Prince William's Suitability to be King

[Mbruno]

. I'm generally quite good at pronunciation, but with French, I need to be around it for a little while and listen to it to get my my pronunciation sorted out. If I had to read a speech in French right now, it would come out sounding a mess.

It would be nice if William could speak French but, IMO, doesn't affect his "suitability" for the position. If it were a real issue, I'm quite certain that someone would be making sure his French skills were still up to snuff.

I agree that French has a tough phonology. However, although most native English speakers don't realize that, so does English, as English actually has a large inventory of vowels, many of which are completely unpredictable from the spelling of the word. Nevertheless, many non-native speakers manage to speak nearly flawless English.

I guess the problem is not that native English-speaking people are not "naturally" good at foreign languages, but rather that they don't bother to learn a foreign language (because they think they won't need it anyway), or, when they do learn one formally, they never get to practice it after they leave school.

 

[Rudolph]

Here in Canada, one province is bilingual. Where I live I don't hear a single word of french all day long. William will be a fine King of Canada.

If its so critical to world politics more American presidents would speak foreign languages.

 

[hernameispekka]

To be honest and I don't want to dismiss the guy, I hold no grudge against him and wish him the best, I am not too impressed so far. He has the tendence to mumble and swallow his words in, which seems a bit remarkable. Should a future King not speak clear and articulate? And then that he is not able to read some words in French, which was the lingua franca at all royal courts and which is spoken in one of his biggest Realms...

It is nice he learned how to fly a helicopter but that the King can express himself in French when he is in Québec or in one of the many francophone countries would not be too pauvre either. Recently I have seen footage on German television with Prince Charles speaking almost accentless German. At least this future King speaks the language of Europe's most important country and a major trade partner to the UK. No translator needed when he meets Frau Merkel...

Well, I agree that William is a bit mubmly. He's more mumbly in interviews than speeches though. My king can be heard well and aticulate but generally sound rather "stupid". I'd rather have someone like William who sounds passionate but don't have perfect speaking manners. And he's evolving in that area as well, so he will continue to get better. A thing people have a problem with is actually that we are more used to american english nowdays so I had trouble understanding any of the british royals at first because their speaking manner is so different.

 

[hernameispekka]

The comparable royal that unmeditatedly pops in my mind is Edward VIII. Both William and Edward are/were popular with the people and are/were good at key aspects of royal work, but it seems like they don't like the job as much as it likes them.

I'd be more afraid if he WANTED to be king. No-one in their right mind would want to be, so if he wanted it really much I would be afraid for him and thinking he had delusiouns of grandeur. As William said, it's not a question of him wanting, but he does not NOT want it. It just is. Someone aliked it to getting the question "Do you want to be female?". You could answer with some pro's and con's but you can't really answer the question because you don't know any different. Him being destined to be king is probably something that just IS. He probably had times in his life (especially his teens) where he questioned his destiny, what was expected of him etc. That's called growing up. You are SUPPOSED to question those things as a way to step into adulthood. I think William seems content.

 

[Isabella]

I agree that French has a tough phonology. However, although most native English speakers don't realize that, so does English, as English actually has a large inventory of vowels, many of which are completely unpredictable from the spelling of the word. Nevertheless, many non-native speakers manage to speak near flawless English.

I guess the problem is not that native English-speaking people are not "naturally" good at foreign languages, but rather that they don't bother to learn a foreign language (because they think they won't need it anyway), or, when they do learn one formally, they never get to practice it after they leave school.

Certainly English isn't necessarily easy, but the reason that so many people speak it, as well as the fact that a lot of native English-language speakers don't speak a foreign language, is really quite a practical one: English is the lingua franca. It's spoken all over the world, and it's useful, if not necessary, for many people to speak it. Native English-speakers, on the other hand, get a bit spoiled by this. We don't generally have to speak foreign languages at home, and even if we travel, many of the people we encounter speak English. It's often not an issue of ability, but of practicality. I mean, my French pronunciation gets rusty because I basically never hear French being spoken. Post-university, I've had to put a lot of effort in just to try to maintain a decent amount of my foreign language abilities (and I'm someone for whom languages come quite easy).

 

[Mbruno]

Well, I agree that William is a bit mubmly. He's more mumbly in interviews than speeches though. My king can be heard well and aticulate but generally sound rather "stupid". I'd rather have someone like William who sounds passionate but don't have perfect speaking manners. And he's evolving in that area as well, so he will continue to get better. A thing people have a problem with is actually that we are more used to american english nowdays so I had trouble understanding any of the british royals at first because their speaking manner is so different.

