Queen Elizabeth II Can Speak This Foreign Language After Learning It Privately

Queen Elizabeth II can speak at least one foreign language fluently after getting a private education by governess Marion Crawford.

Harriet Mallinson, a journalist for Express, revealed that Her Majesty can speak French fluently. French is regarded as the official language in 29 countries. But the Queen has used her knowledge in the language during her visits to France and Canada.

In 2014, the Queen went to Paris for a state visit and met with former President Francois Hollande. The two discussed the weather in French. During her fifth French State Visit at the Elysee Palace in Paris, the monarch also gave an address in both English and French. A year later, the Queen spoke with a schoolgirl from Dagenham in French.

But Mallinson noted that the most impressive instance was when the Queen went to Quebec in Canada and gave a speech in French for a straight 10 minutes. French language expert Camille Chevalier-Karfis commented on the Queen’s French-speaking videos.

“Her reading skills were excellent – both pronunciation and rhythm were very good, but you could feel she was quite tense,” she said.

In related news, the Queen isn’t the only royal that can speak French fluently. Prince Charles and the Queen’s three other children can all speak the language. Prince William was also heard speaking in French after giving a speech in Quebec in 2011. The Duke of Cambridge can also speak Welsh and Swahili.

Four years ago, Prince Charles and Prince William also spoke multiple languages when they filmed an anti-poaching message. Between the father-and-son tandem, they can speak Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, Swahili, and Vietnamese.

Prince William’s wife, Kate Middleton, can speak Italian. She spent three years in Italy during her gap year. Prince Harry can also speak Arabic, and he was heard uttering Arabic words during his 2013 fundraiser in Dubai. Meghan Markle knows how to say thank you in Filipino, but cannot speak the language originating from the Philippines.