What Languages Do The Royals Speak?

[Prinsara]

I think I've asked this in another thread – is there any video of Philip speaking anything other than English? (He can't speak Greek and only understands "some", and his father Andrea was someone who insisted on only speaking Greek to his parents, so not everything filters down.)

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Victoria was English as was also her father. Her mother was German. Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was German too.

I don't think there is much German influence on the British RF nowadays. In 1917, the British RF changed its name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor and several German descendants of Queen Victoria were stripped of their British titles. George V's wife, Mary of Teck, had German parents (I think), but she was born and raised in the UK, so was in fact English. King George VI on the other hand married an Anglo-Scottish aristocrat, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, and his daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II, married Philip Mountbatten, who was born in Greece in a family of German and Danish origin, but lived most of his life in England.


In the newer generation, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, married Diana Francis Spencer, from an English aristocratic family, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, married Catherine Middleton, who is also English.


Charles is said to speak some German (I don't know how fluent he is). William doesn't speak any German as far as I know.

The PoW speaks German. Not as fluently as French, but he is proficient.

 

[Denville]

I think Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles likely both speak French . I just reatter of practicality. I always enjoyed reading European history when young not as much now. I do remember one of Queen Victoria's grand daughters a little unknown princess Sophie Zelbts sp and married a Russian royal and ended up Catherine the Great. And of course her descendants the sad fate of the Romanovs. Which when I was a young girl I found very sad and tragic. I know the English royal family wanted to help them.

Where did you read that Catherine the Great (who was a 18th century empress) was teh grand daguhter of Queen Victoria? Again this is really off topic, as the topic is what languages present day royals speak besides thier own...

 

[Alison H]

I think two Russian empresses have been muddled there. Queen Victoria's granddaughter Alix of Hesse married Tsar Nicholas II, and they and their children were murdered during the Revolution. Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst, later Catherine the Great, the great-great-great-grandmother of Nicholas II, was born 90 years before Queen Victoria, and was no relation to her.

As for "u" and non-U", there's a whole load of it. It's "u" to say "what", "scent" and "looking glass", and non-U to say "pardon", "perfume" and "mirror". IMHO, "what" sounds rude, "scent" sounds like something to do with animals leaving a horrible smell, and "looking glass" sounds like something from Alice in Wonderland, so that probably proves how common I am !!

 

[Denville]

I think I've asked this in another thread – is there any video of Philip speaking anything other than English? (He can't speak Greek and only understands "some", and his father Andrea was someone who insisted on only speaking Greek to his parents, so not everything filters down.)

Philip hardly saw his father after a certain stage and spent pretty much all his life out of Greece so its very likely that he lost whatever Greek he knew. he does speak German and French as far as I know and he's kept in touch more with his German relatives.. and he was born in an age where royals and upper class nearly all learned a bit of French and French was still a language used by the upper and diplomatic classes.

 

[Alison H]

I'm sure there's a story about him surprising people by suddenly coming out with something in Greek whilst his ship was docked at a Greek port during the war, but I don't think he speaks it fluently. He certainly speaks French and German.

 

[Tweetybird]

Raised in Paris

I think Phillip was raised in Paris after escaping Greece. His mother was very traumatized by the escape and never fully recovered. And they lived in Paris and at some point the father ran off with the nanny and his mother was put in a mental hospital. I think there is an interesting video of Prince Philipp very honestly describing his childhood before modern psychology was known. I am not bothering to google or do anything like that. After leaving Greece at 1 smuggled out in an orange crate they fled to France. And he spoke only French growing up. After his father basically abandoned the family and his mother was put in a mental hospital he was sent to Lord Mahtbatton sp sorry. And sent to a strict school were he really loved. I do know French is essentially Prince Phillips first language. I think I read somewhere the next time he saw his parents was as a teenager at his older sisters funeral who had died in a plane crash. So Prince Philip grew up in France going to French schools until his parents sent him to England. I think his mother became extremely eccentric and wore a nuns habit for most of her life. Some sort of Greek order of nuns. I am not sure.

 

[Tweetybird]

oops on the mistake on the relative reference. i was like 15 when i read that stuff. and I always tried to make some sort of connection why the royal family would try and help the Romanov family other than being royals and trying to be helpful. I was trailing along how the royals married other Europeans as routine and often bringing many cultures and languages with these marriages.

