John Oliver predicted Meghan Markle's future challenges with the Royal Family back in 2018

John Oliver is known for his biting political commentary and smart comedy, but some of his best takes have emerged in casual conversation.
In February of 2018, Oliver joined Stephen Colbert on The Late Show and discussed the pending nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who were married a few months later. When asked if he was excited about the wedding, Oliver gave a candid response that turned out to be remarkably prescient.
First, he said that he was not, in fact, excited about the wedding. Surprised, Colbert pointed out that Harry was marrying an American and Oliver had married an American, and asked if he had any advice for Harry. Instead, Oliver spoke of his sympathy for Meghan Markle.
"I would not blame her if she pulled out of this at the last minute," he said. "I don't think you need to have just seen the pilot episode of 'The Crown' to get a basic sense she might be marrying into a family that could cause her some emotional complications."
Colbert said, "But this generation seems like nice people, right? They're all nice now, right?"
"Yyyyyeah," Oliver responded. "I mean, they're an emotionally stunted group of fundamentally flawed people doing a silly pseudo-job. That's what she's marrying into. So I hope she likes it. It's going to be weird for her."
"I would not marry into the Royal Family," he added. "I'm a commoner, I would not be welcome—especially after what I've just said," he laughed.
Colbert and Oliver chatted joked about how Oliver's potential knighthood was now off the table, then Oliver shared his thoughts on the displays of reverence people show to the crown.
"It's just weird to kneel in front of another adult. It's odd. I know that historically you read and you see people kneeling down and kissing the ring, but it's a bit strange. It's an odd thing to still have."
Oliver's statements echo what many people feel about the monarchy—that it's an archaic institution that has outlived whatever relevance and usefulness it may have once had. Then again, the royal tradition is a powerful force in the U.K. and Queen Elizabeth is genuinely beloved—even by Harry and Meghan who are making headlines for sharing the issues they've had with the Royal Family as an institution (in addition to specific members they refused to name). Some love the pomp and the pagaentry and are willing to turn a blind eye to the problematic history that goes along with it.
It will be interesting to see what changes if and when Charles—who does not carry the "beloved" mantle of his mother—ascends to the throne. Will people lose some of the love and respect they have for the crown now? Will generations who have only known Queen Elizabeth as monarch view the entire institution differently in her absence? Naturally, the changing of a monarch has always been a transition, but society has changed a lot since 1953, when Elizabeth became queen. People may not be as forgiving of the faults of the Royal Family without its sweet, stalwart matriarch at the helm.
Since John Oliver nailed the Meghan Markle situation so accurately, perhaps his view of the monarchy will also be seen as a self-evident truth someday. Guess we'll see.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.