Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first 33-minute episode of their £30million podcast has climbed the UK Spotify charts to seventh place.
The programme, a Christmas special featuring Sir Elton John, initially charted in 17th place – below a podcast designed to send people to sleep with whale noises, called Deep Sleep Sounds – after being released on Tuesday afternoon.
However the episode slowly climbed through the ranks reaching 7th place today in the UK Spotify podcast charts, and 26 in the US.
The Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, called on a number of their famous friends to appear during the first episode, which feature a range of prominent British and American artists, activists and musicians.
The Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, called on a number of their famous friends to appear during the first episode. Pictured during a visit to Reprezent FM, in Brixton, south London
The couple’s newly-formed Archewell Audio project promises to produce programming that ‘uplifts and entertains audiences
These included Sir Elton John, Brené Brown, Deepak Chopra, Stacey Abrams and James Corden, who they invited to review 2020.
Discussions focused on mental health and mindfulness in the first episode before sweetly concluding with the gospel song This Little Light of Mine.
The royal couple promised their podcast will ‘uplift and entertain audiences around the world’ as they spoke with a range of people who ‘inspire us’.
PR guru James Henderson told The Sun that calling on their friends had been a wise move for the Royal couple.
He told The Sun: ‘Access to very well-known people willing to talk out about issues and their thoughts and experiences will always command interest.’
He added that their inclusion of their 19-month-old son Archie’s voice during the podcast – in which they encouraged him to say Happy New Year – seemed not to fit with their continued plea for privacy.
Archie – in his first public words – wished listeners a ‘Happy New Year’ in his American accent and said it was ‘fun’ to speak into a microphone.
Harry and Meghan, who have fiercely defended Archie’s privacy since his birth in May 2019 and filed a lawsuit this year to fight to protect it, encourage their son to talk into the microphone, with Harry telling him: ‘You can speak into it.’ Meghan also asks: ‘Archie, is it fun?’
Archie then replies: ‘Fun.’ Harry then says: ‘After me, ready? Happy.’ Archie says: ‘Happy.’ Meghan and Harry both then say ‘New’, and Archie says: ‘New Year’.
Judi James, a leading TV expert in social behaviour and body language, likened the double act to TV pairings Richard and Judy and Holly and Phil.
She claimed Prince Harry has dropped the Queen’s English accent in favour of a more ‘slurring mid-Estuary’ twang in his new podcast.
Judi observed: ‘Describing the podcast as ‘Our tweny-tweny holiday special’, Harry drops the second ‘t’ in ‘twenty’ in a verbal slurring that sounds either American or South London, although the ‘holiday special’ wording probably places it in the US.
‘He says they ‘wanna’ honour rather than ‘want to’ and he pronounces the word ‘look’ more like ‘luck’, both of which would probably sound right in the Queen Vic in EastEnders.
‘Although his ‘meaningful our connections’ appears to have more of a US twang.’
The couple called on famous friends including Sir Elton John, Brené Brown, Deepak Chopra, Stacey Abrams and James Corden to review 2020
The Sussexes called on many of their most famous friends to appear on their first Archewell Audio podcast, which they promise will ‘uplift and entertain audiences around the world’.
Meghan said they asked people who ‘inspire us’ to appear on the podcast and give ‘their thoughts on what they learned from 2020’.
Sir Elton was a friend of Harry’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales and has regularly supported her son over the years, while Corden was a guest at Harry and Meghan’s wedding and was asked by the duke to perform at the couple’s evening celebration.
Other guests include Democrat activist Stacey Abrams, tennis star Naomi Osaka, American filmmaker and actor Tyler Perry, wellness icon Deepak Chopra and teenage activist Christina Adane from London, who campaigns on food issues.
Experts have called the couple’s Spotify tie-up as another big step towards building what experts believe could become a $1billion business empire in the US after a super-deal with Netflix to make documentaries about their pet projects.
But the podcast received a mixed response on social media yesterday. While some praised the podcast, one Twitter user commented, ‘Pass me the sick bucket’.
Meghan quotes Martin Luther King as she tells the audience that: ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that’. The couple end the podcast – the first of a series thought to be worth £30m ($40m) – by saying, ‘love always wins’.
Many Twitter users criticised the show, with one calling it ‘dull and preachy’ while another wrote ‘I’d rather watch concrete [set]’. However, fans called it ‘heartwarming’ and praised Archie’s appearance as ‘adorable’.
