove - their house in Gloucestershire," Ken told HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast. "I remember sat there one morning and William came in. He said: 'Ken, um, mummy wants to go ight and we've got to leave the heiss in 20 minutes.'"

Prince William (child) and his father Prince Charles wear smart navy blazers© Getty
Prince William attended Ludgrove School before going to Eton College

When Ken questioned William's pronunciation of the words 'out' and 'house', the then-royal child responded with: "Because that's what it is Ken!" "I said 'Well no it isn't. It's: we're going out, and we're leaving the house.'"

Much to Ken's dismay, two weeks later he was called up on this little royal interference by then Prince Charles himself. In elongated speech, Ken recalled William's father telling him: "I gather you've been giving William elocution."

King Charles in coat© Getty
King Charles attending Braemar Highland Gathering at The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park

"If you wanted a hole to appear in the floor, that was the moment," Ken joked. "[Prince Charles] was very good about it. He stretched out and tugged on his cuff. All he had to say was one word which was basically him saying 'Well, stop it and shut up.'"

Continuing on, Ken penned: "One way to express himself was 'Oh really?'. I love that phrase. I heard it so many times from him in so many different ways. But great fun."

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