He looks a little bit shy to me and perhaps lacking in self-confidence. I also agree with what an earlier poster wrote about him not being very enthusiastic about becoming king. I think that has a lot to do with his parents' failed marriage and what happened afterwards to his mother. He probably won't become king though for quite some time, so there's plenty of time for him to get used to it.

 

[hernameispekka]

He looks a little bit shy to me and perhaps lacking in self-confidence. I also agree with what an earlier poster wrote about him not being very enthusiastic about becoming king. I think that has a lot to do with his parents' failed marriage and what happened afterwards to his mother. He probably won't become king though for quite some time, so there's plenty of time for him to get used to it.

I agree that there was a time when he probably had some serious doubt about wanting that role, but I think that's rather healthy. If he in no time in his life had at least partly wanted out he would not have thought very hard about his future. This gives him a much better base and a kind of "distance" to the job that can be helpful. I think he has changed alot since getting married and I think Kate has been a BIG help in getting him to be a more content and happy person, and I really think he relishes in having a family. So as long as nothing big happens to his family (threats, media etc) I think he will continue to be more and more okay with his futurre role.

 

[Queen Claude]

I'd be more afraid if he WANTED to be king. No-one in their right mind would want to be, so if he wanted it really much I would be afraid for him and thinking he had delusiouns of grandeur. As William said, it's not a question of him wanting, but he does not NOT want it. It just is. Someone aliked it to getting the question "Do you want to be female?". You could answer with some pro's and con's but you can't really answer the question because you don't know any different. Him being destined to be king is probably something that just IS. He probably had times in his life (especially his teens) where he questioned his destiny, what was expected of him etc. That's called growing up. You are SUPPOSED to question those things as a way to step into adulthood. I think William seems content.

By this same argument then we should be afraid of anyone who runs for high political office and accuse them of having delusions of grandeur. Also even if someone did not have a say in their gender, cultural group or social strata, that does not mean they can't move beyond acceptance to embracing the hand that was dealt by fate.

I actually did not mention him "wanting" to be king, I said that William is good at key aspects of royal work but to me he doesn't seem to like the job as much as it likes him

 

[hernameispekka]

By this same argument then we should be afraid of anyone who runs for high political office and accuse them of having delusions of grandeur. Also even if someone did not have a say in their gender, cultural group or social strata, that does not mean that can't move beyond acceptance to embracing the hand that was dealt by fate.

I actually did not mention him "wanting" to be king, I said that William is good at key aspects of royal work but to me he doesn't seem to like the job as much as it likes him.

Well.. In a way, yes. A person who goes into politics wanting to get the top job is not a good politician in my mind. The good ones are the ones that are engaged about a cause or a party and therefore "Stumbled" into politics or saw that as the best way to make a difference. Not the top job per se.

 

[Rudolph]

"In a monarchy, succession to the throne is a matter not of choice but of duty." - Vernon Bogdanor

Does he 'want' to be King. Who knows but he will be king because its his duty to his country and people and William has always been dutiful.

 

[Honeybees]

Rudolph, thank you for the quote.

 

[hernameispekka]

"In a monarchy, succession to the throne is a matter not of choice but of duty." - Vernon Bogdanor

Does he 'want' to be King. Who knows but he will be king because its his duty to his country and people and William has always been dutiful.

Exactly! And I think the Queen is a huge inspiration to him and that even when she's gone he wont want to do things that he know would have upset her. He is trying to find his niché within this unique situation he's in, and he could have done WAAAAY worse than being a family man focused on a high skill job saving people. He could be like the party princes of old!

 

[RoyaltyPortuguese]

If he knows or not other languages, is not the most important for his future role as king. English is the most spoken language in the world. William will be a good king, though he is aware of what awaits you in the future, and always representing the UK in does so in impeccable form abroad.

 

[hernameispekka]

If he knows or not other languages, is not the most important for his future role as king. English is the most spoken language in the world. William will be a good king, though he is aware of what awaits you in the future, and always representing the UK in does so in impeccable form abroad.

I agree. He is surprisingly scandal free. He's done a few things here and there but nothing major. He doesn't have his fathers political and boycotting things (maybe in his mind, but then he's hiding it well) and he isn't clumsy as Phillip is nor has the major scandals (nazi, naked, etc) that harry has, or Andrews whole hollabalooo, so he's managed to keep himself "clean". He's good at smalltalk and non-controversial things and is very good at walking that fine line when doing more controversial stuff. Think about it, he managed to promote conservation in CHINA (on huge billboards!!) AND meet the president without putting a foot wrong on either. That is bigger than some may realize!