 

[Alison H]

Yes, Princess Alice founded a Greek Orthodox nursing order of nuns. She didn't become a nun, but wore a nun's habit - even to the Queen's Coronation.

She grew up speaking English and German, and I think she also learnt French, and then she learnt Greek even though she was deaf. I think she could lip read in all four languages - that's pretty impressive.

 

[Mbruno]

I think Phillip was raised in Paris after escaping Greece. His mother was very traumatized by the escape and never fully recovered. And they lived in Paris and at some point the father ran off with the nanny and his mother was put in a mental hospital. I think there is an interesting video of Prince Philipp very honestly describing his childhood before modern psychology was known. I am not bothering to google or do anything like that. After leaving Greece at 1 smuggled out in an orange crate they fled to France. And he spoke only French growing up..

As I understand it, Philip lived in Paris from age 1, when his family left Greece, until about age 7, when he was sent to England to live with his Mountbatten relatives. While in Paris, as I said, he attended an American school. Although English, French and German were spoken at his home, I seriously doubt French was "the only language he spoke growing up".

 

[Prinsara]

Yes, Princess Alice founded a Greek Orthodox nursing order of nuns. She didn't become a nun, but wore a nun's habit - even to the Queen's Coronation.

She grew up speaking English and German, and I think she also learnt French, and then she learnt Greek even though she was deaf. I think she could lip read in all four languages - that's pretty impressive.

There's a funny story that one of the times she was defeated was at her own wedding — the priest's beard was just too bushy, so when asked if she had promised her hand to anyone else, she said yes instead of no, and asked if she consented freely, she said no instead of yes. Other than that, she managed three (four?) languages amazingly well.

I'm still waiting for video of Philip of speaking something other than English. I'm certain that he can, but it just doesn't seem to be on YouTube.

 

[Tweetybird]

I was strangely watching My Fair Lady before I saw this link on languages. The character is a famous linguist and he and a friend are using Eliza as sort of a linguistic experiment of elevating her to a better job if she can attain a certain accent and presentation. It would be logical that Philip would speak French spending his first years in that country. Even if he went to an English speaking school. As most of the children would know both languages. Anyway, I am with the club that speaking a variety of languages often has to do with circumstances and necessity. Many cab drivers can speak 5 languages. To me language ability is often about either exposure or need. I don't think Diana could speak another language. I remember reading someplace that she almost amazingly flucked all her O levels which is actually difficult to do. And was given some award for taking care of the class hamster as a teen. So she definitely sound relatively incurious about languages.

 

[Denville]

yes he spoke French as a child and would be able to make speeches in French, but he's spent most of his life in the UK and speaking English.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Does Prince Philip speak German?

 

[Denville]

unless Im missing something that video doesn't prove anything. Philip grew up with Englsih, German and French.. and as his family were German, he certainly was able to speak it.. but he's lived most of his life in England and Im sure that English is his main language.

 

[ashelen]

Does Letizia Speaks English?

 

[QueenMathilde]

I read the POW and William both studied Welsh and can speak it somewhat. And that William speaks French.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

William might know a few phrases but he most definitely does not speak French.

 

[Tirilschatz]

unless Im missing something that video doesn't prove anything. Philip grew up with Englsih, German and French.. and as his family were German, he certainly was able to speak it.. but he's lived most of his life in England and Im sure that English is his main language.

If I remember well and I think I do, he held a speech in fluent german some years ago. (Might be 20 years by now...) It was for the WWF, but I cant find any video proof although I have been looking for it for some time.

 

[Denville]

If I remember well and I think I do, he held a speech in fluent german some years ago. (Might be 20 years by now...) It was for the WWF, but I cant find any video proof although I have been looking for it for some time.

yes as ii've siad, he can problaby speak fluent French and German, good enough to make conversation and speeches...

 

[Alison H]

William might know a few phrases but he most definitely does not speak French.

Both William and Kate speak GCSE-level school French, like I do and like most other British people of our generation do ?. I'm quite capable of ordering a meal, asking directions or buying a railway ticket, but I'd struggle with a long conversation.

Diana attended a finishing school in a Francophone area of Switzerland. One of the original ideas of Swiss finishing schools was to enable upper-class British girls to perfect their French in areas which weren't full of Catholics and revolutionaries, like Paris (this was the 19th century mindset!!), but whether or not she actually learnt any French there, I don't know!

