What Languages Do The Royals Speak?

[Mbruno]

IMO they realize that their lack of fluency in a second language is a bit of a hindrance for them and they wanted to ensure that their children would be bilingual.

Currently at least four of the consorts (Maxima, Maria Theresa, Silvia, and of course Letizia) are native Spanish speakers. I believe that the AAA team from the NL was also raised with Spanish speaking nannies.

Silvia is is not a native Spanish speaker. Her native languages are German and Brazilian Portuguese.

BTW, Brazilians get extremely annoyed when people assume they speak Spanish.

 

[Sarahbellar]

Silvia speaks Spanish, she is said to be fluent in six, but she is not a native Spanish speaker.

German is her mother tongue. True, she spent a good chunk of her childhood in Brazil but Brazilians speak Portuguese not Spanish. She was educated in a German school in Brazil but she is said to be fluent in both. Spanish, Swedish, English and sign language are the others.

Her children are fluent in English and Swedish, and Victoria at least to some level in French. I believe they also have some understanding of German.

Silvia speaks German and Portuguese natively. She spoke Spanish, French, and English before marrying Carl Gustaf and learning Swedish. She did learn Swedish Sign Language but because she doesn't use it often, has lost her fluency.

Her children speak English, Swedish and German fluently- Silvia some time ago said that Victoria's German was the best, but I would bet that Madeleine uses her German more than Victoria these days (as her in-laws speak German and she has said she and Chris speak German when they are in public and don't want to be overheard). Victoria did learn French but her level of proficiency may be dwindling due to not using it these days.

 

[Skippyboo]

George and Charlotte learning Spanish may just be a happy consequence from Nanny Maria. If they were deliberately trying to have them learn a foreign language would it be French instead of Spanish. There would be more uses of French for a British Royal than Spanish. You have Canada, a closer neighbor in France, parts of Switzerland to speak French in.

 

[Florestane]

George and Charlotte learning Spanish may just be a happy consequence from Nanny Maria. If they were deliberately trying to have them learn a foreign language would it be French instead of Spanish. There would be more uses of French for a British Royal than Spanish. You have Canada, a closer neighbor in France, parts of Switzerland to speak French in.

Maybe but some people find Spanish easier than French and there are many more Spanish speakers in the world. Possibly just a happy coincidence with their Spanish nanny but French isn't the "go to" second language that it used to be in the UK.

 

[Rudolph]

Nanny Maria is Norland College trained. She's a proper English nanny. I highly doubt she uses Spanish in the workplace and her workplace is looking after George and Charlotte when their parents are working.

Maria may teach them the odd word here and there but George and Charlotte are with Catherine much more than their nanny.

 

[Spheno]

nobody provided source for this information
it's only gossips

 

[Florestane]

Nanny Maria is Norland College trained. She's a proper English nanny. I highly doubt she uses Spanish in the workplace and her workplace is looking after George and Charlotte when their parents are working.

Maria may teach them the odd word here and there but George and Charlotte are with Catherine much more than their nanny.

Seems rather pointless having a nanny if the children are with you most of the time.

She may be English trained but she's a Spanish nanny.

 

[Countessmeout]

Maria is a full time nanny. They spend a great deal of time with her. And yes, you tend to pick up language habits from the adults you are around a lot. I am sorry, but just because Catherine doesn't do full time duties, doesn't mean Maria just babysits when she works. Their house keeper also has babysitting as part of the job description.

Maria will speak what ever language they want her to. They may very well encourage her to teach the kids some Spanish. Victoria and Daniel chose English speaking nannies for that reason.

People who have the money to be choosy pick nannies usually with very little accent, for the very reason. If a nanny speaks English but with a heavy foreign accent, it will reflect in the kids language.

 

[TLLK]

Silvia is is not a native Spanish speaker. Her native languages are German and Brazilian Portuguese.

BTW, Brazilians get extremely annoyed when people assume they speak Spanish.

