A vocal coach who helped the Duchess of Cambridge avoid fluffing her lines in her wedding vows has died aged 48. Former BBC Question Time producer Anthony ‘Ant’ Gordon Lennox, who had a short illness, aided Kate with breathing techniques and voice control before her wedding to Prince William in April 2011.
The Old Etonian, who was the Duke of Richmond’s nephew, coached Kate’s dyslexic brother James to present a word-perfect reading at the service too.
Mr Lennox was known for helping to flatten Samantha Cameron’s cut-glass tones, widen her vowels and getting her to introduce a slight glottal ‘T’.
The voice coach, who owned Goodwood House in West Sussex with his cousin, the Earl of March, kept a low profile and never discussed his clients or himself.
But his firm AGL Communications was credited with helping two of David Cameron’s predecessors, Iain Duncan Smith, who blamed the frog in his throat for blighting his political ambitions, and William Hague.
Voice coach Anthony Gordon Lennox was also a producer of the BBC’s Question Time (pictured with Flora Soames)
Mr Lennox also coached Lord Coe on his public image and speaking voice for the ultimately successful London 2012 Olympics campaign.
Mr Lennox helped the Duchess of Cambridge (left) with breathing techniques and voice control, while he also flattened the cut-glass tones of Samantha Cameron (right)
And he gave assistance to former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.
In addition, he helped Margaret Thatcher’s granddaughter Amanda deliver a flawless reading of St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians at her mother’s funeral in 2013.
Mr Lennox was called in to provide the then-19-year-old with some last-minute coaching on projecting her voice, and they held runthroughs at an office in Mayfair.
Mr Cameron told the London Evening Standard today: ‘He was one of the most kind-hearted and decent people I ever had the privilege of meeting.
‘And he was passionate about his politics — wanting rational, moderate, reasonable arguments to win the day.’
Conservative MP Sir Nicholas Soames added: ‘It was completely unexpected. Anthony was one of the most talented men of his generation and a lovely man.’
Standard editor George Osborne tweeted: ‘Anthony Gordon Lennox has died after a short illness. A wonderful, loyal and wise friend and man for all seasons. Unbelievably sad and unfair.’
Mr Lennox’s company was credited with helping Iain Duncan Smith (left), who blamed the frog in his throat for blighting his political ambitions, and William Hague (right, pictured in 2001)
Evening Standard editor George Osborne said he was a ‘wonderful, loyal and wise friend’
Mr Lennox was also notable for acting in, directing and producing his own play at the St James Theatre, now called The Other Palace.
His company, based on New Bond Street, says on its website that it provides ‘clients with a range of communication services, from individual and group coaching to corporate narrative development and employee engagement programmes’.
It adds: ‘AGL has established a reputation as a pioneer in authentic communication for both leaders and businesses.
‘Their work is driven by the simple belief that people are at their best when they’re being themselves – and that the same is true of the companies they work for. It gives them a distinctive voice, making them stand out from the crowd.’
