Text 2. The British monarchy
|
1. ups and downs |
– подъемы и спады |
|
2. monarch [‘mɔnək] n |
– монарх |
|
3. crisis [‘kraɪsɪs] n crises pl |
– кризис |
|
4. condemned [kən’demd] adj |
– осуждённый; приговорённый |
|
5. dismiss [dɪs’mɪs] v |
– отпускать; распускать |
|
6. Royalists [‘rɔɪəlɪsts] |
– роялисты (сторонники короны [Crown I 2)] в период Английской буржуазной революции |
|
7. Roundheads [‘raundhedz] |
– «круглоголовые» (прозвище пуритан [Puritans]) по их коротко остриженным волосам |
|
8. behead [bɪ’hed] v |
– отрубать голову, обезглавливать |
|
9. abolish [ə’bɔlɪʃ] v |
– аннулировать, отменять, упразднять |
|
10. the Restoration [,restə’reɪʃən] |
– Реставрация, реставрация монархии (1660; после Английской буржуазной революции |
|
11. withdraw [wɪð’drɔː] v |
– удаляться, уходить |
|
12. recover [rɪ’kʌvə] v |
– вновь обретать, восстанавливаться |
|
13. disapprove [ˌdɪsə’pruːv] v |
– не одобрять, осуждать (что-л.) |
|
14. threatening [‘θret(ə)nɪŋ] adj |
– грозящий, угрожающий |
|
15. burden [‘bɜːdn] n |
– ноша; груз; тяжесть |
|
16. discharge [dɪs’ʧɑːʤ] v |
– разгружать |
|
17. outdated [ˌaut’deɪtɪd] adj |
– несовременный, устаревший |
|
18. tremendous [trɪ’mendəs] adj |
– огромный, гигантский |
|
19. boost [buːst] n |
– поддержка |
|
20. accuse [ə’kjuːz] v |
– винить, обвинять |
|
21. abandon [ə’bændən] v |
– бросать |
|
22. deliberately [dɪ’lɪb(ə)rɪtlɪ] adv |
– преднамеренно, умышленно |
|
23. low-key [ˌləu’kiː] adj |
– неброский, негромкий |
|
24. fear [fɪə] v |
– бояться |
Britain is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the monarch, at the moment Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State. The Queen is also head of the judiciary (all the judges) and of the Church of England, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Her face is on all British bank notes, coins and postage stamps.
The Queen’s constitutional role, however, is mainly symbolic. True power lies in the hands of the Prime Minister and his or her Cabinet. It is the Queen who formally opens Parliament every autumn, but the speech she makes from the throne, giving details of the government’s future plans, is written for her by politicians. Nothing becomes British law without the monarch’s signature, but the Queen would never refuse to sign a bill which has been passed by Parliament. It is the Queen who officially appoints the Prime Minister, but traditionally she always asks the leader of the party with a majority in the House of Commons.
The British people have had a monarchy for over a thousand years. The relationship between the monarch and the people has suffered some serious crises in the country`s history, but the monarchy always seems to recover.
The ups and downs of the British monarchy.
Revolution: Charles I
The biggest crisis in the monarchy`s history came in 1649 when the king was actually condemned to death by parliament. Charles I wanted the monarchy to have more power, and in 1629 he dismissed the parliament and ruled for 11 years without it.
In 1642 a Civil War broke out between the Royalists and the supporters of the parliament, the Roundheads under Oliver Cromwell. The Roundheads won, Charles was beheaded and the monarchy abolished. England was, in effect, a republic for 11 years, governed by a Lord Protector (first Cromwell and then his son). But in 1660 the age of the Restoration began when Charles`s son, Charles II, was made king.
Retirement: Victoria
When Queen Victoria`s husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861, the Queen suffered a terrible depression. She withdrew from public life and spent more time at her places in Scotland and on the Isle of Wight than she did in London. For over 20 years she performed no national duties. People became critical of the monarchy and, in a time of huge industrial and scientific progress, members of parliament began to talk about republicanism. But Victoria recovered and in 1897 her Diamond Jubilee, celebrating a record 60 years on the throne, was a great public relations success with huge processions, ceremonies and public celebrations.
Abdication: Edward VIII
When George V died in January 1936, his heir Edward was in love with a twice- divorced American woman, Wallis Simpson. His family and the government disapproved of Mrs Simpson, but Edward wanted to marry her. In the end he was forced to choose between his love and the throne. In December of that year, five months before his planned coronation and with war threatening the world, Edward VIII addressed the nation by radio and told them that “I have found it impossible to carry on the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge the duties of king … without the help and support of the woman I love”. His brother George VI took his place at the coronation, and proved to be a strong monarch. When George’s daughter, Princess Elizabeth, came to the throne in 1952 the monarchy was once again extremely popular.
Tragedy: Princess Diana
In modern times, people began to see the monarchy as outdated, but the royal family was given a tremendous boost in 1981, when Prince Charles married the popular Princess Diana.
Diana became an international superstar; more popular than her husband from whom she divorced in 1996.
When she died in a car crash in 1997many people accused the royal family of treating her badly during her marriage and abandoning her after her divorce.
The Queen and Prince Charles suffered a huge drop in popularity and they were advised to modernise and become less formal and distant. Celebrations for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 were deliberately kept low-key, as the organisers feared that the public would not be interested.
Sharpman E. Across cultures. Pearson Longman, 2003. P. 43.
Vaughan-Rees M., Bystrom P., Beteman S. In Britain. Chancerel, Изд-во Титул, С. 16.
Text 1. The Queen: representing Britain
The most important function of the Queen is ceremonial. On great occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament, she is driven through the streets in a golden carriage, guarded by soldiers. She gives a state banquet, usually in her home Buckingham Palace, when foreign monarchs or Heads of State visit Britain and soldiers dressed in eighteenth-century uniforms help her welcome them.
The Queen is head of the Commonwealth (a group of former and present-day British colonies). As head of the Commonwealth, she meets and entertains prime ministers of the member states.
Since Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952, she had represented Britain in visits to most parts of the world. Prime Ministers come and go, but she carries on above politics, a symbol of British traditions.
Text 2. The royal family: an ideal British family?
The surname of the royal family is Windsor. This might sound very British, but the royal family’s ancestors were German. The present Queen’s great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria (1819-1910), was born in Britain, but her mother and her husband were both German. When Queen Victoria got married, she became a Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The British royal family continued with this surname until the First World War (1914-1918) when King Georg V (1865-1936) decided to adopt the more English-sounding name of Windsor. In fact, Windsor is the name of one of their castles.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (now known as the Queen Mother) became very popular with the British people during the Second World War (1939-1945). They refused to leave London, even though their home Buckingham Place was bombed. In 1953, millions of people watched Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation on television and thought of her, her husband and their two little children as the ideal British family. This image of the royal family did not last.
Text 3. Royal scandals
Royal scandals are not an invention of the twentieth century. The former King George IV (1762-1830) was criticised for his overeating and drinking, his gambling and for the way he treated his wife. King Edward VII (1841-1910) openly kept a number of mistresses and was involved in a gambling scandal.
Recent problems affecting members of the royal family have had a greater effect on their popularity. In 1992, all of the Queen’s married children either separated or divorced. The Press is constantly publishing details and photographs of the private lives of the royal family. British people are also showing less respect towards the royal family: most still want a monarchy, but expect the royal family to earn their money and set an example.
Vaughan-Rees M., Bystrom P., Beteman S. In Britain. Chancerel, Изд-во Титул, С. 16.