The worst part is that I know this fact but allergy meds are putting my brain to sleep. I hate it when this happens.

 

[Florestane]

Maria is a full time nanny. They spend a great deal of time with her. And yes, you tend to pick up language habits from the adults you are around a lot. I am sorry, but just because Catherine doesn't do full time duties, doesn't mean Maria just babysits when she works. Their house keeper also has babysitting as part of the job description.
.

I know that - I was questioning the suggestion that the children don't spend enough time with her to pick up any Spanish from Ms Borrallo.

Who knows? She may speak to them in English - seems a wasted opportunity to me if she does so exclusively. Time will tell...

 

[Rudolph]

If William and Catherine want their children to speak Spanish, they'll send them to a Spanish immersion school where they speak the language hours a day. Which is really the only way to learn a language.

Nanny Maria teaching them how to say apple or to count to five is hardly going to make them fluent.

 

[Florestane]

If William and Catherine want their children to speak Spanish, they'll send them to a Spanish immersion school where the speak the language hours a day. Which is really the only way to learn a language.

Nanny Maria teaching them how to say apple or to count to five is hardly going to make them fluent.

As someone who has learnt several languages to varying degrees of fluency, immersion is not the only way - and for a tiny minority it isn't the best.

You're right - teaching someone to say apple or count to 5 doesn't make someone fluent. But I believe the original post suggested that she speaks to them in Spanish (we have no proof that is the case) - if she does then they can achieve fluency, especially given their age.

 

[Countessmeout]

I know that - I was questioning the suggestion that the children don't spend enough time with her to pick up any Spanish from Ms Borrallo.

Who knows? She may speak to them in English - seems a wasted opportunity to me if she does so exclusively. Time will tell...

Sorry my arrows were for Rudolph not you. He was the last post when I started typing. You beat me. It wasn't intended as a response to you.

 

[Florestane]

Sorry my arrows were for Rudolph not you. He was the last post when I started typing. You beat me. It wasn't intended as a response to you.

No problem. ?

 

[AdmirerUS]

Off topic, but people learn languages in lots of ways. Most easily for anyone before you turn about 7, but for people with the right brain wiring well beyond that.
I learned the most coversational Spanish not from classes/tapes but from a term long class on the films of Louis Bunuel. By the 5th or 6th week, I was not relying on the subtitles. Amazing when you think about it.

 

[LadyRohan]

I don't believe that it should be a requirement to speak a foreign language but that ability in and of itself is something that is an accomplishment. Since joining TRF, I was truly amazed at how many people here can write so eloquently in English and knowing its not their native language. Although I did take 3 years of high school French and a semester in college, I would be very hard pressed to hold a conversation in that language today.

People on the world stage do the countries that they're visiting a nice honor when they speak and are able to address the people a bit in their native language and even if they flub it up, its the effort that's appreciated and not the fluency of the language.

Will and Kate will do just fine in Paris regardless of the ability to speak French.

With all due respect, there is a very large difference between any ordinary citizen and a monarch or senior member of a Royal Family. In addition, a monarch tends to stick around for a far longer period of time than a temporary president and their fleeting position, so what they do, don't, can and can't matters a lot more.

The ability of Their Royal Highnesses to survive in Paris is not in question. It is far more interesting to consider that when they become King and Queen of Canada, an official French-speaking nation, where every political and social leader is required to at least attempt to use both languages, and where it is quite common in speeches and so forth to switch between the languages, it will be seen as less inclusive to have a monarch and consort unable to use the language.
Is it a requirement? No. Is it outdated to learn French because it was once the language of courts and higher classes? Sure, but that's not why a working knowledge of French is more important for the Windsors than for us here on TRF, or many other Royal Houses. It is more important because they're not the British Royal Family, they're the Commonwealth Royal Family, where French is the 2nd largest language, official in 10 nations. It's important because the Royal Family of Canada has to master both languages if it is to have enough legitimacy to not be seriously threatened by republican movements.

