Máxima's Voice, Accent and Languages

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by coco

I've never heard her voice but actually, I like deep voices more than high ones. (can I use the word "high" in connection with "voice")

Does Maxima smoke?

I like low voices too. I have the idea the Prince and Princess of Orange have quit smoking years ago, let us say since the Princess' first pregnancy.

I have never seen a picture or whatever of the Prince or Princess smoking since their engagement.

[Verde Esmeralda]

Originally Posted by royal pauper

I second that. Her voice is to deep and masculine, like a voice of any hevy smoker. There are so many women in Europe with voices like that. Such a turn off! I could only imagine how bad is her breath. Luckily her husband is a smoker too.

I don't really like her voice too much either...but I seriously doubt that she might have a breath problem. I don't know if she is still a smoker or not, and I honestly don't really care about the subject, but do you really think a princess would allow herself to have bad breath??

[GrandDuchessOlga]

Honestly it could just be her natural voice. She is very tall and somehow robust so I wouldn´t expect her voice to be anything like Mary´s. To my rememberance I recall that both Mathilde and Diana has/had pretty deep voices though not as much as Maxima. I think she sounds nice and it has a special charm to it... JMO

[prinsesbeagle]

It COULD be her natural voice?? It IS her natural voice. I am glad she has a low voice. I cannot stand women with highpitch squeeckie voices. It makes them easily sound like whiners.

[Verde Esmeralda]

Originally Posted by prinsesbeagle

It COULD be her natural voice?? It IS her natural voice. I am glad she has a low voice. I cannot stand women with highpitch squeeckie voices. It makes them easily sound like whiners.

I agree, prinsesbeagle. Plus, I think Maxima's deep voice pairs up with WA's just perfectly.

[Verde Esmeralda]

Originally Posted by carlota

i found it! here's the video of her speaking in spanish to the argentinian media. i believe it was the first or second day of her argentinian official visit.

while it's nice to hear her speaking in spanish, what's more important is what she says. she truly sounds like an intelligent, prepared person.

click on the link and then click on the right side, about the middle of the article where it says: Video | “Tenemos que dar microcréditos a las actividades que generan ingresos”, dijo la princesa.(TN)

La princesa Máxima se reunió con pequeños emprendedores en Jujuy

Well done, Carlota!! Thanks for posting this long-awaited piece (at least for us, spanish native speakers who actually haven't had much of a chance of listening to her speaking her own language)

As for the picture on the second link, if you have a close look, you will see Jeroen Snel, the tv-presenter from Blauw Bloed, standing there with a microphone.

[carlota]

Originally Posted by Verde Esmeralda

Well done, Carlota!! Thanks for posting this long-awaited piece (at least for us, spanish native speakers who actually haven't had much of a chance of listening to her speaking her own language)

As for the picture on the second link, if you have a close look, you will see Jeroen Snel, the tv-presenter from Blauw Bloed, standing there with a microphone.

you are more than welcome, verde esmeralda. i really loved to hear the video the first time! it's so rare to hear maxima speaking in spanish. i think that's the longest i heard her speaking in spanish.

nice to see the blauw bloed staff followed her to argentina!

[ahtikavalentine]

Originally Posted by carlota

i found it! here's the video of her speaking in spanish to the argentinian media. i believe it was the first or second day of her argentinian official visit.

while it's nice to hear her speaking in spanish, what's more important is what she says. she truly sounds like an intelligent, prepared person.

click on the link and then click on the right side, about the middle of the article where it says: Video | “Tenemos que dar microcréditos a las actividades que generan ingresos”, dijo la princesa.(TN)

La princesa Máxima se reunió con pequeños emprendedores en Jujuy

I can't watch the video, It's not there anymore

Does anybody have another link of Máxima speaking in spanish???

[Verde Esmeralda]

Originally Posted by Princess Maxima

Me neither...
I just heard her speaking spanish on the dvd Máxima 5 jaar prinses. The dvd shows a part of her speak at the UCA.

While browsing to find this video footage somewhere else, I found something about this speech at the UCA (Universidad Cátolica Argentina / Catholic University of Argentina, from which Máxima got her degree in Economics).

During that encounter at the UCA, the former president of our Central Bank, Mr. Alfonso Prat-Gay, also gave a speech. According to many sources (Clarín newspaper among others), though he gave a truly interesting speak, the actual star of the event was Máxima, "former student of Mr. Prat-Gay at the UCA".

http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/12/07/elpais/p-02015.htm
Para la ceremonia, Prat-Gay contó con la bendición de su ex alumna en la UCA Máxima de Holanda.(For the ceremony, Prat-Gay had the blessing of her former student at UCA Máxima of the Netherlands)

The general impresssion was...aww how nice, she's now a Princess and he got to be the president of the Central Bank...!! And they meet again in their country!

