English Speaking Royals

[Picmajik]

Originally Posted by Princess BellyFlop

Well, when Her Majesty visits Canada, where a large percentage of the population speaks French (as in Quebec for example), she always has a few words in French for us. A few year back, she even read the message - French part included - at the opening of the Canadian parliament. Her accent is international.

PLUS, a few year back, some silly radio guys in Montreal put a phone prank on her. God only know how they got her phone number and got HER on the phone. They pretended to be our Prime Minister (at the time) Jean Chretien (whose 1st language is French) and they talked with her. She clearly understood everything the guy was saying. Her French was good enough so she suspected that it was not the real Canadian Prime Minister - or if it was he would have been highly intoxicated - and she diplomatically ended the conversation as if nothing had happened. She actually took control of the conversation, all of that in French.

I was very surprised by her fluency and her wit.

I have read on other postings that HM has a wonderful wit, we're just not able to see as much as we would like as she knows how to behave in public. I did love her trip to the US earlier this year when Pres. Bush flubbed the year of the US bicentennial celebration and she gave him that "disappointed mother look". There have been more candid shots of HM laughing and other expressions in the past few years that I don't think we would have seen earlier in her reign.

As for not learning languages other than English, I can say that growing up in Georgia (USA) that exposure to other languages was limited. I grew up in a military town so occasionally I would hear languages other than English but in school we didn't have any language learning options until high-school level. At my school in particular my only choices were Latin, French, German and Spanish. I chose Spanish as it was the most commonly spoken second language in my area. I would liked to have had other choices and have read other books/used language tapes over the years but it's not the same as immersion in a native-speaking group would be. In larger cities there are more options for exposure, currently I'm in Atlanta so if you name the language it's being used here somewhere. I can usually understand more Spanish than I can answer back but I know shopping at my local Wal-Mart there are some Russian speakers which I never thought I'd hear in Georgia. I think exposure to other languages is becoming more common through business, education and immigration. Foreign languages are being taught at lower grades than when I was in school so hopefully that situation is improving.

[christinacg]

I saw a video of Victoria speaking in English, and I was suprised by how fluent she is. I always knew she spoke it but it sounds like its her first language! She speaks with an American accent too when she speaks English.

[Quin]

Originally Posted by *SofiaM*

Here you have Queen Sofia speaking English at the beginning of this video. I think it sounds very good.

She then goes on to say thanks in French, German and a few more languages.

She speaks better English than her son CP Felipe or at least her accent is better.

She pronounces words better in English than she does in Spanish. For example, if she recites a sentence, you can hear a more noticeable foreign accent in Spanish than when she speaks English.

Kind of hard to explain or understand if you are not fluent in both languages.

[Quin]

Prince Joachim and the Queen of Denmark speak English far better then CP Frederick. Kind of interesting.

I wouldn't be surprised if he (CPF) picked up an Australian accent from his wife?

[acdc1]

How well does Letizia speak English? I've heard a few things through different sources: that she hardly understands it at all, and that she knows basic English, but is not very fluent. What is the truth?

In one of the videos for Willem-Alexander's birthday, a reporter asked her, in English, what they got him, but her answer wasn't loud enough to hear, so I couldn't tell how she answered him.

[lula]

Originally Posted by acdc1

How well does Letizia speak English? I've heard a few things through different sources: that she hardly understands it at all, and that she knows basic English, but is not very fluent. What is the truth?

In one of the videos for Willem-Alexander's birthday, a reporter asked her, in English, what they got him, but her answer wasn't loud enough to hear, so I couldn't tell how she answered him.

I believe that now none, already. On the topic of the english in accurate things were said initially, it was one more way of attacking her.

Evidently a journalist to whom the public national television sends to The United States to realize information has to speak English. Another thing, it is that her english level was an average level. The princess belongs still to a generation in whom in the Spanish school, the study of other languages did not have a lot of importance. Because of it, many persons who for their work needed it were learning it in a bit adult age, already in the epoch of the University. Possibly this it is the case of the Princess, because for her journalist work and more of correspondent out of Spain, the knowledge of the english was necessary.

The Prince and the Infantas speak English from children, their mother was speaking to them in English ... they have a high level. But they are an exception, the Presidents of the Spanish Goverment do not speak English, because when they were studying, english was not studied, and if it was studied other lenguage it was a few French notions.

On having turned into future Princess of Asturias, it was necessary that she was perfecting the language, because she was going to develop an international work. Because of it she received classes to perfect it, and more specializing classes directed to treating certain topics, as that the Spanish diplomats receive.

After almost 4 years, I do not believe that she continues receiving classes, and with the classes and the trips her english already will be perfected enough.