Other social media users suggested it was ironic that the couple had decided to feature their one-year-old son in the multi-million dollar podcast shortly after having moved to the US to protect their family’s privacy.
Simon Oakden tweeted: ‘I hope others will join me in respecting the wishes of these people and decide not to invade their privacy by listening to it.’
Nigel Roberts agreed, adding: ‘Great to see you getting the privacy is so craved for before leaving the United Kingdom…’
Other listeners gushed over Archie, the couple’s one-year-old son, as he made a brief appearance to giggle while trying to say ‘Happy New Year’ at the end of the podcast.
One person commented: ‘What a cute, pleasant surprise from little Archie. His laughter – so infectious.’
What would Granny say? Prince Harry drops Queen’s RP accent for ‘slurring Estuary English’ and adopts a ‘newly seductive’ delivery in his ‘tweny-tweny holiday special’ Spotify podcast with Meghan Markle, behaviour expert claims
Prince Harry has dropped the Queen’s English accent in favour of a more ‘slurring mid-Estuary’ twang in his new podcast with wife Meghan Markle, a British behaviour expert has claimed.
The Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, today released their first Spotify podcast, calling on famous friends including Sir Elton John, Brené Brown, Deepak Chopra, Stacey Abrams and James Corden to review 2020 – or ‘tweny-tweny’, as Harry pronounced it.
Their debut show as part of the £30million ($40million) deal with the streaming giant is a ‘holiday special’, with the couple entering ‘a whole new world of branding as a double act’ according to Judi James, who likened them to TV pairings Richard and Judy and Holly and Phil.
She added that Harry’s ‘new accent’ is ‘every bit as interesting as Tony Blair’s infamous mockney’, telling FEMAIL: ‘It’s pretty much mid-everything: mid-Atlantic, mid-London and mid-Estuary English.’
Estuary is an accent associated with the area along the River Thames and its estuary, including London.
Judi observed: ‘Describing the podcast as “Our tweny-tweny holiday special”, Harry drops the second “t” in “twenty” in a verbal slurring that sounds either American or South London, although the “holiday special” wording probably places it in the US.
Judi said Harry has gone from a ‘tentative speaker’ to a ‘slicker, more rehearsed-sounding’ podcast pro, and together with Meghan, the pair resemble a ‘professional media double act’
‘He says they “wanna” honour rather than “want to” and he pronounces the word “look” more like “luck”, both of which would probably sound right in the Queen Vic in EastEnders. Although his “meaningful our connections” appears to have more of a US twang.’
Judi added that there’s something ‘newly seductive’ about Harry’s delivery at some points, suggesting ‘the flirting with Meghan during their podcast trailer’ might have ‘brought out his sexier side’.
‘His “I’m Harry” is full of naïve bounce and enthusiasm, but after Meghan purrs “And I’m Meghan” in a deeper, richer tone, Harry responds by saying “We’re glad you’re here” in a much more of a low purr himself,’ she went on.
‘To match his super-professional wife, Harry has changed his pace as well as his tone.
‘He normally takes a more leisurely style of delivery with a few thoughtful pauses and verbal fillers, like most of the Windsor men, but here he has upped his pace to deliver crisper messages with no faltering or hesitation.
‘In doing so he loses much of his authenticity and suggestion of speaking straight from his thoughts rather than a script. There is nothing natural about these clipped and scripted sentiments although the performer skills have clearly been worked on.’
Judi said Harry has gone from a ‘tentative speaker’ to a ‘slicker, more rehearsed-sounding’ podcast pro, and together with Meghan, the pair resemble a ‘professional media double act’.
‘Harry isn’t just chatting here, he is presenting from a tightly timed and choreographed script and instead of the relaxed hand-overs to Meghan he is making timed cut-ins, some times just throwing in two words between her words in the style you would normally hear from professional media double-acts like Richard and Judy (Harry sounds incredibly like Richard Madeley in this clip) or Holly and Phil,’ she explained.
‘So far we have seen Harry marketed as a bit of a royal male on the loose, a tentative speaker who projected his personal brand of charm and charisma by looking and sounding like a keen amateur rather than a polished professional.
‘Here, though, he has been fully launched as podcast Harry, a slicker, more rehearsed-sounding speaker who has even adopted a new style of accent to appeal to a demanding audience.’
A number of listeners also took to Twitter to comment on Harry’s accent during the podcast, including royal historian Marlene Koenig.
She observed that the Duke ‘spoke Estuary rather than RP [received pronunciation]’.
