Her First Language Wasn’t English

Most people probably assume that the Queen of England speaks English naturally because it is her native language. Queen Victoria spoke English, of course, but that wasn't always the case. In fact, Victoria knew only German for the first three years.

British royalty had origins all over Europe, and Victoria's family included several Germans. Victoria was raised speaking only German because her mother was of German descent. German was the primary language of her early caregivers and school.

Over time, she also learned French and Italian in addition to English. She also picked up a little Hindustani. As she grew older, her German became rusty, and up until she met her husband, she mostly communicated in English on a daily basis. She refreshed her knowledge of the language, having grown up speaking it, and talked it nearly entirely with him.