Prince Harry shows off German skills in Düsseldorf after admitting he 'wishes' he could speak the language fluently like Prince Philip

The Duke of Sussex addressed crowds in beginner's German after arriving in Düsseldorf for the Invictus Games 2023 countdown event

Prince Harry speaks German in Düsseldorf after admitting he 'wishes' he was fluent like Prince Philip
(Image credit: Getty)

Prince Harry delighted crowds by speaking German at the Invictus Games 2023 countdown in Düsseldorf on Tuesday, despite having never learnt the language in school. 


Prince Harry showed off his German language skills in Düsseldorf on Tuesday, much to the delight of his adoring fanbase. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now three days into their whirlwind European trip, which also marks their first time back in the UK since the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June. 

The A-list couple has wasted no time on the jam-packed tour of charity engagements, attending the One Young World Summit in Manchester on Monday before flying to Germany yesterday for the One Year To Go event, in honor of the 6th Invictus Games 2023. Tomorrow, they will attend the WellChild Awards in London, where Harry is expected to pay tribute to some the UK's most inspiring young people. 

Meghan

(Image credit: Getty)

The duke got a headstart with his oratory skills on Tuesday by addressing his Deutsch hosts in their native tongue at the Merkur-Spiel sports stadium, shortly after he and Meghan had arrived in the western German city. 

"Hello, Düsseldorf. We, Meghan and I, are very happy to be here today," he announced in German, leading to a wave of applause from the audience. He then mock-wiped his brow and said, 'Phew!' before quipping, "That's about where it stops as well." 

Prince Harry

(Image credit: Getty)

The 37-year-old continued in English, explaining that it is an 'honor' and a 'pleasure' to be at the exciting press event. His humor surfaced again seconds later with a daring, but seemingly appreciated, cultural joke. 

"I hear that the beer here is better than in Cologne, is this true? Is this true? We'll have to find out," he said. "On this hot day, I couldn't think of a better reason."

Prince Harry isn't fluent in any languages other than English, despite having learned French at school. He's previously confessed that he's forgotten most of the European language and has yet to master the native tongue of any other country since. 

"I wish I could speak German," Harry admitted while joining a German lesson during his royal tour of New Zealand in 2018, before adding that he'd also like to learn to speak Spanish. Fortunately for the duke, linguistical skills appear to be a strong point in the Royal Family. 

His grandfather, the late Duke of Edinburgh, was reportedly quite impressive when it came to foreign languages. It's understood that Prince Philip, who died aged 99 in April, could speak German and French, as well as a little bit of Danish and Greek. The Queen also knows French, having picked it up from her private tutor as a child, and has even delivered full speeches in the language in the past. 

 

The engagement 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.