Analysis of monophthongal vowel formants in the Queen’s and King’s Christmas broadcasts

This study examines the formants of monophthongal vowels in the speech of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III of the United Kingdom. It analyzes vowel changes in the Queen’s speech across five time periods (1950s, 1960s, 1980s, 2000s, and 2020s) and compares her vowels with those of the King. Recordings of their Christmas broadcasts were annotated, processed, and statistically analyzed. The results indicate that Queen Elizabeth II’s monophthongal vowel space expanded significantly, both vertically and horizontally, from the 1980s, before slightly compressing in the 2020s, likely due to her advanced age. A clear distinction was observed between the Queen’s English and King’s English, with King Charles III’s vowel formant space being notably compressed and shifted to a higher, more backward position on the formant chart compared to the Queen’s.