 

[Marty91charmed]

I think that the requirements of suitability change with time... Maybe he will be suitable when his time comes, as the time will likely be in a distant and "modern" future... Things wuould be different if times were still 1940, or earlier... It all has to do with time IMO

 

[RoyaltyPortuguese]

We have to have the notion that William's reign will be completely different from the reign of Queen. We are in a completely different era. Charles and William are likely to have major challenges in their respective kingdoms and are very well prepared for it. I have no doubt that William will be a good king. Do not forget that if William does not quise to be king, would have given way for Harry ....

 

[Queen Claude]

Adding on to my previous comment:
Meaningful royal work and having a sense of duty does not begin and end with being the monarch. The current queen pledged her life to serving the Commonwealth and her people while she was still a princess. Prince Charles' legacy will probably be tied more to his work/accomplishments as the Prince of Wales than as king, so neither William nor any other heir needs to be fixated on "the top job" as they go about being a working royal. At the same time if royal work doesn't enthuse William, and my perception is that it does not and probably never will, that is an "it is what it is" situation, and however way this plays out: abdication, mediocre reign, great reign, the British monarchy will endure in some form or another.

Well.. In a way, yes. A person who goes into politics wanting to get the top job is not a good politician in my mind. The good ones are the ones that are engaged about a cause or a party and therefore "Stumbled" into politics or saw that as the best way to make a difference. Not the top job per se.

Again what you are saying is different than what I stated, I did not state that the person who enters politics is doing so with his/her eye on the top job. I stated that the person who runs for high political office, who may have very well "stumbled" into the political arena, should not be looked at as having delusions of grandeur.

 

[Osipi]

We have to have the notion that William's reign will be completely different from the reign of Queen. We are in a completely different era. Charles and William are likely to have major challenges in their respective kingdoms and are very well prepared for it. I have no doubt that William will be a good king. Do not forget that if William does not quise to be king, would have given way for Harry ....

Actually should William denounce his rights to the throne, I believe next up would be George then Charlotte then Harry. I don't for a minute even entertain the notion that Will will walk away from what he's prepared almost all of his life for.

When Edward VIII abdicated, I'm sure Albert was not a happy camper taking on the role of monarch in his brother's stead but he had one very good thing going for him in his consort. QEQM stood by him and supported him no matter what. This is a blessing that I think William has and will make his time as King much easier.

 

[hernameispekka]

Actually should William denounce his rights to the throne, I believe next up would be George then Charlotte then Harry. I don't for a minute even entertain the notion that Will will walk away from what he's prepared almost all of his life for.

When Edward VIII abdicated, I'm sure Albert was not a happy camper taking on the role of monarch in his brother's stead but he had one very good thing going for him in his consort. QEQM stood by him and supported him no matter what. This is a blessing that I think William has and will make his time as King much easier.

I agree.. And I think also, part of Williams reason to still do it even if he doesn't want to is his protective side. I think he would NEVER abdicate and put it on (before) Harry and (now) George. I think he'd rather sacrifice his own happiness (not saying he feels this way) than to burden them. It seems like a very un-William thing to do.

 

[Mbruno]

If he knows or not other languages, is not the most important for his future role as king. English is the most spoken language in the world. William will be a good king, though he is aware of what awaits you in the future, and always representing the UK in does so in impeccable form abroad.

Consider the following: when Elizabeth II ascended the throne, she became queen, if I'm not mistaken, of the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon, which were the (independent) Commonwealth realms at the time. Should we have expected her back then to speak Afrikaans (which was co-official in South Africa), or Urdu, or Sinhalese, not mention other (then) non-official languages that were nonetheless spoken in the realms like Maori, Welsh, Zulu, or Xhosa ? I don't think that would have been reasonable.

 

[Rudolph]

Well lets get right to the brass tacks. William is suitable because parliament says he is suitable.

Parliament, when it passed the Act of Settlement in 1701, stated the Throne is to go to the Electress Sophia and the heirs of her body. William one day will be the heir of body of the Electress Sophia of Hanover.

Parliament requires the Throne to go to the heir of the body of the Electress Sophia and to nobody else.

After William, it will then be George because this is the way parliament wants it.

Its William's duty to be king so king he will be.

 

[hernameispekka]

Well lets get right to the brass tacks. William is suitable because parliament says he is suitable.

Parliament, when it passed the Act of Settlement in 1701, stated the Throne is to go to the Electress Sophia and the heirs of her body. William one day will be the heir of body of the Electress Sophia of Hanover.

Parliament requires the Throne to go to the heir of the body of the Electress Sophia and to nobody else.

After William, it will then be George because this is the way parliament wants it.

Its William's duty to be king so king he will be.