Much can be said about learning languages. Some people struggle more than others, but very, very few will be completely unable to. If you're motivated, you will almost always succeed. French is not particularly difficult for an English-speaker to learn, especially one with access to tutors and all kinds of assistance.

Obviously, there is a difference between fluency and learning phrases to be respectful when being overseas. When Her Majesty went to Ireland and greeted the president and guests in flawless Irish Gaelic, it showed more respect and healed more wounds than much else could had done. However, when the Queen or other members of the Royal Family is in Canada, they're not overseas, they're at home, in one of their realms, and speaking in French is one of the ways they show just that: They're home, and they're Canadian.

 

[Rudolph]

It's important because the Royal Family of Canada has to master both languages if it is to have enough legitimacy to not be seriously threatened by republican movements.

When William was in Quebec in 2011 he received kudos and applause for using French. Huge crowds came out to see the Cambridges.

When Charles was in Quebec in 2009, riot police had to be called out to keep anti-monarchy protesters from overrunning an army hall where Charles was doing an engagement.

It doesn't seem like Charles ability to speak French is keeping republican movement down.

 

[AdmirerUS]

With all due respect, there is a very large difference between any ordinary citizen and a monarch or senior member of a Royal Family. In addition, a monarch tends to stick around for a far longer period of time than a temporary president and their fleeting position, so what they do, don't, can and can't matters a lot more.

The ability of Their Royal Highnesses to survive in Paris is not in question. It is far more interesting to consider that when they become King and Queen of Canada, an official French-speaking nation, where every political and social leader is required to at least attempt to use both languages, and where it is quite common in speeches and so forth to switch between the languages, it will be seen as less inclusive to have a monarch and consort unable to use the language.
Is it a requirement? No. Is it outdated to learn French because it was once the language of courts and higher classes? Sure, but that's not why a working knowledge of French is more important for the Windsors than for us here on TRF, or many other Royal Houses. It is more important because they're not the British Royal Family, they're the Commonwealth Royal Family, where French is the 2nd largest language, official in 10 nations. It's important because the Royal Family of Canada has to master both languages if it is to have enough legitimacy to not be seriously threatened by republican movements.

Much can be said about learning languages. Some people struggle more than others, but very, very few will be completely unable to. If you're motivated, you will almost always succeed. French is not particularly difficult for an English-speaker to learn, especially one with access to tutors and all kinds of assistance.

Obviously, there is a difference between fluency and learning phrases to be respectful when being overseas. When Her Majesty went to Ireland and greeted the president and guests in flawless Irish Gaelic, it showed more respect and healed more wounds than much else could had done. However, when the Queen or other members of the Royal Family is in Canada, they're not overseas, they're at home, in one of their realms, and speaking in French is one of the ways they show just that: They're home, and they're Canadian.

JMO - but is is equally important then, that the BRF speak any of the First People's Languages flawlessly in Canada. I agree that it's not just French that counts.

I just think that on a diplomatic level that we are now so multilingual, that it's really hard to ask a public figure to be fluent or to rank order the importance of the fluencies. Especially so for the Commonwealth. Or the Eurozone. Which seem to be where we think the royals should focus; even that may be a false focus.

I'm just sure that Malaysians, Egyptians, Indians, Mongolians, etc think diplomatic representatives should also speak to them in their language. It's not as simple as it was even 20 years ago.

 

[Prisma]

A bit of Princess Mako's speech in English during her Bhutan visit. Starts at 0:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e__zd_bwMlk

 

[Countessmeout]

JMO - but is is equally important then, that the BRF speak any of the First People's Languages flawlessly in Canada. I agree that it's not just French that counts.

I just think that on a diplomatic level that we are now so multilingual, that it's really hard to ask a public figure to be fluent or to rank order the importance of the fluencies. Especially so for the Commonwealth. Or the Eurozone. Which seem to be where we think the royals should focus; even that may be a false focus.

