The Duchess of Cambridge was very shy when she first joined the royal family. But she has evolved over the years and appears to be more confident as of late.
When Middleton first delivered a speech as a royal, Judi James wasn’t impressed. According to her, Prince William’s wife’s first public speaking didn’t show her true personality.
“Kate clearly has the natural ‘stardust’ factor that her husband lacks, but her speech-making style has previously been over-cautious, led by what looks like a strong desire to get it right and avoid mistakes,” James told Express.
She felt that Middleton delivered her speech the way royals do when making formal speeches when they are launching a ship or opening a building. For her, it lacked personality and she was angered by it.
“Kate’s first speech as Duchess of Cambridge made me angry because – although she looked delightful – her stilted, over-cautious delivery suggested she had been over-coached to the point where we weren’t being allowed to see anything of the real Kate,” James said.
“It looked mannered and choreographed, with too many regular pauses that were timed regardless of context. These are often used to slow a fast speaker down, but good modern speakers tend to put authenticity over a ‘perfect’ delivery that lacks impact.”