Very true.. What I think this thread is more is not "does he have the credentials?" because... well, he does. But more of "Do you think he will make a good job as a king?".

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

To put things in perspective: every 'colleague' of William speaks at least one foreign language. Name them all: Felipe, Haakon, Victoria, etc. Most speak more languages like French, German or Spanish next to their native language. All of them at least master English. All foreign contributors on this forum had to learn English too. In comparison William barely speaks another language. Does he speak Welsh, for an example? His grandmother speaks French with clear diction. Wonderful to hear from the old Queen.

 

[hernameispekka]

To put things in perspective: every 'colleague' of William speaks at least one foreign language. Name them all: Felipe, Haakon, Victoria, etc. Most speak more languages like French, German or Spanish next to their native language. All of them at least master English. All foreign contributors on this forum had to learn English too. In comparison William barely speaks another language. Does he speak Welsh, for an example? His grandmother speaks French with clear diction. Wonderful to hear from the old Queen.

The difference is, I had a NEED to learn English plus we are subject to english ALL THE TIME. Music is in english, formums are, tv-shows are etc. My spanish just flew away from my mind the moment I didn't use it.

 

[Isabella]

To put things in perspective: every 'colleague' of William speaks at least one foreign language. Name them all: Felipe, Haakon, Victoria, etc. Most speak more languages like French, German or Spanish next to their native language. All of them at least master English. All foreign contributors on this forum had to learn English too. In comparison William barely speaks another language. Does he speak Welsh, for an example? His grandmother speaks French with clear diction. Wonderful to hear from the old Queen.

Yes, all William's colleagues speak English. So does he. William has the "luck" of being from the country that happens to be home to what happens to be the "international language" (or however one wants to put it). It's just a different circumstance. Some of William's "colleagues" are from small countries with languages that aren't widely spoken, and learning foreign languages are extremely important to help them communicate on a diplomatic level, etc. The Queen was born in a generation when French held a role that was similar to the role that English plays in the world today.

 

[hernameispekka]

Yes, all William's colleagues speak English. So does he. William has the "luck" of being from the country that happens to be home to what happens to be the "international language" (or however one wants to put it). It's just a different circumstance. Some of William's "colleagues" are from small countries with languages that aren't widely spoken, and learning foreign languages are extremely important to help them communicate on a diplomatic level, etc. The Queen was born in a generation when French held a role that was similar to the role that English plays in the world today.

Exactly.French today for William would have no other role than look a bit smart in France and Canada. It's not needed.. Rather some Asian and Arabic language will probably have more use in the future of diplomatics! But french is no longer a "important" language. And I don't say that to be mean.. Things just change.

 

[Skippyboo]

To me it was more important that William include the French while in Canada, just like the in Yellowknife where it was the local First people language, Maori in NZ or Welsh in Wales than whether he is fluent.

English is the international language of choice now. A hundred years ago, it was French. The menus at State Dinners at BP are in French, when Charles hosts dinners at CH, the menu is in English.


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community

 

[hernameispekka]

To me it was more important that William include the French while in Canada, just like the in Yellowknife where it was the local First people language, Maori in NZ or Welsh in Wales than whether he is fluent.

English is the international language of choice now. A hundred years ago, it was French. The menus at State Dinners at BP are in French, when Charles hosts dinners at CH, the menu is in English.


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community

Exactly Skippy. Plus, Kate was seen having a conversation with the french president when they were in Belgium. Isn't he known for not knowing english? In that case, Kate can fill in when french small talk is needed.

 

[Mbruno]

Exactly.French today for William would have no other role than look a bit smart in France and Canada. It's not needed.. Rather some Asian and Arabic language will probably have more use in the future of diplomatics! But french is no longer a "important" language. And I don't say that to be mean.. Things just change.

French is the official language of 29 countries. It is also one of the official working languages of the UN, the EU, the OECD, and several other international organizations. It may no longer be an essential language for science and business, but I wouldn't go as far as calling it an "unimportant" language. I would say French still ranks high among the major world languages along with Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, and maybe German. English of course is in a different league, but I believe it would be presumptuous to assume that English is the only language that matters at the international level.

 

[hernameispekka]

French is the official language of 29 countries. It is also one of the official working languages of the UN, the EU, the OECD, and several other international organizations. It may no longer be an essential language for science and business, but I wouldn't go as far as calling it an "unimportant" language. I would say French still ranks high among the major world languages along with Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, and maybe German. English of course is in a different league, but I believe it would be presumptuous to assume that English is the only language that matters at the international level.

Sure, it's important in a way... I guess I meant "necessary". Because English is the standard nowdays.