Between March 26 and 29, it will be possible to see Charles III and Camilla in the streets of the capital. Indeed, the royal couple has chosen France for its first trip abroad. But will it be possible to speak to her Majesty in the language of Molière?
“Charles III is a very Francophile king, a lover of France,” explains the historian Kevin Guillot interviewed by Gala.fr. A heritage passed on by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, but also by his late grandmother, Queen Mum, who spent a few days each year in France, in a different region. Once in Burgundy, another in the Loire Valley and its castles. According to a little confidence of the historian, Elizabeth II and her mother had fun using French to tell secrets in the corridors of Buckingham Palace. Thus, no one could understand. No one except Prince Charles, who became King Charles III, who also had a perfect command of the language of Molière.
“Charles III speaks French perfectly. He speaks it fluently. He learned it from a very young age thanks to his nannies” underlines Kévin Guillot before adding, “He perfected his French at Cambridge University, when he was a student.” Following in the footsteps of his beloved mother, who spoke French remarkably well, the man who became the new sovereign of the United Kingdom has already spoken in our language several times during his stays in the hexagon, including in 2018, when he made a point of paying tribute to the victims of the Nice attacks in 2016. Unfortunately, Charles III could be the last French-speaking British king. Indeed, both he and Elizabeth II failed to transmit their passion to Prince William. If the latter has learned French, he practices it little and is not very comfortable, preferring German.
Will Prince George become a French speaker?
Prince George, soon to be 10 years old, could nevertheless continue the tradition. Indeed, the young man has already started taking French lessons: the link between England and France is very close and goes back to Queen Victoria. Every British royal child is invited to learn the language of Molière. But his mother, Kate Middleton, doesn’t seem to be very interested in it, preferring Italian. The arrival of the French girl Alizée Thevenet in the Middleton clan could be a good way for George to test his knowledge of French…
Photo credits: Agency / Bestimage