Is Queen Elizabeth Subtly Trying to be More Relatable?

If there is one thing that Queen Elizabeth has historically been known for, it’s being a little bit standoffish. Of course, who could blame her since part of what being a royal even is involves standing apart from the common person. Still, the Queen’s reputation for being high-class and a bit removed from everyday life has often led people to assume that she is cold, calculating, and most notably, out of touch with the common Brit.

Could that be why certain royal watchers were recently able to recognize a subtle shift in her speech, tone, and overall demeanor? Which is to say, could it be possible that Queen Elizabeth has undertaken an effort to subtly come off as a bit more relatable?

Traditionally Queen Elizabeth has always been very posh when speaking

It used to be that whenever the Queen spoke, especially in any formal public address, she always sounded extremely posh. In Great Britain, “posh” is a term used to describe speech and other cultural behaviors or markers that are specifically associated with the upper classes.

If someone were to say that you sound posh, what they would mean is that you sound like someone who has had the best education and never slips into slang or more common ways of speaking. Traditionally, sounding posh has been Queen Elizabeth’s modus operandi. Some might even say that sounding posh is precisely what makes her seem like a royal to the common person.

Royal watchers have recently noticed a subtle shift in the way Queen Elizabeth speaks

Recently, however, it would seem that the Queen has made a turn away from the polished and posh way she has always spoken. On the r/royalfamily subreddit, some even noted that she may be doing some intentional “code-switching” and speaking in a more common way so as to sound more relatable to her subjects as a whole.

In their discussion about the shift, some royal watchers even noted that Kate Middleton, who has traditionally been considered less staunchly royal in her behavior, has been sounding posher than Queen Elizabeth as of late.

For instance, if one looks at old Christmas broadcast videos and compares them with this year’s Christmas broadcast video, it would seem like Queen Elizabeth has intentionally made her speech sound more approachable. While some might say that this is a bad idea, we think most would agree that anything that makes the Queen seem more charming and warm can only be a positive thing for the royal family.

What could be driving Queen Elizabeth’s push to be more relatable?

It isn’t just Queen Elizabeth who has been subtly shifting towards the more relatable — it’s the royal family as a whole. For instance, if you look at the sweet and less formal Christmas photos that Prince William and Kate Middleton or Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been sending out lately and compare them to older royal Christmas cards, it would seem like the entire family is trying to seem more in touch with the way everyday people live, love, and enjoy their lives.

If the Queen is evolving as well, it could be for any number of reasons. One might be that as her grandchildren change the way the royal family is perceived, she feels more at ease and thus freer to be herself in her public address. It may be that she has noticed how relatable figures like Meghan Markle have reinvigorated public interest in the royal family and she wants to do the same for her own image. Or it may just be that she is easing the restraint she places on herself somewhat as she ages.

It could even be that she has other things on her mind, such as Prince Phillip’s recent hospital visit, and she is simply less concerned with coming off posh. Whatever the reason, and no matter how subtle the shift may be, it would seem like we are in for a slightly softer and more relatable Queen Elizabeth in 2020.