I'm just sure that Malaysians, Egyptians, Indians, Mongolians, etc think diplomatic representatives should also speak to them in their language. It's not as simple as it was even 20 years ago.

You can never be able to be expected to speak every single language in a country. Buy speaking two languages is hardly much to ask. There are only two official languages in the queen's realm, English and French. Only two. N most schools, kids are expected to learn a second language. For a family who has the resources, the tutors and the Time to learn a second language there is really no excuse to not know a second.

Foreign royals seem to be able to manage several languages. what good reason is there for them not to bother?

Learning a second language is much more simple then twenty years ago. A lot more access to study. And with royals doing less ground travel work, more time.

 

[Mbruno]

You can never be able to be expected to speak every single language in a country. Buy speaking two languages is hardly much to ask. There are only two official languages in the queen's realm, English and French. Only two.

Maori is also an official language in New Zealand, isn't it ? I suppose it was trickier when HM was still queen of South Africa, Ceylon and Pakistan for example. I wonder if she ever learned Urdu, Tamil, Afrikaans, etc.

BTW, shouldn't the Queen also speak Welsh ?

 

[Iluvbertie]

Not to mention Cornish and Scottish Gaelic?

What about all the indigenous languages in Australia? (There are around 900 of them by the way).

 

[IloveCP]

It seems Victoria knows German fluently. However there are very little videos of her speaking German, Including Madeleine. The ones that I have seen have her speaking very few words from her. Also does anyone have videos of Silvia and Victoria speaking French?

 

[Countessmeout]

Maori is also an official language in New Zealand, isn't it ? I suppose it was trickier when HM was still queen of South Africa, Ceylon and Pakistan for example. I wonder if she ever learned Urdu, Tamil, Afrikaans, etc.

BTW, shouldn't the Queen also speak Welsh ?

How are you even comparing French to welsh, Gaelic or Cornish?

The Uk only has one official language and that is English. In all its territories. Welsh was granted de facto status a few years ago. De facto as it is spoken by a very limited population.

Maori is the same. It is a de facto language. It is only spoken by less then 5% of the people of NZ, not enough to be considered an official.

French is an official language spoken by millions of people. Big difference.

But by all means, if Maori are upset the queen doesn't speak their tongue, they are entitled to their feelings. As I am as a Canadian, that she should speak French.

Royals, even a monarch, have plenty if down time. And all the money for tutors. Shame they don't use it.

 

[IloveCP]

Letizia speaking English and French

Speaking Catalan

 

[W.Y.CII]

I don't think Countess Alexandra is fluent in Chinese/Cantonese as I have read that she said Prince Hernik's Chinese is even better than her. It is quite common that people like Alexandra (who has non-Chinese descent) cannot speak fluent or any Chinese/Cantonese in Hong Kong.

 

[JR76]

I don't think Countess Alexandra is fluent in Chinese/Cantonese as I have read that she said Prince Hernik's Chinese is even better than her. It is quite common that people like Alexandra (who has non-Chinese descent) cannot speak fluent or any Chinese/Cantonese in Hong Kong.

Just a small correction - Alexandras paternal grandfather was half British and half Chinese giving her a few drops of Chinese blood. Her parents also have French, German and Czech ancestry.

 

[W.Y.CII]

Just a small correction - Alexandras paternal grandfather was half British and half Chinese giving her a few drops of Chinese blood. Her parents also have French, German and Czech ancestry.

thanks. I should say it clearer

 

[carlota]

Mary speech at Global Goals Awards 2017

in this video, mary speaks french at the end of it as she decided to thank the awardee in french by saying in broken french with an english accent 'merci bernard pour tout votre travail' (thanks for all your work). i remember how it was said that mary lived in france and taught english at the start of her relationship with frederik, to be closer to denmark, so it was speculated that she spoke some french and we wondered for a while if this was the case, but the video confirms that this was not the case.

 

[Prisma]

Princess Ayako speaking English at the 50th anniversary of Canada’s Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. Her speech starts around 1:38