 

[Denville]

Both William and Kate speak GCSE-level school French, like I do and like most other British people of our generation do ?. I'm quite capable of ordering a meal, asking directions or buying a railway ticket, but I'd struggle with a long conversation.

Diana attended a finishing school in a Francophone area of Switzerland. One of the original ideas of Swiss finishing schools was to enable upper-class British girls to perfect their French in areas which weren't full of Catholics and revolutionaries, like Paris (this was the 19th century mindset!!), but whether or not she actually learnt any French there, I don't know!

I dont think William is fluent in French.. but I dont think Diana learned much in that school, as she only stayed about half a term or a term at most and I think that the language was one issue that made her feel unhappy and homesick

 

[BriarRose]

Does Letizia Speaks English?

Yes.

 

[Kellydofc]

If I remember well and I think I do, he held a speech in fluent german some years ago. (Might be 20 years by now...) It was for the WWF, but I cant find any video proof although I have been looking for it for some time.

I have the sneaking suspicion that given all the grief Philip got for being a foreigner when he first married Elizabeth he has gone out of his way to appear VERY English, especially early in the marriage, and that's why it's pretty much impossible to find any video of him speaking anything other than English.

I believe Prince Albert also never spoke anything but English in public for a similar reason. Though in private the family spoke a great deal of German.

 

[Mbruno]

Does Letizia speak English?

Yes, she does. I think she was once a correspondent of the Spanish public TV in the US. She has a slight accent, but not as heavy as most Spaniards when they speak English.

 

[Denville]

I have the sneaking suspicion that given all the grief Philip got for being a foreigner when he first married Elizabeth he has gone out of his way to appear VERY English, especially early in the marriage, and that's why it's pretty much impossible to find any video of him speaking anything other than English.

I believe Prince Albert also never spoke anything but English in public for a similar reason. Though in private the family spoke a great deal of German.

There are probably no videos because he didn't do that much speech making in German or French....but he was fluent enough to do such speeches. and Philip DID spent most of his life form childhood in the UK nad made it his home.. so he was to all intents and purposes English....He gave up his Greek nationality to get on in the British Navy which was his career....

 

[SLV]

yes as ii've siad, he can problaby speak fluent French and German, good enough to make conversation and speeches...

Perhaps we should try and turn things around. Does Prince Philip has any accents when speaking English? Any residual German or French accents in there?

 

[Mbruno]

Perhaps we should try and turn things around. Does Prince Philip has any accents when speaking English? Any residual German or French accents in there?

I don't think so, but I am not qualified to judge.

I guess the question (to British posters) should be: does he have an English accent like the Queen's (old-fashioned RP)?

I am pretty sure he speaks German since his family is overwhelmingly German. I don't think he has spoken French in many years considering that he left France when he was about 7 and was then raised in England and, briefly, in Germany. He may have learned French at home or at school, but it should be his third language at best.

 

[Denville]

Havent heard Philip speak that much but I think he sounds upper class English.. I dont think there's any trace of accent

 

[Prinsara]

Perhaps we should try and turn things around. Does Prince Philip has any accents when speaking English? Any residual German or French accents in there?

No. He speaks RP (extremely upper-class, old-fashioned) British English. https://youtube.com/?v=KMZGT3BM0TU
Sherlock Holmes might be able to tell that it's not his native language, but I doubt anyone else would.

Actually, according to his bio "Young Prince Philip", either his mother Alice or someone else thought he was developing an American accent from the kindergarten he was going to in Paris! I wouldn't be surprised. (That does suggest he was speaking English on a regular basis from before he was about 7 or so.)

And further in the book it mentions that when the diarist Chips Channon came across him as a young adult he was impressed and said "he speaks only English", but I take that more as he only used and sounded English despite his background, rather than really being monolingual.

It's not that anyone's seriously putting forth the notion Philip can't speak anything else, and yes, xenophobia probably has something to do with it, but he's been the Queen's consort for a staggeringly long time and there's a strange lack of him actually doing it, in this modern media age.

Edit: And fwiw Philip himself has said he self-identified as Danish growing up (probably for convenience's sake), but I would be incredibly surprised if he could speak more than a smattering of that.