I think William should have learned Welsh?

[antelopevalley]

William is the new Prince of Wales. He has known for years he will be, but still only knows a few Welsh words.
Charles learned to speak Welsh and can have conversations with people and has given many speeches in Welsh.
I don't understand why William has not done the preparation his father did for this role?

@mag Not me. I assumed he had learned some Welsh.

That’s his job with East Anglian Air Ambulance not the RAF in Anglesey YOU MUPPET.

Charles went to college to learn Welsh when he became Prince of Wales.

Why do you constantly start these threads. So. weird

Agreed!

OP seems to be some sort of rabid Meghan fan with a massive chip on their shoulder about Kate and William <shrugs>

I suspect most people see right through these threads

Why...when less than 30% of Welsh people over the age of 3 can speak Welsh? Less than a third, OP? I'd completely understand your stance, if Welsh was the majority language...but it's not 🤷‍♀️

I have a friend who goes to meetings of an educational nature in Wales which are conducted in Welsh with a translator in spite of the fact most people there don’t speak the language. One time the translator was unfortunately ill and so the meeting was conducted very successfully in English without him!

What do you mean it's not a good enough reason? If you haven't been brought up speaking a language, then that's the reason you don't speak it, whether that's a good enough reason or not in your opinion is irrelevant!

Yes some people could learn but to get to the level where you actually know it well enough to really be able to converse at a useful level takes a great deal of time, money, inclination and aptitude that understandably many people don't have, when they don't find they need it in their day to day lives. In my job and personal life I've more often wished I could speak Arabic or Polish than Welsh as those are the non English speakers I've met most!

I also don't accept your framing that I don't speak my own language. I was born and grew up in urban South wales in the late 70s / early 80s, where the majority hasn't spoken Welsh for 100s of years if ever. Neither of my parents spoke Welsh and only one side of grandparents (the ones who had moved into my area from rural west Wales). I don't think the side of my family who has lived in south east Wales for generations has ever spoken Welsh to my knowledge. few of my neighbours and friends growing up spoke Welsh. Welsh wasn't legally an official language of Wales until I was in my teens. English is also the main language spoken on this comparatively small island we live on, which we have been part of a Union with for many 100s of years. So I would say by speaking English I am very much speaking my own language thanks.

And yes there are historical colonial reasons for that which aren't to be celebrated, but that that's long time ago and actually I think in industrial south wales its as much to do with people moving around for employment, which I don't see as a bad thing.

The guy is bright enough to learn to fly a helicopter. Why judge him on the ability to speak a near dead language which only a minority speak even in Wales?

Not work? You are really just showing your ignorance.

He was not working part-time, although he did have to take time off to undertake his other job - supporting the Royal Family - as necessary.

They had a house there - it was their home when they first married. You really should educate yourself before you pontificate on matters about which you clearly have little knowledge - just, for some reason, an interest in stirring the pot!

What about all of the other people who live in Wales who don't speak Welsh - any words of advice for them?

So sensible to arranged a staged introduction into life as a full working Royal, I think.

Also, for the record, he donated his salary to charity.

I’m not sure where the assumption that William isn’t very bright has come from. He got pass marks in 12 GCSEs. He got three A levels (grades seem disputed online but it was either A/A/C or A/B/C), and he went to uni, earning a 2:1 degree.

Are people mixing him up with Harry? Harry received 11 GCSEs (allegedly low grades), only got two A-levels earning A/D grades and never went to university. He also apparently struggled with his military exams as he isn’t very academic.

You have to be ‘very bright’ indeed to fly a helicopter.

Harry’s A levels grades were B & D, not A & D

www.tatler.com/gallery/how-the-royals-did-in-their-a-levels

There was a lot of hoo-hah about the B grade in Art as it was alleged in The Guardian and elsewhere that his art teacher helped him cheat.

amp.theguardian.com/uk/2005/may/10/schools.alevels2004

Why are people responding like they feel personally attacked and insulted over a light hearted post about royals learning languages? Nobody is going out there to start a petition over this. I don’t think the post is meant to be serious. Most of us have laughed over it.

The RF isn’t an extension of your family - get over it.

Thank you for the correction @RandomPenguinHouse 🙂

So you don’t think this post is meant to be serious @Coucous ? Interesting. Because @antelopevalley isn’t one for lighthearted threads so does that mean you think she’s stirring or trolling?

See for some it may be a light hearted post.

For others it might seem like yet another pointless snide dig.

I feel that that is something some need to get over.

Looking at the responses I can see most people are responding in a light hearted way - even Welsh people. I don’t get people being upset - why? Even if she’s having a dig that’s ok - assuming she’s a she. It’s her opinion and she’s allowed to express it.

You can choose anger or to laugh over it like most people responding. This is all just for a laugh right? Do people take these things that seriously? If I did I’d be stressed every time. Happy Saturday Morning!

Who do you think is getting upset @Coucous ?

Besides you, that is

Thank you for shoehorning Harry into a thread about William and learning Welsh.
I've really missed knowing about Harry's academic achievements on this thread

Good morning @Roussette i wish you all a lovely weekend.
Be nice to each other. I’m off to live my life !

Thank you for deliberating forgetting the fact that in the post of mine you quotes, I was correcting a poster who mentioned Harry.

I did make the same post as the poster earlier though by asking another if she’d got the brothers mixed up. NB: that ain’t shoehorning.

Be nice to each other you say after wrongly accusing posters of taking things personally and accusing them of unnecessarily getting “stressed”.

Ah, you’re a one.