But...afterwards, Mr. Prat-Gay himself said this was not true:

http://www.fortuna.uolsinectis.com.ar/edicion_0132/nota_tapa/nota_tapa.htm
Alrededor del mediodía, la Universidad ubicada en Puerto Madero recibió a otra celebridad egresada de su licenciatura en Economía. La llegada de Máxima Zorreguieta, princesa de Orange, despertó hasta el rumor de que fue alumna de Prat-Gay. "Podría ser, porque le llevo cinco años en el ingreso a la carrera; pero ni ella ni yo lo recordamos", desestima el economista.

(Around noon, the University located in Puerto Madero received another celebrity graduated from Economics. The arrival of Máxima Zorreguieta, princess of Orange, brought the rumour that she had been a pupil of Prat-Gay. "It could be, because I am five years ahead in the career, but neither I, nor her remember it", said the economist.)

So the hole thing was apparently a myth... created by the Argentinian media.

[Philippe Egalite']

Originally Posted by BurberryBrit

Here is a video of Maxima speaking english. Her voice and accent surprised me! Her voice is deep (nice) and she speaks english with a Germanic accent. Did she have an accent before learning dutch? I wonder if the fact that she has been speaking Dutch for so long (an probably predominantly in her daily life) is the reason her english sounds this way.

Her voice was just unexpected.

I would totally disagree. She speaks English with the accent of highly sophisticated British people, which, in fact, is remarkable. Unless she had British nannies, she must be charismatic regarding her inclination toward foreign languages!
Good for her!!

[Pooky]

Originally Posted by Philippe Egalite'

I would totally disagree. She speaks English with the accent of highly sophisticated British people, which, in fact, is remarkable. Unless she had British nannies, she must be charismatic regarding her inclination toward foreign languages!
Good for her!!

Regarding her accent when speaking English, even if it's not completely free of her Argentinean melody and also tinted by her Dutch, in general, it's the English that you're normally taught in British schools around the world. She attended Northlands School in Buenos Aires and that's where she was taught to speak with a British (BBC) accent.

[Verde Esmeralda]

Originally Posted by Philippe Egalite'

I would totally disagree. She speaks English with the accent of highly sophisticated British people, which, in fact, is remarkable.

You make me think about Hugh Grant when you speak about a 'highly sophisticated British people' type of accent .

I believe that's not Máxima's type of English, but still her accent is clearly not the US-type.

[ashelen]

anybody has a link where to listen her speaking dutch

[Princess Maxima]

Originally Posted by ashelen

anybody has a link where to listen her speaking dutch

At the end of the video she speaks Dutch

YouTube - Megan & Prinses Maxima

[ashelen]

Thank you so much for the video, victoria
she sounds very good, fluent and relax, she probably had a very good tutor for her to sepack so good! liste her in english and in dutch I wonder how she sounds in her own language, spanish???? any video out there of her speaking spanish????

[ashelen]

I knew she speaks italian, but french?, i did not know that, where did she learn it? anyones knows???, si she fluentle or just she practice for this one????may be somebody wrote for her the speech????

[lilytornado]

Originally Posted by ashelen

I knew she speaks italian, but french?, i did not know that, where did she learn it? anyones knows???, si she fluentle or just she practice for this one????may be somebody wrote for her the speech????

I don't think she speaks Italian? Where did you read that?

[ashelen]

Originally Posted by lilytornado

I don't think she speaks Italian? Where did you read that?

I read somewhere, but I can not remeber exactly where , but I am sure she is able to speak italian, her mother tounge is spanish, italian is similar, and she spend every summer in Italy so she has there plently oportunity of practicing. I think.... I read about that when she was going to get married, becasue somewhere I read that she would spaek italian with Valentino for her wedding dress, or something like that.
I lived 2 years in Italy and I speak spanish too, it was not difficult for me to pick up the language, I have some freinds that I still in touch and I alwys speak Italian with them not to loose it, so I can guess that she might defend quiet well in Italian.
May be we should to check the Royal site and hr CV , may be there we can find that????

[rominet09]

Yes she speaks (and very well) French
I heard her joking in French (on tv) which supposes a good knowledge of the language

[ashelen]

Originally Posted by rominet09

Yes she speaks (and very well) French
I heard her joking in French (on tv) which supposes a good knowledge of the language

Do you think is any on you tube, so we can listen???