Unit 4. The royal family

Watch the film and do the following exercises Task 1. Before you watch

Ex.1.  Complete the definitions with the words in the box.

To succeed, coronation, funeral, to give tribute, strain, sorrow, accession, proclamation, investiture, betrothed, to abdicate

1.  _______ to gain the right to a title, property, etc. when smb. dies.

2.  _______ having promised to marry smb.; syn. engaged.

3.  _______ a ceremony at which smb. formally receives an official title or special powers.

4.  _______ a feeling of great sadness; syn. grief

5.  _______ the act of making an official statement.

6.  _______ a religious ceremony for burying or cremating a dead person

7.  _______ the act of becoming a ruler of a country, ex. to the throne.

8.  _______ a ceremony at which a crown is formally placed on the head of a new king or queen.

9.  _______ worry/anxiety/pressure on smb/smth

10. _______ to show your respect or admiration, especially for a dead person.

11. _______ to give up the position of being king or queen

Ex.2.  Match the titles and the descriptions.

1.  a title of respect used when speaking about or to a king or queen =

2.  a nobleman of the highest rank, in Great Britain =

3.  a person who has the legal right to receive smb’s property or title when that person dies =

4.  a male or a female member of a royal family who is not king or queen =

5.  His Royal Highness =

6.  the ruler of the empire =

7.  an officer of middle rank in the army, navy or air force =

8.  a bishop of a highest rank, responsible for all churches in a large area =

9.  a man with a very high social position, just below that of a prince =

Majesty, Heir, Emperor/Empress, Lieutenant, Duke, HRH, Prince/Princess, Queen/King, Archbishop

Task 2. While you watch Part 1. (Opening credits, the heirs of Queen Victoria, the succession of Edward VII)

Ex.1.  What do these dates and numbers refer to? Watch part I and match the column on the left with the column on the right.

1.  Queen Victoria's jubilee. 2.  Queen Victoria died. 3.  A number of children Queen Victoria had. 4.  The silver jubilee of any monarch.

a)  25 years b)  1897 c)  1901 d)  9

Ex.2.  Decide whether these statements are true or false:

1.  Queen Victoria was only the Queen of Britain.

2.  She was a mother-in-law and grandmother to half of the European Royal families.

3.  Her son, Edward VII was a serious person and was keen on swimming kinds of sport.

4.  He improved the relationships with the British enemies – France and Germany.

Part 2. (The coronation of George V, George V visits the Keiser

In Berlin, the Great War begins)

Ex.1.  Watch Part 2 and put the events in order from 1–5.

1.  In 1913 George V went to visit officially his German cousin Keiser in Berlin with his wife Mary.

2.  During four years of the war George made hundred of visits to troops on the western front.

3.  After the death of Edward VII the throne was passed to his eldest surviving son George V.

4.  George V succeeded to the throne at the time of constitutional conflict between the Lords and Commons.

5.  His first official act was to visit India for his crowning in Delhi as an emperor.

Ex.2.  Complete these extracts with the words and phrases from the box.

judicious act, splendid affair, involve, possess

1.  It was a colourful ceremony and a _______ .

2.  Within a year Britain and half of Europe _______ in the Great War.

3.  And the Royal family as the descendants of Hanover line _______ most of them.

4.  It must have been _______ in the light of strange relations between Britain and Germany.