In response to a tweet which suggested Harry had adopted a mid-Atlantic accent, Marlene commented: ‘He spoke estuary rather than RP.
‘Few Brits speak RP. Living in CA would not mean a mid Atlantic accent. I speak with a mid Atlantic American Standard. American Standard is the equivalent of RP. See The story of English.’
BBC presenter Sangita Myska also made the observation, tweeting in response to a post by ITV royal correspondent Chris Ship: ‘Hmm. He’s gone a little Estuary English, no?’
A number of listeners took to Twitter to comment on Harry’s accent, including royal historian Marlene Koenig
Chris replied: ‘And says “ñew year” rather than “noo year”!’ referencing the moment Harry and Meghan encouraged little Archie to make an appearance at the end of the podcast and wish people a ‘happy new year’ in his distinctly American twang.
The couple, who have fiercely defended Archie’s privacy since his birth in May 2019 and filed a lawsuit in the US this year to fight to protect it, urge their son to talk into the microphone, with Harry telling him: ‘You can speak into it.’ Meghan also asks: ‘Archie, is it fun?’ to which he replies: ‘Fun!’
In a trailer for their Spotify podcast, body language expert Judi James claimed Meghan is copying the Queen’s rhetorical style to make herself sound ‘presidential’.
The Duchess said ‘my husband and I’ when referring to Harry on the recording, in a move reminiscent of the Queen and former First Lady Michelle Obama, who often use the same rhetorical technique.
Judi said: ‘Despite the fact that “just Harry’ has already introduced himself, Meghan switches to a regal-sounding formality when she then refers to “My husband and I…” as though he weren’t actually present with her.
‘This is a phrase famously used by the Queen and adds a royal air to their trailer.’
The Sussexes called on many of their most friends to appear on their first Archewell Audio podcast, which they promise will ‘uplift and entertain audiences around the world’.
Meghan said they asked people who ‘inspire us’ to appear on the podcast and give ‘their thoughts on what they learned from 2020’.
Sir Elton was a friend of Harry’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales and has regularly supported her son over the years, while Corden was a guest at Harry and Meghan’s wedding and was asked by the duke to perform at the couple’s evening celebration.
Other guests include Democrat activist Stacey Abrams, tennis star Naomi Osaka, American filmmaker and actor Tyler Perry, wellness icon Deepak Chopra and teenage activist Christina Adane from London, who campaigns on food issues.
In an apparent nod to the stormy 2020 the couple have had after quitting as frontline royals and moving to Los Angeles via Vancouver, Meghan says: ‘From us I’ll say no matter what life throws at you guys, trust us when we say, love wins.’
The podcast ends with the gospel song This Little Light of Mine, which was played at the end of their wedding in May 2018.Experts have called the couple’s Spotify tie-up as another big step towards building what experts believe could become a $1billion business empire in the US after a super-deal with Netflix to make documentaries about their pet projects.
From an ‘explorer of consciousness’ to a poet-cum-rapper: How Harry and Meghan lined up all-star cast including Sir Elton John, James Corden, Naomi Osaka and Tyler Perry for their podcast debut
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released their first podcast and called on a number of their famous friends to appear.
The couple’s first 33-minute show as part of the deal with the streaming giant worth an estimated £30million ($40million) is a ‘holiday special’ that concludes with the gospel song This Little Light of Mine.
The guests appearing on the first episode feature a range of prominent British and American artists, activists and musicians.
The royal couple promised their podcast will ‘uplift and entertain audiences around the world’ as they spoke with a range of people who ‘inspire us’.
Sir Elton John
Sir Elton John
Link: Sir Elton was friends with Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, and he has remained a close friend of the prince since her death in 1997
Net worth: £360m ($485m)
Lives: Windsor, London, Nice and Los Angeles
One of Britain’s most famous rock stars, Sir Elton has been in royal circles for years, from performing at Prince Andrew’s 21st birthday party to Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.
The 73-year-old kept in touch with Harry, and has worked with him on AIDS charity work, a cause close to Diana’s heart.
In 2019 he performed at the lunch reception when Harry tied the knot with Meghan, and even gifted them the use of his private jet and home in Nice for which they were heavily criticised.
When Harry and Meghan forfeited their royal duties to move to America, they rented a mansion close to Sir Elton’s in a gated LA community.
After they move to their current mansion in Montecito, it was reported they even consulted Sir Elton’s extravagant designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard for help choosing the decor.
