William Conacher, vocal coach for the cast of The Crown, has shared advice on how to master Princess Diana’s “distinctive voice.”
The second half of The Crown‘s sixth season is set to air on December 14th 2023, bringing the popular historical drama to an end after seven years.
Season six takes place between 1997 and 2005, with the death of Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, taking place in the fourth episode. Debicki began portraying Diana in season five, taking over from Emma Corrin, who played a younger version of the royal in season four.
Conacher has shared his best tips with The Independent on how to speak like Princess Diana, stating that although her voice was “very distinctive” compared to the rest of the Royal Family, it was “actually very typical of her generation of Sloaney privately educated girls.”
Pointing out how “she had this very minor-key way of talking,” making it sound like she was “constantly evoking sympathy,” Conacher explained, “It sounds such a simple thing, but it really makes a difference” because “the rest of the Royal Family are just so much more clipped.”
He also revealed certain “vowel sounds” that sound particularly “Diana-ery,” demonstrating a particular inflexion in words such as “go” and “house.”
Conacher’s best advice for nailing Diana’s accent is to study the way she pronounces her “sloaney vowels of that period that are very distinctive.”