[kgreen20]

Originally Posted by melissajames

BTW, I think its shameful that most royals from Europe
(and many outside of Europe, including Rania & Masako) can speak English so well whilst the British RF can only manage English.

It tells a lot about the failures of the BR education system and the British attitude towards the rest of the world.

I don't know about that. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles both speak fluent French, and I think other members of the family also do. Also, didn't at least some of the immediate members learn some German?

Oh, also, Charles became quite fluent in Welsh during his time of study there.

[tommy1716]

I heard that the Prince of Wales speaks German and French and i know he speaks Welsh.

BBC NEWS | England | Berkshire | Prince joins tourists on castle tour

[Shikha Pal]

Queen Elizabeth 2 of U.K Speaks fluent French.
Prince Charles of Wales speaks Welsh, but i didn't know that He also Speaks French and German.
Prince William is fluent in Latin and French, and Speaks some Spanish and is learning Welsh, and he tries to teach himself Swahili.
Prince Harry Is Fluent in German and Spanish.

[HRH Kerry]

Originally Posted by christinacg

I saw a video of Victoria speaking in English, and I was suprised by how fluent she is. I always knew she spoke it but it sounds like its her first language! She speaks with an American accent too when she speaks English.

Didn't she study at Yale for almost two years? I also read that when visiting her royal cousins in Denmark that their common language is English.

[zembla]

A lot of them probably learn languages in school like most of us...I don't know if they are all necessarily fluent, some have to be but I doubt most are. For some reason I have a heard time believing Prince Harry, for example, speaks anything besides English fluently.

I know Prince Albert sounds like any other American when he speaks English, probably thanks to his mother...I'm not sure if Caroline's kids have the same accent they do because of Grace since they were rarely in America. Also Guillaume of Luxembourg sounded perfect when he was speaking English on that youtube video at some christening...

[giov]

Originally Posted by Shikha Pal

Prince William is fluent in Latin

Sorry Shikha Pal, but this is unbelievable!
Latin is a dead language. Nobody is fluent in Latin!

[zembla]

Originally Posted by giov

Sorry Shikha Pal, but this is unbelievable!
Latin is a dead language. Nobody is fluent in Latin!

They still teach it in private schools....I even went to a public school where they taught it in grade 7-8 in the US.

[giov]

Originally Posted by zembla

They still teach it in private schools....I even went to a public school where they taught it in grade 7-8 in the US.

In Europe they teach Latin (and also Ancient Greek) in both private and public high school. I have studied Latin for 5 years at high school, like many people in Italy and in Europe. They only teach to translate sentences and poems with the help of the dictionary, but nobody can speak latin, not even the teachers can, and I am sure that not even the US teachers can!
Actually, I have never heard of anybody who can.
So, I am sure William studied Latin, but he doesn't speak Latin, of course.
They laugh at you if you say you can speak Latin!

[acdc1]

Originally Posted by giov

Sorry Shikha Pal, but this is unbelievable!
Latin is a dead language. Nobody is fluent in Latin!

My aunt is a high school Latin teacher, and she has a ton of kids who take it.

[giov]

Originally Posted by acdc1

My aunt is a high school Latin teacher, and she has a ton of kids who take it.

But they don't speak it, of course. They can only read and translate with help of the dictionary, as everybody.

[acdc1]

Originally Posted by giov

But they don't speak it, of course. They can only read and translate with help of the dictionary, as everybody.

Well, yeah, they don't speak it. I've personally thought it was a waste of time, since it's a dead language. But it can help you with things like Spanish, Italian, and French.

[giov]

Originally Posted by acdc1

I've personally thought it was a waste of time, since it's a dead language. But it can help you with things like Spanish, Italian, and French.

Perfectly right!

[lilytornado]

Very many people in Europe still have to learn it. Yes, I always though they teach it the wrong way. I mean it would be a lot easier learning how to speak it. I mean, I couldn't speak english if I just had translated texts and analysed complicated grammar structure in school... But yes, it kinda helps you with other languages, or in my case other languages help you with latin
I had to take it for five years, too. My grandfather translates medieval latin texts as a hobby, but he can't speak it. I really doubt that Prince William can speak it... But I am sure somebody can. I mean, who are those guys that write the latin wikipedia? And discuss with each other things in latin..

[giov]

Originally Posted by lilytornado

But I am sure somebody can. I mean, who are those guys that write the latin wikipedia? And discuss with each other things in latin..

I guess a few University Professors, and I have heard that a few Cardinals and Prelates sometimes speak Latin to each other.
Surely, William doesn't.