Royals and celebrities are being advised by their representatives to be cautious about what they say in public, as lip-reading experts can decode conversations from videos posted online within seconds. The trend has been fuelled by social media platforms like TikTok, where clips are shared widely.
Prince William was recently at the centre of a lip-reading controversy after a video of him speaking to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was analysed for a Channel 5 documentary, Lip-Reading the Royals. The lip-reader claimed Mountbatten-Windsor apologised to his nephew, saying: “I’ve learnt from what I’ve done, but before I forget, and if I can, I’d like to ask you if you can forgive?” The prince reportedly remained silent.
The documentary also allegedly showed King Charles saying “fuck me” while getting into a royal carriage and Princess Anne gossiping about the Duchess of Sussex. A royal source expressed irritation, stating: “As with many high-profile individuals, members of the royal family are aware of the unfortunate and growing trend for lip-readers to be used, with varying degrees of inaccuracy, to snoop on conversations that anyone would have a right to be considered private.”
Dickie Arbiter, former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, said royals are being warned about unguarded moments captured by TV cameras or mobile phones. “Sometimes, they came out with some outrageous things,” he said. “Often the member of the royal household in question wouldn’t remember if that is indeed what they said.”
Paddy Harverson, former communications director to King Charles, noted that lip-reading was not a major concern when he left the palace 13 years ago. Arbiter added that social media has turbocharged the problem, calling it “a cesspit”. He advised royals to keep conversations appropriate during walkabouts.
Celebrity events like the Golden Globes have also been affected, with videos of stars such as Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez, and Olivia Rodrigo being decoded by lip-readers and posted online. Agents are now warning clients to assume that anything they say in public could be filmed and analysed.
