Mary's Accent and Languages

[Layla1971]

Originally Posted by Lady Jennifer

I wonder how their son's (& any other children they have) accent when he speaks English will be. Prince Albert of Monaco (for example) has a very American accent when he speaks English (its American but its not- he doesn't have a specific accent that is American- but he doesn't have a British English either--I hope that made sense! )....I wonder if their children will speak English with a accent (a Danish accent I mean).
I really haven't heard Mary speak before except for maybe once & it did sound kind of forced in a way....like she had never spoken it before. Of course as others have said she might have been picking her words carefully.

I think that will depend on the accent in which English is spoken in his life. His father speaks English with a Danish accent, but his mother with a Scottish/English/Australian type accent. So probably English with a Danish lilt. It may be very premature, but I think den nye lille prins will have a beautiful accent. Just my opinion and although I may be wrong, I don't think I am!

BTW, Lady Jennifer, I understood what you meant!:)

[caroline mathilda]

I think Lilleprinsen will speak both English and Danish with no discernable accent. So many bilingual (from birth) children are able to capture the nuances of both languages effortlessly.

Caroline Mathilda

[EmmieLou]

I live in Ireland and to me Mary has an Australian accent, not Enlgish (British) sounding at all.

I guess it all depends on where you live and what you are used to hearing.

Catherine Zeta Jones sounds very Welsh to me in interviews, but then some people have a stronger sound than others.

I hear people here in N.Ireland speaking and I cringe, it sounds so rough but mine is not very strong.

I think Mary has a beautiful English-speaking voice, I could listen to her for a long time.

[Noelle9982]

Does anyone have any clips of Mary speaking English? I've never heard her speak it and I'm interested to hear what you're all talking about.

Thanks!

[Layla1971]

Originally Posted by Noelle9982

Does anyone have any clips of Mary speaking English? I've never heard her speak it and I'm interested to hear what you're all talking about.

Thanks!

There was a great thread but I can't seem to find it yet, I will though and post the link for you!

In the meantime, here is a short clip from when Mary left the hospital with lilleprins:http://www.bt.dk/royalt/artikel:aid=...fid=100300348/.
It shows her speaking in both English and Danish.
Under the picture of the new family, there is the heading "videoklip", just click on the first link called "video for local eyes", and wait for it to load, but listen carefully to hear it, it's hard to hear over all the reporters asking questions.

I found the link, and the thread was staring me in the face the whole time!

http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Temaer/Oevr...rnet/Index.htm

Click under the main picture, where it shows a little video camera, and also, if you scroll down, to a picture of Mary in a black and white hat there is another video, click on "Se video", and then you can select each of the videos on the right side of the video screen. In these the CP mostly speaks in Danish, but it gives a good comparison to the link I provided above.

BTW, thanks to the members who originally posted these links, they are great!

[saphills]

Layla, thank you very much for posting the links, it's first time I can hear their voices!

[Margrethe II]

Originally Posted by saphills

Layla, thank you very much for posting the links, it's first time I can hear their voices!

A most beautifully refined voice indeed!

"MII"

[LadyLouise]

I am an Australian, born and bred and my accent is the same as Mary's. When I was traveling overseas, many foreigners thought that my family and I were english by the sound of our accent, as i think they were expecting something like crocodile dundee .
Her accent is Australian through and through. She is just a well spoken Australian whom when speaking in public (like most of us) will speak clearer and more precise.

[Australian]

Originally Posted by LadyLouise

I am an Australian, born and bred and my accent is the same as Mary's. When I was traveling overseas, many foreigners thought that my family and I were english by the sound of our accent, as i think they were expecting something like crocodile dundee .
Her accent is Australian through and through. She is just a well spoken Australian whom when speaking in public (like most of us) will speak clearer and more precise.

I am like this too, as I said before, the foreign media portray Australian accents to its most extreme, as do aussie tv shows, but well educated Australians speak like Mary. My family and every other family i know here speak like Mary

[boredhousewife]

Originally Posted by Australian

I am like this too, as I said before, the foreign media portray Australian accents to its most extreme, as do aussie tv shows, but well educated Australians speak like Mary. My family and every other family i know here speak like Mary

I'm an aussie too though from the country in australia and believe me there are people out there who speak like Steve Irwin and with the exaggerated aussie accents that soapies use. I now live in the city and I very rarely hear our english spoken exaggeratedly. Thank goodness!! Some country people do grow out of it but believe me a lot dont. It was one of those things that I was really glad to get away from when I left the country to move to the city.

I find Mary's grammar more of a concern than her accent when speaking english as she sounds like someone who has english as a second language rather than her 1st. Which could be due to the fact that danish is now her 1st language and perhaps she finds it difficult to easily switch between danish and english

[Margrethe II]

Originally Posted by boredhousewife

english as a second language rather than her 1st. Which could be due to the fact that danish is now her 1st language and perhaps she finds it difficult to easily switch between danish and english

English shall always be Mary's mother tounge and first language.

"MII"

[Layla1971]

Originally Posted by Margrethe II

English shall always be Mary's mother tounge and first language.

"MII"

I think what bored housewife meant was that CP Mary predominately speaks Danish now, and may be out of practice pronouncing english words with an Australian grammar or accent.

[Margrethe II]

Originally Posted by Layla1971

I think what bored housewife meant was that CP Mary predominately speaks Danish now, and may be out of practice pronouncing english words with an Australian grammar or accent.

I know what "BH" meant, but was just stating that English shall always be her first language.

"MII"

[Layla1971]

Originally Posted by Margrethe II

I know what "BH" meant, but was just stating that English shall always be her first language.

"MII"

Sorry!:o But, my response did sound appropriate to me, given the sound of your answer.

[eireann]

just to add my two cents..as a native english speaker living in germany for 3 years with a french boyfriend (who is still learning english), my spoken and written english has taken a turn for the worse as i´m picking up the foreigners way of speaking and also speak simple english so that people i´m with can understand. on the otherhand once i´m back home or with old friends my accent reverts. Having lived in a number of different countries these last years i have a strange accent and native english speakers find it very difficult to identify my country of origin. i´m sure it´s something similar for Mary, she´s probably had to adapt her way of speaking English when in Denmark but once she´s among her australian friends her aussie accent probably returns.

[LadyLouise]

With Mary having family from Australia around her, and keeping in contact with them, it would be hard for her to lose her Australian accent while speaking english.
I have an aunt who lived for 35 years in germany with no contact with her family here in australia. She lost her aussie accent, but when she comes over to australia now, it starts to come back again even after 35 years.

[Roxsteve]

I think that it is kind of a waste of time to analyze Mary's accent. What difference does it really make? She is happy, he is happy...let her have whatever accent she feels like having...It must be hard to be in another country and people analyze not only your every move but even your accent!! I find the discussion stretch to the max...

[LadyLouise]

Originally Posted by Roxsteve

I think that it is kind of a waste of time to analyze Mary's accent. What difference does it really make? She is happy, he is happy...let her have whatever accent she feels like having...It must be hard to be in another country and people analyze not only your every move but even your accent!! I find the discussion stretch to the max...

Very true. A little goes a long way.....

[Layla1971]

But, this is why celebrities exist, for us to have something to do in our boring lives (well, my boring life!). So we're dissecting the CP's accent, we could be doing worse.

[ysbel]

A year in Germany killed my Southern accent. Now people don't know where I'm from.