[ketsu]

one thing has always puzzled me about WFB: Why did he affect an English accent his entire life? I’m sure this was not his natural way of speaking, since I’ve never heard a native Nutmegger talk that way.

Because WFB fancied himself to be an aristocrat.

[Urbane_Guerilla]

Because WFB fancied himself to be an aristocrat. I respectfully disagree. WFB was a rara avis. It was not an English accent he had. It was his accent. He was a performer, no doubt. His accent was part of his performance. Buckley was the Ann Coulter of his time mutatis mutandis (although far more consequential).

[FredZarguna]

Because WFB fancied himself to be an aristocrat.

Wrong.

Buckley didn't fancy himself an aristocrat, and there wouldn't be any FRee Republic -- or any other modern conservative institutions -- if it hadn't been for him.

His accent resulted from the fact that he learned English in France, at the age of seven. He was born in Mexico. His first language was Spanish, and his second was French.