When Madonna married British director Guy Ritchie and moved to London in the early 2000s, fans couldn’t help but notice her voice…c hanged.
She started talking in a very strong, very noticeable British accent – and not the kind you accidentally pick up, either. It seemed, at least, that she was intentionally trying to change her voice. Whether or not that’s the case is still a mystery (Madonna’s accent, FWIW, is gone now), but it’s a phenomenon that puzzled her fans and critics for months.
Now, the world is wondering if the same thing is happening to Meghan Markle. A video of Markle greeting fans last month is resurfacing on the Internet because some people think she has a British accent in it. She doesn’t say much in the video – just a few greetings and some “thank yous” – but fans are picking up a change in her voice. Take a listen for yourself, below. Do you hear anything different?
“Meghan Markle speaking with a British accent now is WILDDDDD to me,” one person tweeted in response to the video. “I just watched a video that showed Meghan Markle starting to have a british accent and I’m so here for it you have no idea,” wrote someone else. These are just two of many royals fans who are convinced Markle now has a bit of a British cadence.
Here are some more people on this train:
Don’t drag Meghan Markle for making her accent more English-ey. If you’re an American living in the UK and you don’t change your question-asking inflection, do you even count?
– Chelsea ? (@chelseann) July 5, 2018
I don’t understand why it’s a big deal if Meghan Markle develops a British accent. 1. She’s married to one. 2. She’s an actress and has probably taken lessons in accents. And 3. It’s a subconscious form of empathy.
– Heather (@hrstacks) July 6, 2018
meghan markle is picking up a british accent. wish i could relate. tom wya?
– aislin misses tom (@tomdahling) July 6, 2018
meghan markle developing a british accent is the cutest what? !
– taliaaaa (@taliawhipp) July 6, 2018
Like a few of these people are pointing out, if Markle is developing an accent, it may not be conscious but the result of just spending so much time around British people. After all, Markle’s “accent” here – if it even exists – is nowhere near as strong as Madonna’s was in 2005:
So what’s the verdict? Does Meghan Markle have a British accent now? It’s hard to tell. If she does, though, I can’t blame her.
