Tiny quiz. Big curiosity.
💡Did you know? After the Norman Conquest in 1066, French wasn’t just fashionable — it was official. For a while, England’s kings, courts, and nobles spoke French while English simmered quietly in the background. But how long did this linguistic twist last?
How long was French the official language in England?
🎉 Très bien! 300 years is the correct answer! 🇫🇷
Reveal the correct answer
Answer: French was the official language in England for just under 300 years — specifically from 1066 to 1362. So while French was never the only language in use, it was the dominant language of power for nearly three centuries. By 'official' it meant that French was used by the monarchy, nobility and the legal system. Latin remained dominant for church and scholarship writing and English was spoken by the common people.