Mary's Accent and Languages

[Australian]

Originally Posted by Sira

"By the way, we are talking about the former Mary Donaldson who is now Denmark's beloved Crown Princess Mary...Perhaps, the Princess wholeheartedly wants to absorb the Danish culture,language,and accent and its excusable and normal for her to be this way as she will be Denmarks' future Queen..Its not that she is putting aside her Australian upbringing nor Scottish roots, its just that Princess Mary is in another world now, and she is taking her new role with great passion and dedication..Thats what I see in her.."

I completely agree with Mahoggie.

I dont think anyone is saying that she is putting aside her Australian upbringing, and I agree that it is good for her to become more and more Danish. All Im saying is that her accent is common in Australia (at least the people surrouded around me) and this is coming from an Australian! lol

Of course she will lose her accent in time and become more Danish, it is expected, and will take time. BTW, Toledo i completely agree with you there!

[Toledo]

Thanks. I think we see she is Denmark's consort Crown Princess, that's a lot of weight in her shoulders. Her upbringing, like anyone else's, defines her personality and character. But is her talent, that sets her apart from born royals, to evolve from that upbringing and make the best out of it to become a great symbol for the Danish monarchy. She is now at the other side of the tracks, from a person who could easily be reading a paper on people in Government to being a person representing a Government herself. The transition is not easy had she been born royal or aristocrat (either money or titled power people). The girl is doing just fine. :)

[Australian]

Originally Posted by Toledo

I agree, she is Denmark's consort Crown Princess, that's a lot of weight in her shoulders. Her upbringing, like anyone else's, defines her personality and character. But is her talent to evolve from that and become a great symbol for the Danish monarchy that sets her apart from born royals. She is now at the other side of the tracks, from a person who could easily be reading a paper on people in Government to being a person representing a Government herself. The transition is not easy had she been born royal or aristocrat (either money or titled power people). The girl is doing just fine. :)

Absolutely right!

[dakodas]

Originally Posted by SpiffyBallerina

Hey, I speak English but when I'm with my Mexican friends, I just automatically shift my accent to theirs without even thinking about it. The same goes for my southern friends. Give me five minutes with them and I'll let a "yall" slip. I know a lot of people are like that: they speak their native dialect of English, but if they're in another environment it's REALLY easy to slip into another way of speaking English.
Perhaps English is just a language that makes it easier to shift accents.

And as far as Mary goes- it's no wonder she speaks deliberately! Everything she says is instantly news so it is very wise to speak carefully. Also, with people listening for an accent, it's good that she's trying to be mindful of it.

I am half Mexican and Texan too. I shift my accents. I was in South Africa and Swaziland in October and the natives could NOT understand my very well spoken American accent. I was on safari and got lost and had to affect a Souf afreecan aksent. Hep me to my shaley pleese...I said "Please help me to my chalet" and they looked at me like I was speaking in tongues.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by Tinika

Well...as an American who has spent extended periods of time living in two foreign countries--Switzerland and the Czech Republic--and who is fluent in both French and English, I can say that my accent in my native language (English) hasn't changed. My FRENCH accent did change (I speak with a bit of a Swiss accent now), and perhaps one small change or two did occur here and there in my way of phrasing things in English. I just don't think the drastic "Anglicization" of Mary's Aussie accent can be completely explained away by her travels or by the relatively short time she has lived in Denmark. It can take a lifetime for someone to lose his or her native accent. I'm not criticizing Mary, exactly. I just think there's something a bit more external at work here in her odd accent and occasionally stilted phrasing.

Tinika.

Some people never lose their accent no matter how long they are away from their native land while others inexplicably do lose their accent rather quickly. This fact of life is so commonly known in the international community, I can't believe that with your experience abroad, you never have heard of it.

[Layla1971]

I really don't see what the big deal is now. I'm learning to speak Swedish and, the Scandinavian languages are very similar, also both accents are equally unique.

I speak Swedish with a Swedish accent, and it hasn't yet affected my Australian accent but I'm sure it will.
Yes, you're saying maybe the CP is trying to change her English-speaking accent to sound more Danish, but I've learnt, your accent changes without trying. And, since she speaks Danish most of the time anyway, why would she change her English-speaking accent? I'm sure she has much less trivial things to occupy her time with.

[grevinnan]

Some very fortunate individuals can learn a new language and speak it without much trace of an accent - for some of us we never loose it. I have been in US 35+ years and people still hear I am Swedish - my daughter learned Spanish in highschool and spoke it without any accent within a couple of years.

[Layla1971]

Originally Posted by grevinnan

Some very fortunate individuals can learn a new language and speak it without much trace of an accent - for some of us we never loose it. I have been in US 35+ years and people still hear I am Swedish - my daughter learned Spanish in highschool and spoke it without any accent within a couple of years.

Yes, I just meant that when your native accent is that of an English-speaker your accent isn't as strong as most foreign languages. So, if one was learning to speak English, that person's native accent would be very strong.

For example, you say your native language is Swedish, well in learning English your accent would be very noticable, but for me learning Swedish, my Australian accent is totally lost because the new language is so strong, whereas [to me] the Australian accent isn't as strong as most.

Originally Posted by Layla1971

Yes, I just meant that when your native accent is that of an English-speaker your accent isn't as strong as most foreign languages. So, if one was learning to speak English, that person's native accent would be very strong.