James Corden
James Corden
Link: He was a guest at Harry and Meghan’s wedding and was asked by the duke to perform at the couple’s evening celebration.
Net worth: £22m ($30m)
Lives: Los Angeles and London
A breakthrough star of several British comedies including Gavin and Stacey, Corden left the UK in search of Hollywood stardom in 2015, and now presents the Late Late Show for CBS.
On news of Harry and Meghan’s engagement, the TV funnyman, 42, used his show to subtly plead for an invitation to the wedding, and was later invited.
It was reported Corden even managed to set up a ‘dance-off’ between Harry, William and their father Charles at the star-studded reception afterwards.
Corden is now one of the most prominent Britons in US showbiz – making him the perfect figure to generate publicity for the podcast on both sides of the Atlantic.
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry
Link: Through his mutual friend, Oprah Winfrey, Perry invited Harry, Meghan, and Archie to stay in his $18million Californian mansion while they searched for a permanent home
Net worth: £744m ($1bn)
Lives: Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York
Once-homeless Perry has earned a fortune through writing, developing and starring in dozens of films, TV series and stage plays, including as his most famous ‘Madea’ character.
In 2011, he was listed by Forbes magazine as the highest-paid man in entertainment.
The couple had been staying in Perry’s £15m ($20m) 12-bedroom Los Angeles mansion before moving to their current home in Montecito.
The actor had previously posted images of the house on Instagram, which showed a sunken Grecian-style bath and a huge terrace with stunning views of LA.
Stacey Abrams
Stacey Abrams
Link: Meghan spoke to Abrams in August to discuss voter suppression in the US and how it affects people of colour
Net worth: Unknown, but Abrams said she was $200,000 in debt in 2018, owing $54,000 in federal back taxes and holding $174,000 in credit card and student loan debt
Lives: Atlanta, Georgia
Abrams is a key political figure in Georgia who was catapulted on to the national arena in the wake of the contentious 2020 US election.
She served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017 before becoming the country’s first African American female nominee for a major party in a gubernatorial race.
She lost the 2018 vote to the Republican Governor Mike Kemp in an election which she accused her opponent of engaging in black voter suppression.
Abrams then founded Fair Fight Action to tackle the issue and register more voters from minority backgrounds.
In the 2020 Presidential election, Georgia was a crucial swing state, and many have credited Abrams and Fair Fight Action for turning it blue, along with many other states where she campaigned.
Christina Adane
Christina Adane
Link: Campaigning
Net worth: N/A
Lives: South London
At the age of 17, Christina has already served as co-chair of a campaign tackling food injustice and launched one of the most successful petitions in recent UK political history.
The teenager from London serves on the youth board of Bite Back 2030 which is fighting for young people to be given equal access to a good diet.
The young trailblazer has also written poems about the Black Lives Matter movement and delivered speeches at global climate summits.
Christina, who received free school meals when she was younger, was at the forefront of Marcus Rashford’s campaign to help poorer children be fed during the school holidays this year.
She started the petition which was later championed by the Manchester United footballer which forced the government into two U-turns.
The 17-year-old has made it her mission to ensure that no child in the UK goes hungry.
José Andrés
José Andrés
Link: The royal couple announced earlier this month they had partnered with the chef for their new charitable venture
Net worth: £37million ($50million)
Lives: Maryland, US
The chef and restaurateur is credited with bringing small plates to US cuisine from his native Spain.
Arriving in the country in 1990 with $50 to his name, he has since gone on to earn three Michelin stars, owning dozens of restaurants.
But he famously pulled out of a restaurant deal at the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC in 2016 after the then Republican presidential candidate made disparaging comments about Mexicans.
The father-of-three has often featured on TV but later turned to more charitable work, starting the non-profit venture World Central Kitchen.
The organization provides free meals in the wake of natural disasters, starting in 2010 after the Haiti earthquake.
It has since helped deliver food to Americans during the Covid pandemic.
Brené Brown
Brené Brown
Link: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they ‘adore’ self-help guru Brené Brown in August. Her other celebrity fans include Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jennifer Aniston.
Net worth: £2.2million ($3million)
Lives: Texas, US
Brené Brown has had a varied career, working as a professor, author, podcast host and self-help guru.
She has spent two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy and imparts her wisdom to students, readers and listeners.
Previously struggling with addictions to smoking, alcohol and emotional eating, she has since transformed her life and now helps others.
She has penned five New York Times bestselling books and her TED Talk on The Power of Vulnerability further propelled her in the public eye, going viral with millions of views on YouTube.
