Mary's Accent and Languages

[Madame Royale]

Originally Posted by acdc1

It could be like US, different accents for different parts of country. But I saw the documentary where her family was talking, and she doesn't sound like them. Her voice has also changed since then, when she speaks English.

It is somewhat like the US in this regard. There are slight differences between states, but nothing comparable to the US.

My pronounciation is different to my next door neighbours and we were both born here in Melbourne.

I can't say I've noticed her voice having changed since the interview with her family, but maybe it has a little (?). When I've heard her speak english I find it easy to distinguish where she's from

[caroline mathilda]

Madame,
I still find it a bit odd, and dare I say prententious, that her English has a Scandinavian lilt. The Queen of Denmark speaks English like an upper class English woman and if anyone was entitled to a "lilt" it would be a Dane speaking English. Queen Noor of Jordan always speaks English like an American; Princess Grace of Monaco never developed a French accent and both of these women lived in their respective countries longer than Mary and they learned their adopted countries' language as adults as well. I don't know why Mary insists on doing this; perhaps she is trying to be more Danish, etc. Whatever it is, it detracts versus enhances in my opinion. Madame, what do other Australians think of the accent lilt?
None of this is meant to offend anyone..just my observation.

Skippy

[ashelen]

well, sometimes you can loose a little bit your own accent, I left argetina in 1994 and last time i was there 2006 all my frieds would say i speak spanish with some accent, it is more i went to the bank to change money and the cashier would say:sorry we do not ex-change to freign people:
i had to show him my argetinean id. so may be she had been long enough and trying so hard that she lost a little of her accent

[HRH Kerry]

Mary speaking Danish is quite impressive especially from where I'm standing; only knowing "Americanized" English. I'm very impressed with her progress and she should be commended. Learning a new language is no easy feat especially one as hard as Danish.

[Madame Royale]

Originally Posted by caroline mathilda

Madame, what do other Australians think of the accent lilt?

Skip,

No offence taken whatsoever...

My observation is that Mary is well thought of by the majority here in Australia. The majority being those that actually care..haha. You have some who think unkindly of her though I put that down to jealousy if anything. Considering it seems to be women within the same age bracket as Mary, who have also paved themselves a corporate career.

The Scandinavian lilt has been noticed by most, but I think Australian's are quite used to such phenomenon's. I don't think Mary having a lilt when she speaks english does anything to detract from the affections (those who are interested) held for her. Though it's no easy task to hinder one's accent, it's not uncommon for those living abroad for some period time to adopt a certain twang when they speak. And Mary has undergone many language lessons and is surrounded by Danish all the time. They even speak Danish to Christian most of the time, so she is cosntantly switching between the two.

But overall, the fact Mary's english is afflicted with a certain Nordic lilt does little to damped the overall affection held for Denmark's Crown Princess, as is my observation.

[Charlotte1]

As an 'other Australian' I don't think many Australians actually spend a lot of time thinking about Mary. Generally though Australians don't particularly like it when their expats loose their Australian accents. I'd point out here too that there is a variable as to what is an Australian accent based on location, economic level, and education. While the variations aren't as great as in the UK or US there are variations. Mary in her preDanish days never spoke like Steve Irwin but she had a marked Australian accent, now she has a Scandinavian lilt.
Nicole Kidman is still 'our Nicole' as she speaks with an Australian accent.
Kylie Minogue after she first went to live in the UK came back to Australia speaking with a very affected British accent, she was ridiculed for it, and has since toned it down.
Other Australian actors who work in the US and speak with American accents in TV interviews, once in Australia and on Australian TV speak with their original Australian accents. Therefore they're still considered 'one of us'.
My own personal experience, I lived in the US for a while and was told "I hope you won't come back speaking with an American accent" (I didn't but found that certain words I had use the American pronounciation when in the US otherwise I wouldn't be understood! So I've added American English to the languages that I speak, I tell people I'm multilingual! My British English is also pretty fluent!)

[Madame Royale]

Nicole Kidman is still 'our Nicole' as she speaks with an Australian accent.

Actually, Nicole too has a slight Amercian lilt when she talks. Not as distinguished as Mary, but nonetheless it's still present.

I don't think many Australians actually spend a lot of time thinking about Mary.

I'd agree.

