Germans?

[afro1920]

Originally Posted by lord_rankin

While I would never consider the present Royal Family German it is interesting to note that Edward VIII was the first monarch since George I who did not speak the language. Kaiser Wilhelm II commented more than once about Queen Victoria and Edward VII ability to speak the language like natives.

Well according to some sources, Victoria's first language was German as both her mother and governess/nurse was German. It makes sense that she would speak it so fluently.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by afro1920

Well according to some sources, Victoria's first language was German as both her mother and governess/nurse was German. It makes sense that she would speak it so fluently.

Also when Victoria was small, the political union between Great Britain and Hanover was still very much alive. Only when she became Queen did the union between the two become broken as a woman couldn't inherit the Hanoverian throne.

There still were enough political ties between the two during George III's reign for Great Britain to send troops from the King's German lands to fight the American colonists in the American Revolution.

[Vita]

This is really interesting, but what about the ethnic aspect to it? I wonder what all their breakdowns are by ethnicty?

[Warren]

Ethnic? Germanic, Saxon, Anglo-Saxon. What ethnicity do you mean?

[Skydragon]

Reading through this thread, I have to confess to having a good laugh.

When we are in Scotland, it is so funny to see a big burly yorkshireman, dressed in a kilt, informing everyone that he is a scot, because his great great granny was a scot.

Whatever way you want to disguise it, the British Royal family do have German ancestry and I don't think it is something to be ashamed of!

[Vita]

Originally Posted by Warren

Ethnic? Germanic, Saxon, Anglo-Saxon. What ethnicity do you mean?

Well, yeah! I'm referring to all of the ethnicities that make up the RF. Like being French is a nationality but it doesn't explain like your ethnic makeup. Maybe I'm not explaining it correctly. But I know they've got Saxon, Angolo-Saxon and so on but aren't they part Slavic as well? If anyone has the details on that I would love to know.

[Warren]

If you trace the lines of descent back far enough you'll find ancestors from every corner of Europe, plus Constantinople.
For a selection of "exotic" ancestors, see here.

[HRH Kimetha]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

Reading through this thread, I have to confess to having a good laugh.

When we are in Scotland, it is so funny to see a big burly yorkshireman, dressed in a kilt, informing everyone that he is a scot, because his great great granny was a scot.

Whatever way you want to disguise it, the British Royal family do have German ancestry and I don't think it is something to be ashamed of!

No it isn't! I'm proud to being part German...the great heritage and wonderful inventions that the German's gave the world. And, I'm talking about the positives, not the negatives that every society has committed. Again the positives!!!

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by Vita

This is really interesting, but what about the ethnic aspect to it? I wonder what all their breakdowns are by ethnicty?

I believe being "German" is more a cultural thing than an ethnic one, as the German culture for centuries was like a roof over the numerous ethnical roots in the Middle of Europe. In all parts of the Holy Roman Empire of Germany people of Germanic descend lived together with local people and intermarried, so it's really impossible to say who is who because of what.

It's interesting that we take our word for our land and people (Deutschland and Deutsche) from a single Germanic tribe (The Teutons - via "Teutsche" zu today's "Deutsche") while the rest of the world views us a being "Germans" from the much larger ethnical group of the "Germanics" - who in the 400s at the "Voelkerwanderung" moved across Europe partly because the "Arians" (Indo-Germans or Huns) came up from India via Turkey and the Balkan (Hungary!) to settle here...

So, it's better not to discuss ethnic heritage when you talk about Germans but concentrate on the German culture which was open to anyone as long as schooling was affordable. It is a sad fact though that even the mulit-national Habsburgs considered their Hungarian branch as ethnically minor due to their foreign blood - when emperor Franz Joseph fell in love with an archduchess from the Hungarian branch of the family, he was sincerely discouraged to seek this marriage. And it could not have been the close relationship, as the alternative, princess Helene of Bavaria was his first cousin and much closer related... On meeting with Helene, Franz Joseph fell in love with her younger sister "Sisi" - Elisabeth and the rest is history....