Learning from the Monarch - Lessons from "The Crown"

66 years on the throne and counting, Queen Elizabeth II is currently Britain’s longest serving monarch. Many in the world would most likely remember her as the daughter of King George VI, whose struggle to overcome a severe stammer was depicted in the Oscar-winning film ‘The King’s Speech’. Little do people know that the Queen, who looks charming and confident till this day, also had her fair share of problems with public speaking.

In 1956, the Queen gave a disastrous speech during a car factory visit by describing workers’ lives as “uneventful and lonely” and the workers themselves as “average”. Outspoken newspaper editor Lord Altrincham, after hearing the speech over the radio, viciously attacked the Queen’s speaking style as a ‘pain in the neck’ and resembling that of a ‘priggish school girl’ or a ‘prefect’. Altrincham’s opinion piece, which also called for reforms of the British monarchy, created a national sensation and sparked something of a constitutional crisis. This part of British history was forgotten until retold in season 2 of pricey Netflix series ‘The Crown’.

So, what lessons can be learnt from the Queen’s mistakes?

Tone and facial expression

With a raised voice, blank face and ‘upwards-pointing’ nose, actress Claire Foy portrayed the speech-giving Queen as an arrogant aristocrat who is hopelessly distant from the laypeople sitting before her; to be frank, this vivid portrayal (though not necessarily accurate) of the monarch probably tempted some viewers to throw a cushion at the TV screen.

Tone and facial expression are important aspects of public speaking. Suitable changes in tone and use of facial expressions complement your speech by giving life to otherwise plain words on paper, ultimately helping the audience understand the core messages of your speech. Giving speeches without tone change or facial expression will only result in your audience being bored to death and you leaving the bad impression of being ‘passionless’, rendering your speech unpersuasive and ineffective or in the Queen’s case, insulting.

Always write your own speeches

As a constitutional figurehead with virtually zero power, the Queen customarily gives speeches either prepared by her courtiers or the government so as to minimize the possibility of the monarch giving opinions on socio-political matters; only occasionally would she be allowed to make certain changes. The Queen, in giving the ill-written factory speech, suffered from her own negligence by failing to proofread the prepared speech when given the chance; in fact, she was over dependent on her courtiers.

Whenever possible, you should always strive to write your own speeches so that you can truly speak your own mind even when confined by given topics or the occasion. More importantly, by giving your own speech, you will not seem unnatural or sound like a ‘synthetic creature’ with no thought of its own which simply regurgitates given materials. However, if you have no choice but to read speeches prepared by others, you should always proofread them carefully and make

necessary changes; with your reputation, rather than that of the writer’s, on the line, it is your right as the speaker to be able to do so.

In writing your speech, you should also be wary of your choice of words so as to avoid possibly insulting and occasion-inappropriate expressions, bearing in mind how phrases like “average men and women” in the factory speech created an impression of the Queen being a snobbish schoolgirl who looked down on commoners.

Accept and learn from criticism

Though considered by some as a personal insult on the Queen, Altrincham’s criticisms on her public speaking style and the method she addresses her subjects, as accepted and acted on by the Queen and her courtiers, ultimately helped save the British monarchy. The monarchy was brought closer to ordinary people by the Queen’s more approachable speaking style and the wonder of television so that it remained relevant in a post-war world where, as Altrincham put it, “republics are the rule and monarchies pretty much the exception”.

To become a good public speaker, you must be able to accept criticism with an open mind. As dignified human beings with emotions, it is perfectly fine for you to feel depressed or even angry in the face of others’ disapproval but what you mustn’t do is dismiss your critic’s views as they often contain valuable pieces of information which can help improve your speech and overall speaking style, so as to meet the general expectations of your audience in the future. Listening to an objective third party’s advice and criticism will most certainly be conducive to your future success on stage.