Brown also hosts two hit pocasts, Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead, where she recently interviewed Barack Obama.
Rachel Cargle
Rachel Cargle
Link: Meghan and Harry hosted a virtual discussion featuring Cargle in October for a special episode of the Time100 Talks
Net worth: £2.2million ($3million)
Lives: New York
Cargle came to prominence after a photo of her at the 2017 Women’s March against Donald Trump’s presidency went viral.
She held aloft a placard reading ‘If You Don’t Fight for All Women You Fight for No Women’, in front of the Capitol.
The activist has since then used her platform to speak out on issues of race, gender and inequality on her ever growing social media accounts.
She is an advocate of intersectional feminism, which means different inequalities such as class, gender or race are treated as intersecting rather than separate issues.
Cargle tours a lecture, Unpacking White Feminism, and regularly appears in the media speaking out on issues of inequality.
The author has also founded the Loveland Foundation which helps provide therapy to black women and girls.
Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra
Link: Meghan’s lifestyle blog The Tig, which she wrote before meeting Prince Harry, cited the works of Chopra
Net worth: £110million ($150million)
Lives: New York
The Indian-American author is one of the best-known figures in alternative medicine and the New Age movement.
Chopra, who calls himself an ‘explorer of consciousness’, believes the human body can attain perfect health, avoiding ageing, disease and pain.
His claims have been heavily disputed by scientists who have dismissed his beliefs as ‘pseudoscience’.
The doctor and prolific author shot to fame with his appearances on Oprah Winfrey’s show where he discussed his views that someone’s mental health can affect their physical reality.
Chopra and his wife currently live in a ‘health-centric’ condominium in Manhattan.
Matt Haig
Matt Haig
Link: Meghan is one of the author’s high profile fans and included his poem in her guest edit of British Vogue last year
Net worth: £3million ($4million)
Lives: Brighton, UK
Matt Haig has been very open about his battles with mental health and has fed the subject into his successful books.
The author, 45, has written a number of bestsellers including Reasons To Stay Alive, How To Stop Time and Notes on a Nervous Planet.
Haig, who is married with two children, struggled with depression and anxiety in his 20s and nearly took his own life.
In the September issue of British Vogue, Meghan hailed his poem, which is an ode from a beach telling swimmers not to be body-conscious.
Matt added that Meghan’s choice to include his piece is a ‘surreal honour’ and that he is glad she ‘digs my stupid humour.’
Hussain Manawer
Hussain Manawer
Link: Before Meghan met Harry, Manawer revealed the Suits actress approached him backstage at an event where they discussed mental health work
Net worth: N/A
Lives: Essex, UK
Hussain Manawer is a poet and campaigner who teaches about the importance of mental health.
His success has seen him share stages with global popstars, reciting poems alongside Ed Sheeran, Cher and Ellie Goulding.
He has even performed with Justin Trudeau and Kofi Anan.
The poet holds the record for the world’s largest mental health lesson and is also an ambassador for mental health charity Samaritans.
His poem The Sound of Support opened the FA Cup final in England this year, cheered on by Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka
Link: Not known, but Meghan is close friends with fellow tennis star Serena Williams
Net worth: £19m ($25m)
Lives: Beverly Hills
At 23, Naomi Osaka, has already made a huge name for herself on the tennis court.
The Haitian-Japanese former World Number One became the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles tennis.
Osaka has already won three Grand Slam titles and is the reigning US Open champion.
She famously defeated Serena Williams in 2018 to win the US Open, her first Grand Slam.
The match is also remembered for Williams’s on field dispute with the umpire, causing her to receive a game penalty.
Osaka has become increasingly outspoken and this year attended Black Lives Matter protests and wore face masks bearing the names of black people killed by police to her tennis matches.
George the Poet
George the Poet
Link: Harry and Meghan have had a long association with the British spoken-word artist. Prince Harry shared one of his poems to mark World AIDS Day in 2016, before George The Poet performed on the couple’s wedding day in 2018.
Net worth: N/A
Lives: London, UK
George the Poet is a man of many talents, performing as a spoken-word artist, rapper, poet and podcaster.
The artist uses hip hop influences to discuss social and political issues.
His influences range from Maya Angelou, Tupac Shakur, Nas, Dizzee Rascal and George Watsky.
Last year, he was offered an MBE but turned down the award because the British Empire’s treatment of his ancestral homeland of Uganda.