Prince William is reportedly fluent in seven different languages, an impressive skill that he hopes to pass on to his heir Prince George so he can communicate with everyone as King. But Kate Middleton says she is ‘so bad’ at 'languages' and hopes that all of her kids will be 'better' than her at it.
Sitting anywhere in the royal line of succession means that there's some extra pressure on you to adhere to royal protocol and make sure you're prepared for royal duties at any moment. Even Prince Archie, whose parents stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and then moved to LA, still has to follow this strict royal rule.
For Prince George, who sits second in the line of succession, those pressures are a bit more obvious. He's currently sitting some very important exams that will dictate his future in education, with the plan seemingly set in stone for him to attend the infamous Eton College.
But while he will learn a whole host of lessons at the school, languages are perhaps the most important for the heir to the throne. Well, in his dad's eyes anyway. That's because, while he has been learning royal protocol since a young age and has been taught 'an awful lot about his destiny' since the late Queen's death, being able to speak many languages as a King is vital so you can converse with the vast number of people you will meet as monarch from all around the globe.
Prince William has set a daunting example for his son when it comes to learning languages. The Prince of Wales can reportedly speak seven different languages fluently; English, French, German, Welsh, Gaelic, Spanish and also Swahili, a language OK! Magazine reports that he taught himself while at university.
His dad might be a great example to look up to, but George likely doesn't feel to much pressure as his mum, Kate Middleton, has previously shared that she is 'so bad' at speaking anything other than English.
During a visit to Leicester back in 2018 where she met an Italian fan, the Princess of Wales said, "It's very nice to meet you. Shall we say..." There was then a long pause as the royal tried to remember the Italian greeting. "...Ciao?," she eventually remembered as everyone around her smiled at the attempt.
Kate quickly added, "I have to practice my languages, they are so bad. My language is so bad, I have to make sure my children are better than me."
Prince George, along with his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, already have a head start in their language lessons as their nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, who has been working with the family since 2014, has reportedly been teaching the kids to speak her native language of Spanish.
According to CNN, the children's school, Lambrook, also offers classes in Latin, French, Greek, and Italian, with William's penchant for languages likely leading all three kids to be enrolled in the classes.
It's longstanding tradition for royals to be able to converse in a range of languages. While William leads the say with seven under his belt, there are many other members of The Firm who can have a good chat in foreign tongues.
According to OK! Magazine, the late Queen Elizabeth was fluent in French after learning it at a young age, while her late husband Prince Philip was fluent in German as he went to school in Baden-Württemberg as a youngster.
Princess Anne is reportedly fluent in both the languages of her parents, while her brother King Charles can speak both languages as well as Welsh, Gaelic and Arabic.
