Swan Upping

Here's a very different royal tradition. On the River Thames there are hundreds of swans. A lot of these beautiful white birds belong, traditionally, to the king or queen. In July the young swans on the Thames are about two months old. Then the Queen's swan keeper goes, in a boat, from London Bridge to Henley. He looks at ail the young swans and marks the royal ones. The name of this strange but interesting custom is Swan Upping.

The State Opening of Parliament

Parliament, not the Royal Family, controls modem Britain. But traditionally the Queen opens Parliament every autumn. She travels from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in a gold carriage - the Irish State Coach, At the Houses of Parliament the Queen sits on a 'throne" in the House of Lords. Then she reads the "Queen's Speech". At State Opening of Parliament the Queen wears a crown. She wears other jewels from the Crown Jewels, too.

The Order of the Garter Ceremony

The Order of the Garter ceremony has a long history. King Edward li started the Order in the fourteenth century, that time, the people in the Order were the twenty four bravest knights in England. Now the knights of the Order aren't all soldiers. They're members of the House of Lords, church leaders or politicians. There are some foreign knights, too. For example, the King of Norway, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and the Emperor of Japan. They're called Extra Knights of the Garter. The Queen is the Sovereign of the Order of the Garter. But she isn't the only royal person in the Order. Prince Charles and Prince Philip are Royal Knights, and the Queen Mother is a Lady of the Garter.

In June the Order has a traditional ceremony at Windsor Castle. This is the Queen's favourite castle, It's also the home of the Order - the Garter. All the knights walk from the castle to St George's Chapel. The royal church at Windsor. They wear the traditional ^“robes” of the Order. These robes are very heavy. In tact King Edward VIII once called them “ridiculous". But they're an important part of one of Britain's oldest traditions.

Vocabulary:

the Trooping of the Colour - вынос знамени

regiment - полк

the Guard - караул

the Guards - гвардия

Maundy Thursday – страстной четверг

Maundy money – великопостная милостыня

Swan Upping – маркировка (клеймение) лебедей

The Order of the Garter ceremony – торжественная церемония посвящения в кавалеры ордена Подвязки

knight - рыцарь

Duke - герцог

castle - замок

robe – мантия

Answer the Questions :

1. What is the Trooping of the Colour ?

2. What does «colour» mean?

3. How often does the Changing of the Guard happen?

4. What is Maundy money?

5. What tradition stopped in 1754?

6. What does the Qneen’s swan keeper do in July?

7. What is the ceremony of Opening the Parliament?

8. When did kind Endward III start the Order?

9. Who are knights of the Order now?

10.When and where does the ceremony take place?

Ex.1 Give the English equivalents from the text:

- выносить знамя

- пасха

- в одно время, когда-то

- маркирует королевских лебедей

- Ирландская государственная Карета

- королевская ночь

- члены палаты лордов

- королевская особа

Ex.2 Give the definitions of the following:

Ex.3 Complete the sentences.

1. It’s a big parade with brass … .

2. At the front of the parade is … .

3. … is the day before Good Friday, at Ester.

4. On the River Thames … .

5. … the Queen wears a crown.

6. Kind Edward III started … .

7. They wear the traditional … .

Ex.4. Are these statements false or true?

1. The Queen’s birthday is on April 21 st.

2. The Queen’s home in London is Buckingham Palace.

3. Kinds and queens wash the feet of poor, old people on Maundy Thursday.

4. Swan Upping is the ceremony connected with catching royal swans.

5. Traditionally the Monarch opens Parliament every autumn.

6. In the XIV century the people in the Order were two dozens bravest knights of England.

Ex. 5. Retell the text.

Тема: Города. Путешествие