[caroline mathilda]

I think Mary is lucky that she is Australian born and not American born as the American press would have skewered her for her Danish lilt. She would have been derided for "putting on airs."

[Mermaid1962]

To my Canadian ear, Crown Princess Mary sounds like she speaks English with an Australian accent but has a slight Scandinavian lilt and vowels.

[Marchesina]

I' m new and I don't know if there is a thread on this subject.
I have never heard Crown Princess Mary speaking Danish. Do anyone have some videos of her speaking Danish? And how does she do this? I mean, does she speak danish well or not?
Thanks for replies!

[missjane]

Originally Posted by Marchesina

I' m new and I don't know if there is a thread on this subject.
I have never heard Crown Princess Mary speaking Danish. Do anyone have some videos of her speaking Danish? And how does she do this? I mean, does she speak danish well or not?
Thanks for replies!

At the top of this page in this thread there is a video limk posted by norwegianne. A good video of Princess Mary speaking danish.

[Tricota]

Originally Posted by Shikha Pal

I never heard CP Mary speaking so far, what accent does she speak in?

German mostly. Its very odd...

[Fashionista100]

I think Mary's accents are a natural progression of her environment and training. For anyone to be offended by it is very odd to me. It is rare for someone to learn a language and not have an accent different to the language. She is very understood by Danes, and her English still has an Aussie lilt to it. It it the same as her Australian before she married Fred. Most likely not. But she is growing and changing as all adults do, this is just a part of it.

[Amelia]

It seems that everyone hears a different accent when they view a clip of Mary talking. To me she sounds like exactly like other Australians's I know who has been living abroad for many years. Some words have very Australian accent some words don't.

[SarahAnne]

Being an Australian...
Having lived abroad for the past 12 months...
Being surrounded by non-Australian accents...
Having heard her interview when in New York during this time...
Mary sounds very Australian!

[marmi]

Well, sometimes I hear an Australian accent when Mary speaks (in English obviously), but then I also notice an English accent too.

(This from the kiwi who for the most part speaks like a typical NZer, but then roles her rrrrrs or speaks the occassional word with an Aussie accent - the remains of living there as a child - and now I occassionally have a slight American too - live with 4 Americans and 1 Canadian at the moment; so does this give me any right to comment on strange accencts????)

[Menarue]

I had an Australian friend who said that when he was a child in Australia he was bi-lingual. His mother was very upper class English and insisted he spoke as she did but when he went to school he would immediately change over to a more Australian accent.
One of the friend´s students from an English university remarked once that if an Australian has a British accent it usually means one thing - money. which I interpreted as meaning which school this person went to...when a schoolfriend that I hadn´t met for many many years visited me recently everyone remarked that we spoke with the same accent and she has always lived in Australia.
Having said that, I was born in Australia, lived there until I was 18, I have been told that I have just a touch of an Australian accent especially on the telephone.
I was very impressed by Princess Mary, she is a very well educated and intelligent young woman and her accent is that of a very well educated woman with the influence of her Scottish parents way of speaking too.

[Principessa Cano]

Originally Posted by HRH Abigail

And, (the former) Mary Donaldson's father can he heard telling the cameramen, in the 8-part special on her that is now up on YT, that she now "puts on airs" since she met Fred.

Her father says nothing of the sort. He says, in reference to her changing accent:

"I think there's no doubt that she has taken on Danish airs. She does have a slight Danish touch in her voice, in her accent."

It is at the 0:19 second mark in this clip.

YouTube - Mary Donaldson part 7

[Mylius zu Schleiz]

The first time I heard her speak English I thought, wow it sounds like when Danes speak English (those who can pronouse the words proberly ), but you can hear the Australian over it as well. But she's not speaking with a strong Australian accent as my counsin's wife does.

[HRH Abigail]

Originally Posted by Tinika

That would be my guess as well. She's very...careful when she speaks, very deliberate. Some sort of coaching.

Well, consider her new position, which requires that she weigh and measure each word carefully, before uttering it. Mary might think that she cannot afford to put a foot wrong, when speaking. Or, she might not want to risk causing anyone any offense. Or, both. Hence, all the hesitancies when she speaks. I think she just sounds very thoughtful and deliberate. And, about her accent? It appears to be Australian to me. Not all that British, really.

-- Abbie