French words on blue British passport: As of the middle of 2020, new blue British passports have been issued in place of the older, burgundy passports. This change came about as a result of Brexit.
In this blog post, we’ll answer your questions and tell you everything you need to know about the French words on the new blue British passports!
Why is there French writing on the UK passport?
His Majesty’s Passport Office has announced that the French translations on British passports are due to recommendations from the UN agency the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Most countries now adhere to these to ensure their passports are accepted worldwide.
A spokeswoman said: “The ICAO requests that where the official language of the issuing state is English, French or Spanish, the issuing state should also print passport captions in one of the other two languages. So it’s just to fulfil this requirement.”
What are ‘captions’? Captions are the headings of the most important data fields, such as names, nationality and date of birth.
The ICAO’s current passport rules (last updated in 2021) state that countries which do not use one of these languages should also pick one to add as translations, which should be given in italics, after a forward slash.
Here’s everything you need to know about French words on blue British passports:
– The French words will appear on the front cover of the passport, along with the Union Jack flag and the word “European Union”.
– This change is purely cosmetic and does not affect your nationality or citizenship. You are still a British citizen if you have a French-worded passport.
– The French words are a show of solidarity between the UK and France, and do not mean that the UK is now part of the French Republic.
– If you’re travelling to a country that requires a visa, you will still need to apply for one. French words on your passport will not exempt you from this process.
French words on the front of the blue British Passport
What many people may not realise is that there are two French phrases hidden on the front of the passport as well. Dating back hundreds of years, can you identify them both? Displayed along with a lion and a unicorn, it has two French phrases beneath them.
One is “Dieu et mon Droit” which means “God and my Right”, which was believed to have been used by Richard I, who reigned from 1157 to 1199, as a battle cry.
Over 200 years later, King Henry V adapted the phrase to add “and my right”. He used it as part of his claim to the French throne and had it embroidered onto his soldiers’ banners during the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
The second phrase, “Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense” is a little more mysterious. It is translated to mean “Shamed be he who thinks ill of it” and is the motto of the Order of the Garter, which is the highest English chivalric order.
French words inside British passport
The main expressions on the British passport page with the essential identity data and the photograph are translated into French, for example: Date of birth / Date de naissance or Surname / Nom.
Fun fact: this is also the case in reverse on French passports, which contain English translations of the key words after the French expressions.
Passports in Britain were first issued in Latin and English
The first British travel documents known as “passports” were produced in Britain by the Privy Council in the 1500s (though only for England at the time, because unification with Scotland had not yet occurred).
According to the UK’s former director of passport services, quoted by the Telegraph in 2010, English and Latin were used for British passports until 1772.
Then, from 1772 British passports were issued by the Secretary of State’s office – only in French, at the time seen as the language of international diplomacy.
Passports were not written in English again until 1858, when they became far more popular as a British identification document.
The concept of creating worldwide translation standards dates back to the 1920s, when the League of Nations advised that all passports should be available in both French and the country’s official language.
The ICAO created an international passport committee in 1968 to work on worldwide passport standards and recommended that all passports include English and French.
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Conclusion
We hope this blog post has cleared up any confusion about French words on blue British passports! If you have any more questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Bon voyage!
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Topic: French words on blue British Passport
