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4 Replies to “Did Queen Victoria have a German accent?”

  1. Susana Hischer says:

    Having watched Victoria on itv I wonder whether Prince Albert really spoke English with that strong German accent?

  2. richard@richardmilton.co.uk says:

    Hi Susana,

    Like you, I’ve watched the ITV series and wondered about its accuracy of detail. From my reading I’d say that the series is aimed primarily at enterntainment (filling the Downton Abbey, Sunday Soap-opera slot) rather than accuracy.

    We do know that Albert had a German accent that he worked hard to get rid of it. We also know that inside the palace, German was spoken most of the time between Victoria and Albert, and between Victoria and Lehzen and her other German courtiers, of which there were a number.

    On the other hand, there was very little of the anti-German feeling depicted against him in the series and Albert was often cheered by crowds when he appeared in public.

  3. Peter says:

    The accent of Albert in this series is a fake German one. In episode 4 he speaks of “Waldeinsamkeit” which is not used by Germans, may they be princes or not. And he pronounces this in a way that I had to listen twice to understand what he actually said. The real Albert would have meant “die Einsamkeit des Waldes” which means the solitude of the forest. Aside from such minor things like Lord Melbourne was in his 60ties instead of his 40ties it is an entertaining show. And yes, Victoria did have a German accent. (One of my great grand aunts was at her court and it was a family anecdote that Drina couldn’t master certain Shibboleths) And why not? Anyone with an accent is able to speak at least one other language. The anti-German campaign in England and places like Australia stems from the First World War – and Victoria had already been interred for almost 15 years. (Renaming of the House of Windsor, Mountbatten or various places Down Under) . In fact this Austrian idiot painter turned Gröfaz believed that the British would join his madness of fighting the “Bolshevik untermensch ” -quite glad they didn’t. Otherwise we would have too walk in goose steps and grow funny moustaches.

  4. G W Shields says:

    In the late 1940s after finishing my paper round, i would take, for he princely sum of 2/6 an old ladys dog
    for a walk around Kensington gardens, on my return i would receive payment and a large bowl of ice cream. Eeating, wilst being told the repetitive stories of her time as a young woman at the palace . Mentioning that when she did hear the Queen speak certain words had an accent, particularity if annoyed.

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