For example, you say your native language is Swedish, well in learning English your accent would be very noticable, but for me learning Swedish, my Australian accent is totally lost because the new language is so strong, whereas [to me] the Australian accent isn't as strong as most.

Layla1971

From the perspective of a Tasmanian, who has never been overseas,( well, except to the mainland of course) Mary's accent, when speaking English, isn't any different than any East coast Australian who is trying to pronounce their words as correctly as possible and while doing so, trying to choose the most appropriate words. It comes out sounding like what we would call posh. It's not an accent of someone from England. It doesn't sound like any twang from any of the states of OZ. It's just different.
Her every word is scrutinised by all and sundry, why would she not try to be concise.

I agree Layla, that the Aussie accent is not as strong as the American or New Zealand accent for that matter.

An American would not know what an Australian sounds like, who is going through the above process, except to listen to Mary and then to think, " Goldarnit, somethin ain't right in the state a Louisiana",( Denmark in this case) because they would be expecting to hear that broad Aussie accent.

An example of this type of accent comes to mind, although the speaker is a New Zealander and there would be many Australians who do the same.

Sam Neil when not in character does not sound like a New Zealander. He has this posh style of speech. If anyone has the new Dr Zhivargo dvd watch the extras disk and listen. It does sound nice to hear someone speak like that including Mary. He unlike Mary, speaks without hesitation, but that is something which comes with confidence and experience.

Sorry about the epic, but I have heard this debate on Mary's accent on other boards as well, and I wanted to put forward my thoughts.


Thanks Jaques D.

[Margrethe II]

As an East coast Australian, I totally agree "JD"!

"MII"

[Australian]

I also agree with that Jaques Demolay, thats absolutely right.

[lady_windsor]

i wonder if mary ever gets to go back to australia for christmas

[Tinika]

Originally Posted by ysbel

Tinika.

Some people never lose their accent no matter how long they are away from their native land while others inexplicably do lose their accent rather quickly. This fact of life is so commonly known in the international community, I can't believe that with your experience abroad, you never have heard of it.

I really don't know--at this point I'm just surprised at how long this thread has gotten!

[Margrethe II]

Originally Posted by lady_windsor

i wonder if mary ever gets to go back to australia for christmas

I am sue that if Their Royal Highnesses wish to, they could and shall return to Australia for Christmas...

Still, I know where I would prefer to be

"MII"

Originally Posted by lady_windsor

i wonder if mary ever gets to go back to australia for christmas

Lady_ Windsor

I am in total agreeance. I hope she returns. However we must at least give the impression, that we are not takers back of things we have let go.:)

Mary is Danish and as a Tasmanian, I'm a tad (well, a bit more than that) jealous of them but I will never let them know. She would not have been a princess in OZ and that is why she belongs to the Danes.:(

I'm sure that she will return, but she must also show the Danes, that she was sincere when she converted to Danish citizenship, by not giving the impression that she always wants to return to her place of birth.

Actually Lady Windsor, it seems that I have utilised your post as a vehicle to put forward my thoughts. I understand that they may not be yours and that you may not agree. I hope you will forgive??:)

P.S. If I don't say something of her accent, then this post is not on topic. I hope that she is applauded for her speech improvement(Word Pronunciation), rather than criticised by some, when she returns next time.


kind Regards Jaques D.

[MarieLouise]

It's funny to read australians points of view on Marys accent, when it comes to english. I am danish, and many danes (including my self) often talk about Marys accent, and that it to us has started to sound a bit danish when she speaks english. It's only from time to time. Maybe the reason could be that Frederik - who is propably her biggest influence - has a very strong danish accent when speaking english.

Earlier in the thread someone asked what Marys danish sound like: It is still obvious that danish isn't Marys first language, you can definately tell she is a foreigner, but her danish is improving everytime I here her speak. Both her vocabulary and her pronounciation is getting really good - I'm gessing you won't be able to tell danish is'nt her first language in a couple of years.

[mashed potatoes]

I am looking for links so that I can hear Princess Mary speaking Danish.

Any one???

http://www.dr.dk/nyheder/htm/baggrun...20er%20gravid/

this is a link i found, where you can hear a little bit of mary speaking some more in danish.

go to the right where it says LYD/VIDEO and click on the first link under that to hear her.

And yet another link where you can hear CP Mary speak:
http://www.dr.dk/extention/playWindo...eder&trace=off

copy this link into your address bar and press GO :)

[robby86]

I have tried following many links but they no longer work. Dose someone know of a place I could go to hear her, and maybe the other members of the RF?

[Mandy]

Originally Posted by robby86

I have tried following many links but they no longer work. Dose someone know of a place I could go to hear her, and maybe the other members of the RF?

Click on the link in this post to hear Mary speak.

[carlota]

i would like to ask any native speaker of english what are the main traces of australian accent. as a non-native english speaker, i can notice some accents although not all of them, and the australian one is the one i most have problems with. what differenciates australian from a standard english (with neutrum accent)? any similarities with the other accents?

i really don't recall mary speaking with a hard accent whatsoever at the press conferences of the engagement but again, perhaps it is because of my poor ability to distinguish them :)

any help would be greatly appreciated! :)